Fury Tips
Riding in the rain
get in the water!
With autumn comes rain. Making grip precarious, and motorcycling tricky. Waterproof equipment is essential, for comfort but also for safety, for those who want to ride in optimal conditions this season and next.
A savvy rider is worth two, we asked the head of the Motion Lab – Furygan’s research and development laboratory – to tell us more about the secrets of a waterproof garment.
How does
a waterproof garment work
There are two options here. The “laminated” garment technology and the “membrane” garment technology.
The second option is to ensure the waterproofing via a membrane. This membrane is independent, it “floats” inside the jacket, glove, shoe or pants. Between the outer shell and the comfort lining. Made of an extremely thin material that does not let water through, it is designed with the minimum of seams possible. Seams that are also as many holes, which must be sealed with a special machine. This very technical operation, which requires a great deal of attention to detail, concentration and time, is only carried out at Furygan by a person qualified for each type of garment. During this step, links are trapped in the seams, which will in turn be inserted into the seams of the outer shell. This secures the membrane to the rest of the garment, which becomes waterproof, without having to pierce it directly.
Leather = textile?
In principle there is no difference.
At Furygan many of our leathers are treated against water. However, as long as there is no membrane, we can’t say that the clothes are waterproof, because of the holes in the seams, or the zippers. But, we get a lot of feedback from our customers or testers who are surprised by the water resistance of their leather. If water takes time to pass through the seams or zippers, it is also a sign of the quality of the assembly and accessories.
The different types of membranes
At Furygan we use a large number of membranes.
They are different depending on the garment we are sealing. In a glove it will be thinner, to answer to ergonomic constraints linked to comfort and to the feeling of the controls. A point to which we pay the greatest attention.
In shoes, the evacuation of perspiration is essential, but so is solidity, hence another choice of membrane. Sympatex, Second Skin, Polymesh… depending on the use of the garment, the ideal membrane is selected or developed by Furygan to meet specific needs.
The question of performance measurement is also important. If more and more manufacturers communicate with figures of waterproofness/breathability of their membranes, you have to keep in mind that it is the least performing value of a set (often the outer layer) that will make the performance of the garment.
How to maintain
my waterproof garment
You have to ask yourself the question of how to preserve it. How to make sure that its waterproof capacities last in time.
By avoiding for example to put a waterproof product too close to a heat source. Drying on a radiator, on a muffler or against an engine causes damage to the membrane. To maintain it, it should be washed by hand in cold water. Do not put it in the washing machine, because on some cycles the membrane may be wrung out too much, weakened, and lose its technical capacities. Even if the Furygan membranes are robust, we are talking about materials of the order of microns in thickness. Beware of wearing a backpack for example, which creates additional friction when putting it on and can prematurely wear out a membrane.
Improving the waterproofness of a garment
For Furygan, if a garment is waterproof, it does not let water through. It is difficult to do better.
However, using a waterproofing spray from time to time can help an outer shell to keep its properties over time. It is not essential.
On the other hand, you should always make sure that you put your garment in place properly so that it is as effective as possible. Position the tongue of a shoe, its laces, or the cuff of a glove. Water is a difficult enemy to contain, it sneaks into every space, and once it is in, nothing can stop it. Hence the importance of buying quality equipment!
