I have been riding a big cruiser around the Puget Sound area for the better part of a decade, and if there is one thing I have learned, it is that the weather here does not wait for a convenient exit. One Saturday last October I left Tacoma at 7:30 for a youth soccer game, clear sky and 52 degrees. By 8:15, just past Puyallup, the drizzle started. By 9:00 I was glad I had the Nelson-Rigg suit in the saddlebag. You can be rolling east on a dry morning and be soaked by the time you reach the next town, and that is exactly what this gear prevents. That is why I started carrying it, and it has saved more rides than I can count.
This is not a list of marketing claims. It is ten reasons, from real miles, why a motorcycle rain suit earns its spot on every bike. I tried a cheap vinyl rainsuit years ago, and it tore at the knee the second time I used it. The Nelson-Rigg suit has held up through two full Pacific Northwest winters. I will also tell you where it falls short, because every piece of gear has a limit.
Never Let a Downpour End Your Ride
A Nelson-Rigg rain suit packs small, goes on over your regular gear, and keeps you dry enough to enjoy the miles instead of just surviving them.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →It Turns a Washout Into a Ride You Remember for the Right Reasons
It turns a washout into a ride you remember for the right reasons. The first time I used mine, I was two hours from home when the sky opened up. It was a June trip toward the Olympic Peninsula, and a wall of rain came off the mountains near Shelton. I pulled over at a wide spot, dug the suit out of the saddlebag, and put the jacket and pants on over my regular gear. The pants have a zipper and snap at the ankle, so they went on over my boots without me having to take them off. Two hours later I walked into a diner dry from the neck down. Without the suit, that ride would have been a miserable grind. With it, I rolled in dry, made coffee, and laughed about the rain. That is the whole point.
It Goes On Over Whatever You Are Already Wearing
You do not need special layers or a matching system. The jacket and pants pull on over your regular riding gear, which means you can leave in sunshine and still be ready when the sky changes. That simplicity is what makes it practical.
It Packs Small Enough to Live in a Saddlebag
It packs small enough to live in a saddlebag. Mine stays folded in the left saddlebag all season, wedged behind the tool roll, and I forget it is there until I need it. It does not take up the space a full touring rainsuit would, and it is always there when I need it. One evening in May I was thirty miles from home when the forecast changed from clear to showers. I pulled over, put it on, and finished the ride without a second thought. On a Road King, saddlebag space is precious. I carry a small tool kit, a tire plug kit, a couple of bungees, and this suit. Everything has a place, and the suit is the one thing I never leave behind. Out of sight, out of mind, until the first drop hits the windshield.
It Keeps You Warm When the Temperature Drops
Rain and cold arrive together more often than not. The suit blocks the wind, and that wind block is what keeps your core temperature up. I have used mine on cold spring mornings when the rain was light but the chill was real.
The Reflective Striping Makes You Visible in Low Light
Rain means gray skies, and gray skies mean drivers see you later than they should. The reflective striping on the Nelson-Rigg suit catches headlights from behind, and that extra visibility is worth carrying on its own.
It Protects Your Regular Gear From Soaking Through
It protects your regular gear from soaking through. A good riding jacket is not always a waterproof one. I used to ride with a mesh jacket in the summer, and a sudden shower meant a wet back for the rest of the day. The rain suit goes on over the mesh, keeps the jacket dry, and when the sun comes back I can take it off and stow it. The pants do the same for jeans. One Saturday last fall, Deb and I got caught in a squall on the way back from a ride down to the Columbia River. She had her half of the suit on, I had mine, and we both walked into the house dry. On a long trip, that means you are not sitting in wet gear and your gear itself lasts longer.
It Makes You More Likely to Ride in the First Place
The biggest reason I carry mine is that it removes the excuse. When the forecast says rain, I still go, because I know I can stay dry. A rain suit does not just protect you on the road, it gets you on the road.
It Costs Less Than a Second Set of Riding Gear
A dedicated waterproof riding outfit costs real money. A rain suit costs a fraction of that and does the job when you need it. For riders who ride for pleasure on weekends, that math is hard to argue with.
It Works for the Passenger Too
My wife Deb rides on the back sometimes, and the suit comes in a set. When the weather turns, we both get covered. That means the ride continues instead of ending early because one of us is soaked.
It Keeps Your Focus on the Road, Not on the Weather
It keeps your focus on the road, not on the weather. When you are wet and cold, you are not riding well. You are thinking about the next exit, the next gas station, the next chance to get warm. A shivering rider is a tense rider. The bike wanders, the braking points get late, and the curves stop being fun. A rain suit takes that distraction away so you can do the one thing that matters: ride. On the ride home from that June trip, I forgot I was wearing it until I stepped off the bike. That is the highest praise I can give any piece of riding gear. It did its job so quietly that I stopped thinking about it, which is exactly what you want when the road is wet and the traffic is heavy.
What I'd Skip
If you ride only in the desert, you do not need one. If you already own a high-end waterproof touring suit you trust, you do not need a second layer. And if you expect a rain suit to feel like a heated jacket, you will be disappointed. It keeps the rain off, but it is not armor and it is not insulation. On the coldest days, you still need warm layers underneath.
Two hours later I walked into a diner dry from the neck down.
Be Ready for the Next Downpour
The Nelson-Rigg Stormrider rain suit is the kind of gear you hope you never need and are glad you have when you do. Pack it once, and forget about the forecast.
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