Review | Richa Rain Flare jacket/Side-Zip Rain Trousers

It’s a basic rule of motorcycling that whatever clothing you choose you will, at some point on any given ride, be too cold, too hot or too wet.
Ways of dealing with the latter vary in cost and complexity. You can spend hundreds on fancy Gore-Tex textiles with their technical cuts, built-in armour, ventilation zips and modern, high-tech look. Or you can dress to impress in your cool retro leathers, and stash some lightweight waterproofs in a bag to throw over them if you get caught in a downpour. This affordable waterproof jacket and trouser combo from Richa is very much the latter, with a couple of particularly neat features making them (literally) stand out.

First up the Rain Flare jacket, which is a waterproof shell designed to go over your regular motorcycle jacket costing £109.99. As such it doesn’t have any armour or other protection built-in, so the only thing it’s going to save you from is the rain. The nifty all-over reflective coating will hopefully keep you safe in other ways, though, the 3M material an understated grey in daylight but lighting you up like a beacon when headlights land on you after dark. All the while looking cooler and more understated than regular yellow or orange high-vis. Nifty!
Richa’s European roots mean sizing is on the small size, our medium review sample just about fitting over a size 40/XS RST Sabre leather jacket with its bulky armoured shoulders and elbows. A degree of stretch in the fabric helps here and it was also a good fit over a size small Richa textile jacket we had to hand if, perhaps, a little short in the sleeve. On that basis depending how bulky your main jacket is it may be worth going up a couple of sizes, options all the way up to 6XL hopefully covering all bases. The Aquashell waterproof lining isn’t as fancy or breathable as Gore-Tex, but it means the Rain Flare is a lot more affordable. We’ll have to give it a season of commuting to see if the reflective coating on the inside and waterproof one within can stand up to wear, tear and the rubbing of bag straps and the rest. And while compact enough to stash in a rucksack or tank bag there are smaller, more lightweight shell jackets available. But as a get-you-home shell when the rain falls and the light fades it’s a great option, and with its Velcro-sealed storm flaps it feels built to withstand some pretty serious weather.

As are the £99.99 Side-Zip Rain Trousers. There are cheaper options available but the ability to open the zips from waistband to ankle cuff means you can jump in them at the roadside without having to take your boots off, a Velcro storm flap up the side sealing them for when you get going. A handy stuff sack helps them pack down for sticking in your bag, and they’re small enough to carry with you for those just-in-case situations. Again we tried the size medium and there was room to pull them on over some leathers or commuting textiles with enough length in the leg to cover your boots as well. As before, there’s no crash protection whatsoever and these purely a waterproof shell to wear over your existing armoured biking jeans or leathers.

If you’re a committed all-year, all-weathers commuter you’re probably still better off investing in some proper breathable Gore-Tex textiles able to shrug off both daily wear and tear and the worst of the weather. But not everyone wants to dress like an adventure bike rider, and if you’re more a fair-weather type or just want something flexible to stick in your bag and throw over your casual gear on the off-chance you get caught out in the rain the Richa kit strikes a nice balance between affordability and quality. The Flare jacket’s incredibly vivid reflective qualities make it especially appealing for commuters, both for keeping you seen on even the darkest and wettest winter night and for doing so without the ‘emergency services’ vibe of other high-vis outerwear.