How much rain is too much rain for FJ to sit in?

[Vsekvsek]

This time of year until thanksgiving in Seattle is mild, but can be spotty with showers/rain. I dont have a problem riding it but was curious. When going to work it can potentially sit all day in the rain. Bad thing?

[aviationfred]

If you have an airbox with a stock filter/K&N/UNI filter you should be ok. It can sit in the rain all day long and fire up with no problem. If you have K&N pods or UNI Duel pods. Make sure that they are oiled well and you should have no issues starting it up after sitting in the rain all day.

Fred

[FJmonkey]

This time of year until thanksgiving in Seattle is mild, but can be spotty with showers/rain. I don't have a problem riding it but was curious. When going to work it can potentially sit all day in the rain. Bad thing?

When I bought my 86' I needed a ride to save me commute costs to visit my kids when their mom moved north to San Jose Ca. It rained on me on every trip (10 months, every two weeks1) at least one way and on some trips both ways, all year. The FJ is fine in the rain, its the rider that needs to take care...

[fj11.5]

I used to travel 1000klm a week for work on effie, and she would sit in the rain all day during winter/spring ,, never a problem starting, although id go through a couple of pairs of gloves each way , while one pair dried behind the starter motor 

[Vsekvsek]

Thx guys. I bought those alpine stars electric heating gloves. Best dang money spent.

[RichBaker]

Get yourself one of these:  Geza Gear cover



I have one, it works GREAT, lasts a long time....

[bcguide]

I used to use gortex hunting or ski gloves. They kept me dry and warm

[Capn Ron]

This time of year until thanksgiving in Seattle is mild, but can be spotty with showers/rain. I don't have a problem riding it but was curious. When going to work it can potentially sit all day in the rain. Bad thing?

On my big trip, I worried about the same thing...I'll be in my tent all cozy and dry, but my beloved FJ is out there getting a good soaking all night long.  So concerned was I, that I bought a tent that was designed to park the bike inside for the evening:



I went through the motions for a while, but after the first few days of riding in Canada...in multi-hour downpours that scared the bejezus out of me, I realized that a little drizzling on the bike overnight wouldn't hurt a thing.  From that point on, the bike stayed outside...uncovered.  I just used that huge vestibule (standing height) to put on my riding gear before stepping out in to the rain...toweled off the seat...and rode on...  The FJ is no worse for wear.

Cap'n Ron. . .

[RichBaker]

Pretty cool tent, what kind/model is it?

[Capn Ron]

Pretty cool tent, what kind/model is it?

It's a Redverz Series II Expedition tent.  You can find them at:  http://redverz.com/

Their customer service is excellent...basically a mom and pop operation and mom answers the phone!  The tent is well designed, has tons of space and is well made.  I loved it when it was raining out because I basically had a small house to hang out in.  I'd set up my chair, fire up my laptop, pour a glass of wine and open up one of the three huge opening doors of the vestibule to get a nice view.  I was dry and comfortable in all but the windiest of rain storms...even then, I'd just zip up the big door I was using for the view.  I could hang out in there for hours.  When my girl was riding with me, she loved it!  Much for the same reasons, but also for the privacy while changing.  She said, "These guys really should market this to women...not just to the motorcycle crowd!"

On the downsides...

* It's expensive.  With a groundsheet and shipping, it's $500 US.
* It's big packed.  At 22" long and nearly 11" in diameter it's not going into ANY hard cases out there
* It's got a big footprint.  By the time you got the guy lines out, you need a HUGE area to set it up.  Sometimes it's not easy finding a *flat* pad that big in a campground!
* It's heavy.  At a bit over 15lbs, it's a factor.  Because you can't put it in the side cases, the weight is up high on the bike.
* It's BIG.  Setting it up takes longer than a backpacker tent, but breaking it down takes even longer...usually involves rolling it up and wiping the leaves/mud/dampness off it as you go.  This isn't a tent you can just shake out by yourself.

I love the Redverz tent and lived with it for 90 days on the road, but the overhead involved means that I'll bring it along if my girl is with me to help with set up and breaking camp...   I recently bought an REI Passage 2 for when I'm by myself.  Sets up in 5 minutes, packs down in 6, only weighs 5 lbs and easily fits in my Givi E41 Keyless hard cases.

Cap'n Ron. . .