"Lifetime" waterproofs - Any recommendations?

TheJoker

TheJoker

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Guys n Gals,

My Belstaff kit of less than two years is falling apart and Phoenix says they can't honour the guarantee as Belstaff has been bough by some foreign company. I'm truly ticked off. I like the kit, but it's just appalling quality.

Therefore I'm looking to buy some really quality kit that will last me several several several years. I'd like to hear your experiences with long-term-goretex-bike-gear. Which last, which don't. Which one is repairable (a word quickly disappearing!)?

The only real criteria I have is that it has to be waterproof and it should work down to 0 degrees C and up to warm summer riding. (removable lining that is).

Currently I'm leaning towards the BMW kit or the Rukka kit. The Rukka stuff is guaranteed for 5 years - YAY!

Please share your thougths!

Sorry if this has been posted before - just realised that I didn't search :(
 
Very personal thing...but after trying many brands over the many years...last year I bought Rukka, so far I am very impressed, for example on Sunday I went out at 9.30 to Wales, rode all day through rain, sleet, more rain and snow, arrived home at 5.10 pm great day, bone dry and comfortable.

My only thing is that I feel I should have bought the next set up, this has the Gore-tex bonded to the outer skin so that the rain runs off and does not get absorbed in to the outer before hitting the Gor-tex layer, (if you get my drift).

Would I buy it again? too bloody right :thumb
 
I've got a Rukka airvantage suit, and i like it lots, very waterproof, warmer than you would think with a mesh type outer, I ride all year round every day almost.

It has a three levels of insulation, obviously the removable liners, and you can pump up the inner jacket for really cold days, i use in conjunction with a BMW heated vest, which I havn't even plugged in all winter, it very warm on its own.

Downsides are that they are a bit fiddly to put on and off, the liners are baggy and need to be set straight before dressing, I didn't realise it was that fiddly untill somebody gave me a standard gortex rukka, but even now I have the choice of the two suits I still take the airvantage every time!

Upsides are very waterproof, 5 year warrantee (they will give you alternative clothing whilst the repair work is carried out :thumb ) warm, good reflective patches (the painted ones on the ankles are getting a bit tatty after a year, but it was a return to finland job for repair, so i chose not to have them done) Looks good IMO :cool:

I was impressed with the rukka standard gortex suit i was kindly given, quite warm and comfortable, but not really been tested yet as its not my favorite


Good Luck

Shep
 
wear me rukka gare-tex day in and out for commuting year round.

It's excellent.

Stitched a heater into the liner too - warm as toast for an extra £20 or so.

Only crit. is that it's hot in summer coz the gore doesn't come out (but the liners do) and it has no vents - but that means it WILL NOT let ANY water in. Ever.

Got a cheap (in sale) BM jacket for the summer - fine, and it has vents, but the quality isn't up there with Rukka IMO - couple of bits have already come off/loose. Rukka doesn't do that.
 
Bobble; Thanks! Which one is it that you have, and which one is it that you wanted?

Shep: Excellent! Very much appreciated :)

Do I dare ask both of you how much you paid..? :eek:

:thumb
 
The Rukka suits are very good but the most important thing with any Goretex or other 'breathable' membrane is to keep them cleaned regularly with the appropriate cleaning liquids as once road dirt gets into the membrane they will start to leak.
I have returned goretex climbing waterproofs under their guarantee and received excellant service but they do insist that they are washed correctly before returning to ensure that any leaks are not due to dirt.
 
TheJoker said:
Bobble; Thanks! Which one is it that you have, and which one is it that you wanted?

Shep: Excellent! Very much appreciated :)

Do I dare ask both of you how much you paid..? :eek:

:thumb
Click to expand...


The Airvantage I paid £1100 (£150 off for my cheek, if you don't ask you don't get :D ) from Infinity Farnborough, very helpful guys!

The Gortex came my way for nothing, a guy came in the shop noticed I had a bike said he had some kit he'd just bought, to go with his new bike, but he had dropped it first time out and got scared so never road again :rolleyes: So there was me being a bit flippant about the suit expecting it to be a £60 special when he walked in with the Rukka :D :D :D :thumb :thumb.

It pays to be nice to your customers :cool:

Shep
 
I have the Steal jacket, I think it's being discountiued - not sure. It cost £380 ish, I am looking at the trousers, at the moment I use leather Dianeese trousers with overtrousers, but I will be getting the Rukka trousers (as mentioned) and they are about £350 ish, great stuff.

The other jacket (can't remember what it's called - no brochure) was about £690.00
 
tod said:
The Rukka suits are very good but the most important thing with any Goretex or other 'breathable' membrane is to keep them cleaned regularly with the appropriate cleaning liquids as once road dirt gets into the membrane they will start to leak.
Click to expand...


True in general, but doesn't seem to be an issue with my suit - not washed it ever (3+years of almost daily use,) and it's still totally watertight - presumably due to the fact that the gore-tex is hiddden deep inside, well protected from the outside world?

Actually positively decided not to wash it unless/until it leaks on the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" principle.

Depends how clean you want to be though :eek:
 
Bigtwin said:
True in general, but doesn't seem to be an issue with my suit - not washed it ever (3+years of almost daily use,) and it's still totally watertight - presumably due to the fact that the gore-tex is hiddden deep inside, well protected from the outside world?

Actually positively decided not to wash it unless/until it leaks on the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" principle.

Depends how clean you want to be though :eek:
Click to expand...

Same here year and a bit now and 20,000 mls of shyte on it, but no leaks at all but again the gortex is in the liners of mine so they remain quite clean :nenau

Gaffer taped the liners to my Daytona boots once and waded across the river test while fishing, remained totally dry :thumb

Shep

PS what should you wash them with?
 
I have some Yoko kit. Also made in Finland.

It's totally waterproof and very warm. It has had very good scores in the RiDE Rider Power surveys.

It costs about the same as BMW kit, which is some way below the price of Rukka gear.
 
Droopy Dick said:
I have some Yoko kit. Also made in Finland.

It's totally waterproof and very warm. It has had very good scores in the RiDE Rider Power surveys.

It costs about the same as BMW kit, which is some way below the price of Rukka gear.
Click to expand...

I've heard Yoko is very good..but hard to get hold of :(
 
I had completely forgotten about the Yoko stuff... (Sad, especially as I am Finnish :eek )

Very good stuff Gents... Keep it coming! :)

What do you wash goretex with!?! :confused:

Thanks guys! :beerjug:
 
As BigTwin has said the Rukka liner has an independent centre zip, something lacking in most cheaper liners, this allows easy conversion to a heated garment for little outlay :thumb
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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