One of the challenges of a long motorcycle is to face the various elements. On the same day, it can sometimes be very hot, a few hours later, very cold and if you are very lucky, you can get a nice rainfall to reward you for all your efforts.
On previous trips, I suffered from the cold and rain. I promised myself to better prepare at this for this trip to South America.
In 2008, I travelled across Canada in summer. I did not have a heated vest. Big mistake! I quickly learned that a sunny and warm morning can turn to a cold and rainy afternoon.
At that time, I wore a BMW Rally 2 Pro suit. Although it’s a good product, I noted two major problems. First, it is not waterproofed. To ride in the rain, you need to stop and put on a internal liner. It is sometimes very complex and impractical. Just imagine having to remove the boots and then remove the pants, adding the lining, putting back the pants on and do the same thing with the jacket! And all this under the rain!
Moreover, even when this lining, the outer shell gets wet, becomes very heavy and sometimes takes a long time to dry. On some occasions, when hanged in the evening, it was still wet the next morning.
In 2010, during a trip to Labrador, I changed my strategy. Instead of adding the inner liners, I put on a raincoat over my suit. A little better, but the trouble having to stop and fight with the outer lining is still present, but the worst was the lack of comfort with all these layers.
So I turned to an all-in-one solution. A rainproofed suit. I chose the BMW GS Dry.
Here is a good review for those interested: BMW GS Dry Suit Review
My first tests revealed that it is much lighter than the Pro Rally 2, better adjusted, but much less ventilated. It only has 4 openings that are quite effective to produce an air flow, but the pants are very hot.
So I added a “BMW Motorrad Motorcycle Cool Down vest”. Very helpful, especially when I crossed the Death Valley a few years ago!
In terms of rain, the suit performed as described. I stayed nice and dry and I did not have to stop to add anything! Happiness!
I also have a heating jacket. I usually wear it when temperatures are below 16 degrees Celsius. Brand: Powerlet with wireless controller.
My helmet is a BMW System 6 with an intercom system. The big advantage of this helmet is that it is modular—it is possible to raise the front and drive with my face in the wind. Essential in my case!
As for gloves, I’ll bring 4 pairs:
- BMW AllRound: Cool weather
- BMW GS: Hot weather
- Heated Gloves (inner lining) of Powerlet: Very Cold Weather
- Arc’teryx outer shell: Very rainy days
In terms of boots, I have made a controversial choice to wear only my hiking boots while I ride. The storage space available on the bike does not allow me to carry an extra pair, and I plan on doing many walks in the mountains.
My choice fell on Bora² Mid GTX Hiking Boot Arc’teryx, made of Gore-Tex® with a removable liner.
Those boots are the best on the market. The Adaptive Fit removable liner eliminates friction. On the bike, they are ultra-light, fully waterproof and ventilated. Small bonus, it is possible to walk only with the liner in the evening because the sole is strengthened.
Riding Gear List #
| Clothing | Comments | Price (CAN$) |
|---|---|---|
| BMW System 6 Helmet | Size 60-61 | 800.00 |
| BMW Bluetooth Intercom | 600.00 | |
| Helmet spare Parts | Visor, electronics, etc. | 100.00 |
| BMW Jacket GS Dry | 800.00 | |
| BMW Pants GS Dry | 700.00 | |
| Hiking boots | Arc’teryx Bora² | 400.00 |
| Heated vest | Powerlet | 300.00 |
| Heated gloves (liner) | Powerlet | 100.00 |
| Motorcycle gloves | GS, AllRound, etc. | 300.00 |
| Plexus / Nanotips / Plugs | 75.00 | |
| Total: | 4,175.00 |
The next post will cover camping and hiking equipment.