Review: Scott Ergonomic Pro Rainsuit

Scott’s not a well-known name when it comes to motorcycle outerwear; most people know them for their MX gear, particularly goggles and helmets. But the company also has a line of technical motorcycle outerwear, currently distributed in Canada by Thibault Importations, which we thought should be tested.

Last week we posted my test on the Scott riding gear (see test here), and it did very well, but it came with internal waterproofs. Since I don’t really like the zip-in rain liners, I asked for an exterior rain suit as well. Enter the Ergonomic Pro rain suit with a lovely hi-viz top and black pants.

In an age where motorcycle gear gets increasingly more technical, the Ergonomic Pro suit is a simple exception – a set of over-pants and jacket, with drawstring closure around the pant waist and jacket’s collar, along with an elastic around the waist of the jacket to keep it in place. Keep it simple, stupid, seems to be the Scott philosophy here, and it works. There are no pockets, minimal reflectors, no vents – it’s basic stuff.

How it worked

Thanks to its simplistic nature, the suit isn’t too hard to get in and out of – you just pull it on, like an oversized pair of clown pants with matching jacket. They’re big enough to slip on easily, but the suit I had wasn’t too baggy; I didn’t have any issues with the jacket or pants flapping excessively in the wind. The lack of a hood was a bonus here, and a set of thigh straps in the jacket helped keep it in place too. Really, while I would hardly consider any rain suit sporty, I felt the fit was pretty good on this suit, and it worked well for dual sport work.

The suit comes with tidy little carrying bags – quite handy for packing, although not quite as handy as a suit that has integrated carrying pockets. When Editor ‘Arris, Michael Uhlarik and I did our springtime tour around Nova Scotia in 2014 it was fairly sunny, and I was able to keep the suit packed up for most of the trip, until the last day. Riding through thick fog in Halifax is almost as soggy as riding in rain. Not a tough test, but score one for the suit regardless.

The first real test came a few days later, when I took a trip on the Beta 498 RR. I’d expected warm temperatures during my late June excursion to the Cape Breton highlands, but once I hit the road, the air turned cold, and my jacket’s vents let too much breeze in, even when closed.

What to do? Put on the handy Scott waterproofs, which did a great job of keeping out the drafts, and even greater job of turning back the rain which picked up en route a little later. A rain suit that actually does what it’s supposed to do? Fantastic! Score two for the suit.

Heading out on the trails the next day, the rain had stopped so I strapped the suit down to the top of the Giant Loop luggage. When that rain returned a couple hours later, I turned back to quickly grab the suit off the tail section, and discovered … the jacket was gone. I don’t know if someone nicked it when I gassed up, or if it fell off on the trail (I suspect the latter).

After a cold and soggy trip, I called Thibault and told them of my lost jacket. They helpfully sent me another one, only this time the replacement was black, instead of hi-viz yellow. Still, I used it on many more occasions over the summer and managed to not get run over by a car, so I guess the lack of bright colouring wasn’t a life-or-death issue.

By summer’s end, the suit had gotten me through soggy, high-speed Sackville-Saint John highway runs and it had taken me through the Biblical deluge that preceded the 2014 Dawn to Dusk, as well as the event itself. Whether on highways or byways, I stayed dry – that’s much better than Editor ‘Arris’s suit did.

Thanks to cinches at the neck and waist, I found the suit to be quite leak-free. The wrists also have hook-and-loop tighteners, and thumb loops – they stay in place under a long set of gauntlets, letting no rain leak in. With all openings sealed off, extended rides in the rain weren’t bad, which is important – too many sets of waterproof gear let a little H20 seep in around the edges, eventually leaving you soaked anyway. I didn’t have that issue with this Scott suit.

I can’t say how well the suit will last for a heavy user, as I did use it regularly over a summer, but it just didn’t rain that much. However, the Ergonomic suit did hold up fine to the usage it did get, along with packing and re-packing. It doesn’t show any of the usual signs of cheap quality, such as fraying seams.

Like any non-venting rain suit (remember, there are no unnecessary external openings – no vents, no pockets), the Ergonomic suit can get hot if you’re active. For things like tire changes, or wrestling a bike out of a bog, you’ll probably remove as much of it as you can. But, that’s the price of reliable waterproofing – a price I am willing to pay.

So, aside from my earlier comment that a built-in storage pocket would be nice, I have no niggly complaints about the suit. None. Go out, take your hard-earned money, and throw it at a Scott rainsuit if you’re looking to replace your old, leaky waterproofs (or in ‘Arris’s case, your new, leaky waterproofs).

GALLERY

Check out all the pics that go with this story! Click on the main sized pic to transition to the next or just press play to show in a slideshow.

Dual sport riding through the Cape Breton Highlands – shivering and soggy, due to my missing jacket, but pleased with the pants’ performance.

Thumb tabs, thigh straps and hook-and-loop straps on the wrists all work together to keep the jacket in place while you ride.

The drawstring on the suit’s collar keeps out drafts and drops of water.

There are reflective graphics on the Scott rainsuit, but they’re minimal.

The Ergonomic Pro pants have a drawstring cinch at the waist; they sit high to keep rain out of your crotch.

Does this rainsuit make my butt look big? The Ergonomic Pro kept out the H20 during the 2014 D2D rally, and there was a lot of it that weekend. Photo: Ron Kierstead

The Scott Ergonomic Pro rainsuit is excellent kit, although we’d recommend the hi-viz jacket. Photo: Scott