In Norway we have a saying that there is no bad weather, only bad clothing. As a motorcyclist I know this to be a wise saying to live by. I can’t afford to dress poorly on any of my adventures. For that reason I pay very close attention to what gear I pick for my journeys and how I treat my gear to have it last for my journeys and beyond.
A good example is my current expedition. I am riding a motorcycle from Cape Town, South Africa to Paris, France. My BMW riding suit had already been used on another trip and, as always, it needed a good cleaning at the end of the journey. This is when Nikwax came to my aid, helping restore my Cordura riding suit for the adventure ahead.
I have been using Nikwax products since my early days as an outdoorsman and am very familiar with the advantages of taking good care of my garments. Cleaning and waterproofing my riding suit helps tremendously in making it resistant to absorbing water and dirt, aiding the GORE-TEX in performing to its maximum potential.
I see it over and over again; riders that take extremely good care of their bikes with regular oil changes and services at given intervals. However when it comes to taking care of their riding gear it’s another story, as their gear more often than not faces neglect. As a result, their riding gear performs poorly and nobody is happy.
Most people think of travels in Africa to be dry and hot. I wish that were the truth. The reality is that the continent can offer some extreme weather and we have seen plenty on this journey. The sudden changes that occur make my BMW GS Dry riding suit the ideal garment to wear. I do not need to stop and put on raingear, all I need to do is to make sure my vents are zipped up to keep dry.
I used to carry a separate rain suit, but those days are gone. As long as I keep taking good care of my riding suit by treating it with Nikwax products, we will still be able to share many more miles together.
Do yourself a favor and treat your riding gear with Nikwax and you will see for yourself the difference in performance.
Ride Safe – Ride Far!
Helge Pedersen