Very disappointed in my AST2

I have an Olympia AST2 that I have been very happy with for a little over two years now
BUT

Today as I was returning from a trip to Arkansas, I was forced to ride thru about 90 minutes of rain, varying from light to torrential

The AST2 has a built in inner lining that is supposed to be water repellent and the outer shell is supposed to repel water as well
Before today the jacket's "water proof" properties had never been tested

I rode fearlessly into the storm and ended up with arms soaked thru as well as my belly

I am sorely disappointed. Is there some kind of upkeep on the outer shell that I don't know about I should have been doing all this time?

You can try a spray on water proofing but frankly you probable will need a rain jacket. I have yet to have a motorcycle jacket that did not have Gore-Tex that did not leak.

Daboo said:

Pick it up on the first Tuesday of the month, and get the old-fogey's discount for 10% off.

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Only problem with that idea is that he's not an old fogey. :-(

I always carry rain gear, no matter what my riding gear mfr says, I prefer redundancy to failure... of course if my rain gear fails.. oh well, that's just life.

My Motoquest comes with a separate liner which I like because the stuff that really is pretty waterproof doesn't typically vent well and if you don't zip or velcro the stuff with vents it will leak.. so, separating the two works great for me.. it's waterproof enough to handle light rain for a small amount of time - a couple hrs - but a real down pour for more than 30 mins and you need the liner. I like that it can be worn inside or outside the jacket and had a built in hood so the back of your neck is covered. My Ranger pants have yet to leak so those have been going well for about 3 years now.

I am a over packer, I tend to have too much stuff when I do a long ride. So 2 jackets, one that is cooler, one that is heavy and very much cold weather and water proof. Many rides the second jacket is tucked in my left side case and never enjoys some air. For safety sake, I have rain gear: this is takes up suck little room it can fit in the pass through on the cases (once a season I check it).
I don't thing I every not treated my boots (I've take 2 of them, I know I a fool for this but being a IT guy for years backup, backup, backup), this year I going to try and just take my BMW Gor-tex.
I wish I could pack lighter, by mentally I screw myself.
Everything needs a refresh, and care; including your riding gear. Once a year minimum do a refresh, and if you wash it do a refresh after word of the water proof.

Even though I have water proof gear, I go the extra mile and have a set of Frog Toggs. They are cheap, keep you dry, and pack well. Just be sure to get the motorcycle type because the jacket is longer.

This is why I picked a jacket with an EXTERNAL rain 'liner', Tourmaster Flex III. It also means that all the mesh and armor are on the 'inside' and contribute to insulation, making it a nice cold weather jacket as well. I really, really dislike internal rain liners. To me that is one of the worst ideas anyone ever came up with. If I did not have the Flex III I would have kept my Kilimanjaro or similar jackets that have a water repellant/water proof outer layer.

There are two treatments you have to worry about. First, when you wash the jacket and liner, do multiple rinse cycles (I usually do two extra ones). You want to make sure to get rid of all of the soap. If you have really hard water you might think about rinsing it in a tub with distilled water. Second, apply something like Nikwax to the jacket. If you use the wash in type then I would wash normally, do a double extra rinse, then run it through with only the nikwax (no soap). Or use the Nikwax cleaner.

Back in the old days I used to use a snowmobile suit for winter riding. If I didn't run it through extra rinse cycles it would soak up water. If rinsed properly it was really pretty water proof, without any extra treatments.

Daboo said:

If you read the fine print on Gore-tex gear, you'll see they say you need to ''refresh'' the waterproofing.

Chris

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Chris, this statement is not technically correct. The refresh of waterproofing is not for the Gore-Tex liner itself but for the outer material it is bonded to. Since Gore-Tex is a breathable membrane it needs a dry outer surface to absorb the moisture vapor that is transmitted through it. If the outer material is saturated with water it minimizes the Gore-Tex ability to breath but it does not changes its waterproof properties.

I have Frogg Toggs and they never let me down, but what is this spray you all speak of?

I've always carried a set of Frogg Toggs and they have helped me in many situations. I've found that either the jacket or the pants help to cut wind when the temps are a bit colder than expected....not to mention, they ensure your "waterproof" jacket & pants won't leak!

RedNigel said:

I have Frogg Toggs and they never let me down, but what is this spray you all speak of?

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Aerostich has a good selection. If you don't want to purchase from them most can be found on Amazon as well.

http://www.aerostich.com/clothing/rain-gear/waterproofers-repellants-and-sealants