Monsoon moto gear
Hate riding in the rain? This stuff makes it better
Riding your motorcycle in the monsoon is a necessity for many, but it also brings out the adventurers. You’ve almost certainly got that Facebook friend who takes his bike to impossibly wet and dirty locations just because she can. If you’d like to follow suit but prefer to stay a bit drier, we have some kit you might want to consider.
TechSpec ‘Snakeskin’ tankpads
Regardless of what bike you ride, your knees and thighs are typically going to come into contact with the fuel tank/airbox cover, which is usually made of painted metal or plastic. The problem is that metal and plastic don’t stick very well to textile, nylon or any material that you’d typically wear as pants on a motorcycle ride. Anchoring to your bike with your knees and thighs is critical for safety and confidence.
Most sport riders are familiar with grippy stickers that you can put in place on the sides of your tank to alleviate this. Techspec is one such brand, which makes a unique ‘snakeskin’ pattern rubber material that can be applied to your tank with adhesive.
Unlike some other brands of grip pads that look like organic globs or some sort of acupressure surface, the Techspec item is a fairly basic, black rubber piece. We think it goes rather well on our “modern classic” Ducati Scrambler. Grip is excellent, whether seated or standing, and it doesn’t rip up your pants or cause discomfort. Also useful is the fact that the adhesive allows you to remove and reposition the pads a number of times before losing efficacy. It also comes off without leaving residue.
Grippy tank pads are one of the cheapest mods you can do to you bike to allow you to ride safer and more confidently. It certainly helps in the rains to make sure you stay on the bike. The Techspec pads are available for most popular bikes, or you can buy them in self-adhesive panels and cut them to suit your vehicle.
Techspec ‘snakeskin’ tank pads
PRICE: Rs 4000 — Rs 7500, depending on application
BUY AT: Bay City Speed Shop (baycityspeedshop@gmail.com)
Shima D-Tour WP gloves
Shima is a recently-released Polish brand of motorcycle apparel, far less known than the typical gear you’ll see on your mates on a Sunday ride. However, they aren’t scrimping on their debut. If the catalog is anything to go by, the lineup is thorough and top-notch betraying no cost-cutting.
We’ve tested the D-Tour WP (waterproof) gloves and have come away impressed. To begin with, the price is right: Rs 4800 for a pair of this kind is a good deal indeed. There are several things to like about the gloves. Key is the fused liner, which Shima calls NextFit/NextDry. What this means is that there’s no inner lining flapping about behind the exterior shell. Those can be infuriating to put on and take off. Shima’s solution is to fuse the waterproof liner with the exterior shell. This makes for a slightly stiff feel, but far more comfortable in the long run.
Fasteners are good, with a velcro cinch at the wrist and a larger velcro pad to secure the cuff, which is extra roomy to accommodate your sleeve, should you choose to wear the gloves over them. The velcro pads themselves are not the typical sort, with the base (hooked) part being a much flatter, smoother material that catches less on dri-fit material. Protection is adequate for this sort of glove, with some leather in the palm area and a reinforced, soft pad on the knuckle. There’s a rubber screen wiper on each thumb, which worked very well on our rainy rides. Waterproofing is good, with light showers being repelled entirely. The D Tour WP do seem to run a bit large, so you might need to order one size smaller than your typical glove. Recommended.
Shima D-Tour WP gloves
PRICE: Rs 4800
BUY AT: Kombustion Imports & Exports Pvt Ltd (+91 87938 84215)
RST mesh jacket
RST is a British manufacturer of motorcycle apparel that has recently become available in India. The distributor pegs them as a mid-tier brand, but we were impressed with the thought behind this jacket and its features. This is a basic textile/mesh jacket with a supplied, removable rain liner. Some background: it’s very hard to stay entirely dry in motorcycle gear unless you use an impermeable rain jacket over your kit or invest in much more expensive stuff. Rain liners are nice to have, but rarely foolproof.
Thankfully, this RST jacket comes with a liner that zips into the shell using a long U-shaped zipper. Sleeves are held in place with small elasticated loops holding onto buttons on the liner. It’s a snug fit and doesn’t move around much. This design allows the jacket to be quite resistant to rain in light to medium rain, while remaining lightweight.
Features are basic but thoughtful. There’s a water-resistant pocket within the shell at chest level for your phone, and a felt pocket above the waist for your glasses. Unfortunately, this pocket is unusable when the rain liner is in place. Zippers are of high quality as is the neck fastener, which uses velcro and has a soft pad where your neck meets the textile. The jacket comes with CE-approved armour in the shoulders, elbows, and along the back. Fit appears to be European, which will work well for slimmer riders.
There are button fasteners on the sleeves to get a more snug fit, and velcro on the cuffs and waist. The RST mesh jacket will be available in this black/red combo, or the inverse: red/black.
RST mesh jacket
PRICE: Rs 9500
BUY AT: Bay City Speed Shop (baycityspeedshop@gmail.com)
