Summary: Applied to a
motorcycle visor, Raincoat repels water. After a helmet
visor is treated, the water will bead into tiny drops
and roll off. When riding a motorcycle, the air
moving over the helmet quickly evacuates the
water droplets from the visor.
Roll your eyes to the right-hand column
on this page and you'll see a gaggle of reviews covering
everything from motorcycle helmet visor cleaners to
anti-fog treatments to reviews on tinted and
photochromic visors and even a report describing how
motorcycle helmet visors are manufactured.
Think that's enough? Hardly...
Here's another product to add to your arsenal: Raincoat
motorcycle helmet visor water repellent.
Raincoat is a new product from
MotoSolutions, the company who brought you
Fogtech
visor anti-fog coating (review).
Raincoat is applied like a wax or polish to the outside
of a visor. Wipe it on, let it dry, buff it off.
The coating is hydrophobic; that is, resistant to
wetting, so any water that hits the visor forms little
tiny beads and rolls off. Add a little wind
blowing across the visor and the little droplets quickly to disappear.
In comparison, the water on an untreated
visor seems like it "sticks" to the visor in larger
drops or sheets. On a visor treated with Raincoat,
the water
doesn't veer away like the visor had
some kind of ion anti-matter protection barrier --
depending on conditions, a few drops may stick here and
there, but compared to an untreated visor, the effect is
pretty dramatic.
MotoSolutions has been working on the
Raincoat formula for several years; I know this because
they would occasionally send me a sample for an opinion.
I'd get a sample and try it and then I wouldn't hear
anything for several months; then another sample, and
another...
You'd think it would be easy, but
apparently not. "What about Rain-X?", you might ask --
and I did too. But apparently Rain-X is designed
to be used on glass only, not polycarbonate motorcycle
helmet visors. Raincoat is just the opposite: it's
specifically designed for use on polycarbonate
motorcycle visors and goggles, not
glass. In fact, MotoSolutions says that Raincoat
will not work on glass.
We usually try to take photographs or
video to illustrate the products we review on
webBikeWorld, but Raincoat poses some unique
recording difficulties. Treat a visor and drip some
water on
it and the effect is apparent, but how to capture that
effect on film? UPDATE: See video in
Comments section
below.
Dripping water on the visor through a
pipette in the kitchen doesn't really do justice to the product and
doesn't really illustrate the effect. Burn, who is
Mr. Video, couldn't quite work out how to capture it
when we're riding. After some head-scratching, we
thought we'd wait until a rainy day, then hold the
helmet out the back window of a car while someone took
the video out the front window and third person drove.
Well, you can imagine trying to get
three willing and able people coordinated and ready to
go at a moment's notice whenever the "perfect" rainstorm
swept by... We just
couldn't get it done. Finally, I threw on the
helmet and took off on one of the wildest, rainiest
Spring days I've ever seen to check it out for myself.
So this will be a subjective analysis; i.e., you'll have
to take my word for it!
Raincoat seems to me to be the
motorcyclist's equivalent of
Rain-X, the automotive glass water repellent product.
I've been a
Rain-X user for many years; after I wash and dry the
car, I apply it to the side and rear windows and the
mirrors. After an application, the water beads up
and rolls off very nicely and, I think, provides better
visibility.
I have tried it on the windshield of the
car, but I've learned that it doesn't last as long,
because the wipers will eventually rub the treatment off and the rubber wiper blades
will stick and chatter
until all of the Rain-X is completely gone.
However, it works great while it lasts.
Raincoat comes in a box with
5 packets; each packet will treat three
visors. It comes with a soft polishing
cloth and a microfiber applicator, although
the instructions are specific about not
using microfiber with Raincoat.
They read: "Important: Do
not buff the coating with any microfiber
cloth or the included microfiber sponge.
Microfiber materials may remove the
Raincoat. Buff with only a soft cotton
cloth for best results." Hmmm....so
why is a microfiber applicator included?
And is the cloth cotton? I assume so...
UPDATE: See the
Comments
section below for the explanation.
It was nearly impossible to take photos
of the Raincoat effect in the "lab" (i.e., kitchen), but
here are a few that I hope illustrates the process.
The right side of the visor
(the side nearest to the Raincoat box in this photo) was treated with
Raincoat. The water drops can be seen
sticking to the untreated side of the visor
on the far right,
with just a few drops on the treated half.
Note that dripping water on the treated
visor with a pipette doesn't really
represent the way raindrops hit the visor in
nature, so this isn't really a good
representation of how the product works.
Raincoat is a soft white paste, much
like toothpaste. One packet treats
three visors, but once the packet is opened,
all of the contents must be used. I'm
not sure why it doesn't come in a bottle, or
a screw-top jar, or individual squeeze
packets. If you're not treating three
visors, 2/3 of the packet is wasted.
UPDATE: See the
Comments
section below for the explanation.
Raincoat is applied in a thin layer
(left) like a polish or wax. It takes
3-5 minutes to dry and then it can be buffed
with a clean, soft, cotton cloth.
Just for kicks, I applied some auto
polish on the left side of
the visor to see if it would have any
effect. You can see in the photo on
the right that the Raincoat treated side of
the visor repelled the water, while the left
side, treated with auto polish, shows the
drips.
I happen to know from using some of the prototype
Raincoat treatment that several different carriers were
tried. I'm assuming there is a scientific reason
why the final version was packaged in 2.5 gram foil
packets. It's too bad it couldn't be packaged
either in, say, 1 gram, single-use packets or in a
bottle. The leftover Raincoat dries up into a
powder when the packet is left open; I'm not sure if it
can be reconstituted with water.
Conclusion
Raincoat definitely works to repel most water from
polycarbonate motorcycle helmet visors and other plastic
visors and goggles. The effect is very noticeable
when riding in the rain, where the water simply beads up
and rolls off the visor, greatly assisted by air moving
over the visor.
MotoSolutions claims
that Raincoat can also help keep the visor clean because
water drops that may contain dust or dirt don't stick to
the visor. It doesn't seem to have any effect on
bugs sticking to the visor initially, but it does seem
easier to clean the visor afterwards. I use
lukewarm tap water to clean the visor by simply rub ing
the water on the visor with my fingers.
I think the product might not be something that
would be required for every day use, but I definitely plan on keeping a
couple of packets under the seat to have on hand in case
of rain.
Product
Review: Raincoat Motorcycle Helmet Visor Water Repellent
Please
send
comments to
Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be posted. Posted comments may be edited.
From "S.G." (10/08): "I ride with a full fairing with a tall
windshield and look thru it rather than over. When it rains, the drops
collect on the windshield and create a safety hazard. I have been a
longtime RainX user, and was very interested in a product that would work the
same way with plastic. When I read your review I immediately ordered some
online. When I received it I immediately applied it to my visor and
windscreen.
I have mixed feelings about this product. First, it truly
does work as advertized. After a proper application, water just falls off
as though it was magnetically repelled away from the windshield. What else
can I say, in that aspect it truly shines.
However, the application is not easy, and it doesn’t last very
long. It goes on like any other automotive wax product; rub on with applicator,
dry to a haze, buff until clear.
The problem lies in the buffing step. The haze is not easy
to buff out. I had to use an undue amount of force and vigorous scrubbing
to remove the haze. The good news is that in the process I didn’t pick up
any grit or anything and grind it into the plastic. Perhaps if I started
with a smaller section of the windshield it would have been easier to buff out.
Anyway, after buffing, I noticed a lot of streaking. Imagine a
thin layer of petroleum jelly rubbed onto plate glass. Turning the cloth
often and using long, light passes, I was able to eliminate them, or so I
thought. The next day, I took her out for a ride, and the sunshine
revealed every swirl and motion I had made with the buffing cloth. I found
myself staring at the pretty swirly marks instead of the road. Back to the
garage to straighten them out.
Seeing as the window was still clean, I grabbed a clean, soft
cloth and rubbed the coating lightly and briskly not stopping in the middle.
This helped tremendously. A couple days later, I got into a light rain on
my commute and was pleased to see the raindrops falling off like little marbles.
A few more days and it was time to clean the bugs off.
This is where I met stage two of the swirl monster. I only
used warm water and a soft cloth, and the bugs came off really easily.
However, the water seemed to re-activate the raincoat, and I had a whole new
canvas of streaky swirls.
Using the itty-bitty cloth they provided me seemed to worsen the
situation, because the cloth was still holding a lot of the oily/waxy coating
from when I first applied it. The next time I cleaned the windshield I
used a regular plastic-safe window cleaner and didn’t have the swirling, but it
also seemed to remove what was left of the waterproofing. Thru the whole
process, I didn’t notice any of the swirling on my visor, maybe because it sits
so close to my face, or maybe I did a better job of rubbing it out. I’m
sure I will use this product again on my visor, but maybe there’s a better
solution for the windshield.
My conclusion is that when used sparingly, this is a wonderful
product, but it’s maybe too much work to apply every time, just in case you get
caught in the rain."
Follow-up From "S.G." (11/08): "I took your
suggestion and contacted Motosolutions about my issues with the Raincoat
product. Gene was friendly and helpful, and his response is (below).
I followed his instructions precisely and had a much much better
result. There is almost no swirling now. The key is diluting the
paste and applying as thin of a coating as possible. I had way, WAY too
much product on last time.
I’m used to wax products where if you put too much on, it’ll
just buff off anyway and look just the same. Not so with this product.
Less is more. I actually soaked the sponge first, then applied a pea sized
dab to it and sort of smeared it around the sponge with my thumb before
squeezing out the excess water and applying to the shield. It went on
flawlessly this time. I also used a giant cotton cloth (not the teeny one
that comes with the product) to buff it off so it wouldn’t get filled with
product. It rubbed off really nicely as well.
I have a new respect for this product."
Response from MotoSolutions to S.G.: "Thank
you for writing and the feedback. I may be able to help.
I have changed instructions to make sure you apply a thin, thin
coating. The new instructions call for you to dampen the applicator cloth
or sponge, then apply the product thinly to the shield. One of those
pouches will do a windshield several times. I would start with a large pea
sized amount onto a very damp sponge (The water in the sponge makes the coating
thinner). Do maybe half the shield with that. Buff, then do the
other half.
The product will then dry very quickly. Use a large clean
cotton towel to buff off after it dries in perhaps 1 to 2 minutes. Turn
the towel often."
Feedback From MotoSolutions
1. Why that packet and not a bottle?
The carrier in Raincoat® is combustible which makes it difficult to ship. By
packaging in small sealed packets, Raincoat® fits into exceptions to the rules.
That lowers shipping costs immensely.
2. Resealing a packet.
The packet in Raincoat® will be modified soon to include a longer spout.
Currently the spout is only ½ inch and you don’t always tear across it.
With the new pouch the spout will be about 1 inch long and tearing straight
across will be easy. You will be able to squeeze the product out the spout
then fold and clip the spout to reseal.
This is important as I am finding that a pea sized glob is all
it takes to cover a face shield. It also appears that moistening the
applicator first with water allows for a thinner and more even coating, so you
may see that instruction change too. This means that you should be able to
get 10 or more face shield applications out of a single packet which makes it
very cost effective.
3. Microfiber buffing.
Some microfiber cloths can remove much of the Raincoat®. I bought those sponges
from China and a microfiber cover seemed like a good idea. The sponge should
only be used for applying product then cotton used to buff. But some people were
using the sponge to buff. The next batch of sponges will be cotton covered.
4. Bug cleaning.
You are exactly right here. I have about half a dozen reports that bugs are
easier to remove with Raincoat®. (I suspect that you will get less bug
guts sticking too, but I can’t prove it). Also, I have many reports that
their shields stay cleaner from road grime or salt spray.
5. Video of drops is difficult.
The action is more easily seen on a dark visor with a diffuse light source to
reduce reflections. I have a video on my website that shows the effects on
a dark Arai shield quite well.
YouTube Video: MotoSolutions Raincoat Visor Water Repellent
6. Minor points.
The company name is MotoSolutions without a space. And Raincoat and
Fogtech should have the registered trademark symbol; e.g. Raincoat® and Fogtech®
