No-Rainer Jacket and Pants

Unless you like huddling beneath overpasses, rain gear is essential for any rider not in meteorological denial. You can get clever and purchase expensive waterproof riding gear, as I have done, only find yourself wearing heavily armored ballistic nylon while walking around a rally or campground during days of torrential downpours. It’s really a no-brainer: Decades of riding experience have proven that carrying a good set of rain gear is worth the luggage space it occupies.

No-Rainer jackets and pants are the best motorcycle rain gear I’ve ever worn or tested. Ironically, they weren’t designed for motorcycling, nor are they sold in bike shops or motorcycle-gear catalogs. They come from Duluth Trading Company in Belleville, Wisconsin, and were made for guys who often find themselves working long hours out in the rain.

The 2.5-mm-thick, membrane-lined Taslan nylon feels substantial without being heavy or stiff. Unlike most nylon, it’s not slippery and provides nice, firm contact with the saddle. Seams are taped extremely well, and there’s no sauna effect. Taslan is made of polyamide fiber—the strongest synthetic fiber—and treated by steam to make it feel softer while retaining its wind and water resistance. This means it is less likely to tear and will offer a degree of abrasion protection in case of a slide.

The jacket has elastic cuffs with long Velcro straps for adjustment, a double 2″-wide storm flap with Velcro and metal snaps on both ends cover the main self-sealing zipper, and a double drawcord for the waist. A pair of 12″ underarm double-pull zippers provide all the additional venting needed. The extra-wide collar combined with the contoured cut hood, which has two adjustable draw cords, actually works quite well with a full-faced helmet and is ideal for an open-faced one because the hood was designed not to cut off peripheral vision. There are four waterproof outside envelope pockets with double-fold flaps and Velcro on the jacket plus two zippered pockets beneath the larger ones.

The pants have a drawcord and elastic waist and one zippered hip pocket. The 28″ leg zippers allow the pants to easily slip on over boots, and the 1.5″ double storm flaps with Velcro keep water from seeping in. The cuffs have a metal snap but no cinch adjustments. Although not designed for motorcycle riding, the double-layer knees are actually Velcro-sealed pockets that armor can be slipped into.

There are numerous well-thought-out details, such as the hood draw cord and lock being retained by loops so it doesn’t whip in the wind and is always in the same position. There’s no reflective tape or seam piping on this raingear and it looks stylish, with the jacket being suitable for cool evenings après ride.

I tested it as a replacement for an inside rain liner. To wear it over a leather or armored nylon jacket, order a size larger than normal. 4