Odd question about a jacket.

[Houndguy]

I was riding in the rain the other day (I live in Florida so more often than now I'm in the rain) and traveling about 50 - 60 mph. My riding jacket is a pretty stanard amoured motorcycle jacket. It's supposedly waterproof and, as long as I got all the vents zippered up it is.

Somehow my upper arms and elbows got wet. I was wearing gloves that fit under the sleaves of my jacket and the zippers on my sleeve were pulled tight so no water got through there. My chest and back were dry. So I don't think the water worked it's way up or down the sleeve. My lower arms are also dry. Its just my elbows and short shirt sleeve area.

Any idea's? I think I might have a very small (unseen) rip or loose threads around the elbow but would that be enough to create a puddle? I think not.

This is not raingear. Just a normal everyday motorcycle jacket.

Has this happened to anyone else?

[Chatman128]

Check your seams, assuming you can see them and they are not under a liner or similar. If they are not taped, you will get water in throught them, especially during our summer 'showers'. Since getting the Burg, I've found that I just wear my mesh jacket in the rain, blow dry, rinse and repeat.

In a real frog strangler (TS Debbie comes to mind), I'll break out the rain gear and Treds and get soaked from the inside out.

[Scotty1981]

I just keep a poncho under the seat, eats up very little space. I don't really need full blown rain gear since if it's going to rain I usually just take the car. I will ride up to 30% on weather.com or even more if it looks like there is going to be a window of no rain around 5pm, my quitting time.

[Chet_Benson]

I think my mesh is not water tight unless the liner is in it.

[Chatman128]

I think my mesh is not water tight unless the liner is in it.

That's why you have to include the 'blow dry' step. Rinse and repeat are optional (unless it continues to rain).

[QuantumRift]

I was riding in the rain the other day (I live in Florida so more often than now I'm in the rain) and traveling about 50 - 60 mph. My riding jacket is a pretty stanard amoured motorcycle jacket. It's supposedly waterproof and, as long as I got all the vents zippered up it is.

Somehow my upper arms and elbows got wet. I was wearing gloves that fit under the sleaves of my jacket and the zippers on my sleeve were pulled tight so no water got through there. My chest and back were dry. So I don't think the water worked it's way up or down the sleeve. My lower arms are also dry. Its just my elbows and short shirt sleeve area.

Any idea's? I think I might have a very small (unseen) rip or loose threads around the elbow but would that be enough to create a puddle? I think not.

This is not raingear. Just a normal everyday motorcycle jacket.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Treat it with a good water repellent and you will be fine.

[Scootereno]

It might have been sweat or trapped moisture/humidity that just settled there too.

[MacDoc]

I've never had a ballistic that is truly waterproof - One reason I use an iCon pvc jacket over whatever I am wearing - great viz and good seal.

In this case you might have a leak around the neck - sometimes hard to get a good seal and rain can drop down off the helmet.

The Icon has a hood that in a real downpour you can wear under the helmet and really get buttoned up around the neck area.