Need really, REALLY waterproof textile clothing - recommendations?

It was a tad damp this morning. I dropped the strom off at my friendly
local dealer for its 28,000 mile service (re-shimming the valves involved
so I didn't feel like doing it myself0. They gave me a naked SV650 as a
loan bike so no windscreen for protection. There then followed a 30 mile
trip to work in monsoon conditions.

I wasn't surprised that my textile trousers leaked a bit as they are a
few years old. I WAS surprised by how much they leaked - enough to start
filling my boots with the water that trickled down my legs. My H-G jacket
also leaked. Due to the slightly different riding position
the water also leaked down my arms into my gloves (this has never been a
problem on the strom). By the time I got to work I was a soggy mess.

So...I am in the market for new textile clothing. Jacket in particular as
I already have some nearly new goretex textile trousers (I wore the older
ones because they are warmer in the winter but I won't take them out
again if there is any prospect of serious rain.). The main criteria are:
a) Doesn't leak. Not at all. Never.
b) Won't require a second mortgage to fund purchase

Recommendations?

 

Heinz Gherkin. Whatever their current one-down-from-top-end Goretex kit
is. They were doing Cruise II GTX kit at a discount a few days ago,
might still be.

I bought the last of the Cruise GTX suits at clearance price a couple of
years ago and it's astoundingly good kit. Dry as a bone inside, even in
a monsoon. Wish I could say the same for my boots, which clearly need
replacing.

 

Aerostitch - might fail b

US made Belstaff kit is all the rage on ADVrider - nothing to do with the
fashion Italian stuff.

HG Master V - may fail b again

HG Cruise (seems to be in dayglo green only in the catalogue online, mine
is a nice grey). It's been warm & waterproof (jacket only) riding 35 miles
to Cardiff.

If you go to HG, haggle. I got 10% off, although I was spending £500.

No idea about trousers - the Swift pair I bought from M&P years ago are
still going strong but were an end of line thing. Ace vale at £20!

 

Hie thee to a yacht shop.

 

None in my size unfortunately

Hmm...the leaking Jacket is HG. Although admittedly only a "Travel" so
not quite as well specced as a Cruise. Mined ewe it wasn't bottom of
the range either - it cost about £180 when I bought it a couple of years
ago. Interestingly, the £60 jacket from Lidl that it replaced was dry
and warm and did everything I needed. I only replaced it because one of
the fasteners got damaged.

 

I know it sounds a bit off the cuff.... coming from me, but I tried on just
about everything in the marketplace before going to the Elefantentreffen. I
didn't like the Gore HG stuff, too bulky and stiff.

In the end this came out tops. Cheap as chips. Apparently well made.
Technically nice. Performs brilliantly. I wouldn't have touched FT in the
past but this was worth the exception.
[www.frank-thomas.co.uk/cgi-bin/ft_spec.pl?id=69.XTi Xtreme Sport Jacket]
£140
[www.frank-thomas.co.uk/cgi-bin/ft_spec.pl?id=71.XTi Xtreme Trouser] £119
and they also make a longer version of the jacket.

Supplied from J&S

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, ogden

What he said.

I have HG "King" jacket and trews, and they have been totally dry today
in monsoon conditions.

 

Ewww I have yachtie clothing. Heavy and bulky, even on a boat.

 

Hmm. I have seldom heard anything good about FT in the past but that
sounds interesting. I will put it on the list of contenders.

 

Rukka - mine have been in some really shit weather and never leaked a
drop.
They replaced Hein Gericke stuff when I discovered the HG jacket
pockets
watered my fags for me.
Mine came off Ebay so met criteria B.

Steve

 

There are advantages to being as buff as me.

The trick is to go with proper Goretex kit - the QA and design work is,
generally, far superior to the imitation kit. Gore know that, which is
why they have such a superb reputation. There's more to keeping water
out than fitting a waterproof membrane.

In the case of HG, if it doesn't have GTX tacked on the end of the name,
move along.

It's the attention to detail I like. Not only is my jacket warm and
waterproof, it has a credit-card sized zip-up pocket on the left wrist
that's perfect for plastic at péage booths and petrol stations. It has
two exterior pockets that are inside the waterproof membrane so stay
dry. It has an extra collar that keeps the shitty weather out, zips to
the trousers and has storm cuffs that do a pretty good job of keeping
the rain out of gloves too.

I'd be surprised if the Lidl jacket had the same features.

 

I doubt Tony is svelte enough to fit onto james's Rukka cast offs,
appearing a few posts below

 

Damn. There goes my commission.

 

My Dainese Goretex trousers seem OK, not that they get much use TBF.

I suspect my pikey Spada jacket may no longer cope with serious deluges,
and a zip has bost on one sleeve. I may take a trip up Duggerlie to the
HG shop.


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.....says your girlfriend.....

 

There's a surprise ;-)

 

Hein Gericke Master V suit.

Oh.

 

Well, we look incredibly large, to them...