girlfriend and I are planning a florida trip for early June. I'm wanting to buy helmets for this trip. I been kicking around buying either a modular style or 3/4 helmet. this is our first "big trip" on the bike. I'm looking for something "affordable" but good. comfort protection and what not.....
I think I might prefer a 3/4 but does it give decent protection in rain? any ideas would be appreciated. also gonna need rain suits, 2 piece prefered.
and does anyone use the soft luggage for the hard bags or is that a waste of money?
and last........best place to buy said items?

 

I've done the half, three quarter, and full face helmets and the full face works the best in the rain (for me), but I don't like wearing a full face helmet. My buddy swears by the modular helmet. As for the luggage I have hard saddle bags but the soft Rally Pack luggage. I put all my clothes in draw string garbage bags before packing them. The couple times I've been caught in heavy rain my clothes stayed dry. Almost everything I've bought as far as helmets, rain gear, and luggage came from independent shops, the Harley shops were priced way too high for me.

 

I carry both Modular and half. One for when it is hot and one for rainy days. I don't carry a lot of clothes with me usually 2 days worth. I plan my trips and hook up with motels before hand and ship stuff out via ups or FedEx. There is usually washers and dryers at motels that you can use. Hair dryers for the wife and shampoo are usually available at the motels also. If you plan your trip you will be surprised at the stuff you take along that you really don't need. As far as return trip I ship my dirty clothes and stuff I found that I did not need back to a friends house and pick it up when I get home. The price is not as high as you would think. But if you need to save money and are doing it on the cheap. Then go for the modular its good in the rain and can be opened up when hot. Good luck and have fun.

 

well we planned on UPS'n the things we didn't need during the actual trip to save on space. my GF has family in ft myers which is where we're going,,,,that helps!
so no one likes the 3/4 with a full shield i take it?

 

I prefer my full face helmet for touring because it's a bit quieter than my 3/4 and offers better protection in the rain. But during the summer it can be a bit uncomfortable, and on shorter weekend trips when the weather looks good I will often wear my 3/4 with full faceshield. For light rain, the 3/4 does well and in warm weather the added ventilation is very welcome. But if you're faced with an all-day rain, you're gonna get wet no matter what helmet you have - I rode through three days of constant rain last year, and even the inside of my full face Shoei was soaked by the end of the second day. If your fairing keeps air from coming up to your face from the road, the 3/4 will probably serve you well and be quite comfortable. But lately I've been thinking about one of the modulars (I am leaning toward the Shoei because it fits my head's shape better than the Arai). The modular offers the ability to provide better cooling at low speeds in town and the security and comfort of a full face on the open road. Might be an ideal compromise...

I use the soft luggage in my saddlebags and tour-pak and find them to be very convenient. We can pack them inside the house/hotel, and then easily slip them into the hard luggage and off we go. At the end of the day, whether we are in a hotel or camping, it's very handy to just open the saddlebags and pull the entire bag out to carry inside. I couldn't imagine not using them.

For rain gear, we use a couple of different options. In the summer, we carry the HD Overpass tops and bottoms. They are absolutely waterproof and don't cost a lot. Pack fairly small as well. In milder weather or the winter, we prefer Olympia jackets (the AST is my favorite for long distance) coupled with either Olympia (wife) or FirstGear (me) insulated overpants. Both the jackets and overpants are absolutely waterproof, breathable, have full armor, and removable insulation. They are bulky (each set filling up a saddlebag), so we tour with them only during those seasons where we will be wearing them all day on the bike. These are also pretty costly (about $250 for the jacket and $150 for the overpants), but of excellent quality. You can buy them at some BMW dealers or a local specialty shop - or even online. The Olympia gear tends to run a bit small, so being able to try them on or return them for another size would be helpful for you.

 

I prefer the 3/4 with a shield. The only time I wear a full face is when it is cold. I live in West Texas and a 3/4 is not unbearbly warm in the summer time and I do not feel as restricted as I do with a full face.

 

Not much here in the helmet department but I can say that the saddle bag liners/inserts are a must have. Like a suitecase that just lifts out! Just do not over stuff or they will not fit back in.
Have A SAFE TRIP

 

Just bought a Nolan 3/4 with shield, most comfortable helmet I have bought. Can't tell you anything about how it is in the rain. I usually carry it with the 1/2 helmet on trips. As everyone else said..if you are in heavy rain I don't care what your wearing..I was in a storm last year that I had to open the shield on my full face to see...that was an experience.

 

My wife and I tour a lot. You will only be able to carry one helmet each if you are riding 2 up. Especially if your GF packs as much as my wife does. We wear FF all the time. I would not go on an extended trip with anything less than a modular.

P.S.- www.helmetharbor.com & www.newenough.com have been good vendors that I have used.

 

My advice follows that of others...Go with either the full-face or a Modular full-face. I wear a 3/4 for 90% of my riding, but when the rain comes...the modular full-face goes on (Shoei MultiTec). Even riding at 20 m.p.h. with rain can hurt when wearing a 3/4 helmet.