Motorcycle Covers

DubbleJay

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Need a good line on a cover for my S10.

I want it to reach all the way to the ground and be very durable/reliable.

Ideas? Experience?

Thanks
 

Dirt_Dad

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DubbleJay said:
Experience?
My only experience was a bad one. Nearly lost both my wife's bike and mine in a motel parking lot. The covers we were using were not reflective and a pickup truck was a few feet from backing over both bikes on a dark evening. Fortunately I saw it just in time and yelled loud enough for the guy to take a second look. I stopped using covers from that point.

I doubt that was the "experience" you were looking for, but it is what I think of when someone mentions covers.
 

Dallara

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~

A couple of important points to remember about covers...

There are two ways to go with the material - breathable or waterproof. The breathable ones are great for keeping dust and dirt off the bike, but don't work so well to keep the bike dry in the rain. In fact, some of the breathable ones soak water up like a sponge and if on your bike in the rain you end up with something like a thin, wet towel draped over your bike... And what to do with it then.

The waterproof ones keep the dust and dirt off, too, but have a bit of a drawback about moisture themselves. That is if you put them on the bike when it has not yet cooled all the way down then you often get condensation underneath them, essentially wetting your bike down while you think you're protecting it. I've seen guys pull covers off and be shocked at how literally every nook and cranny of the bike was dripping with moisture, and them wondering how it happened.

You also have to consider that the bike really must be clean before you put the cover on. I know that sounds odd, but if there is a dirt and road grime on the bike when you put the cover on then the cover material itself can drag across this grit and scratch all sorts of surfaces up. I've seen paint jobs scuffed and scratched, as well as windscreens, all to hell with covers, and again, the owners wondering how it happened.

You've also got to remember to keep the inside of whatever cover you use scrupulously clean if you want to avoid scratches, etc.

I guess the point to ponder is what you might want to achieve with the cover. I spent decades working in the car and motorcycle business and I never found a cover I would use on any vehicles I used regularly. The only times I found a cover really useful was for show bikes can cars that weren't used often, could be cleaned and wiped down judiciously before the cover was put on, and where the cover could remain spotlessly clean itself inside. Most of the time these covers were used only for transportation or long-term storage, and then we used the breathable ones... More of dust covers really.

I won't use a cover of any kind on the bikes I ride regularly.

Just my two centavos, and as an FYI... YMMV.

Dallara




~
 

ADVFireFighter

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I'm looking for a cover as well..
Waterproof is what I am leaning towards.
I work 48 hour shifts and MOST nights the fog is so heavy that it rains at my station.
I'd like to keep the bike dry. I don't ride to work just for this reason :(
 

sail2xxs

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Cycle Gear has a fair number of covers with lots of reviews: http://www.cyclegear.com/search/go#p=R&w=cover&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.cyclegear.com%2fsearch%2fgo%3fw%3dmotorcycle%2520covers%26ts%3dajaxv2&rk=1&uid=768689350&ts=racv2&rt=racsug&rsc=No4OXlUUXk3ui2bz&asug=cover?apelog=yes

When I first got the ST1300, I covered it religiously when I got to work. Over time, I stopped - always worried about covering the bike when the exhausts were hot from riding, and often the way my timing was arriving at work, I frequently didn't have time to let it cool. :D

Having a dry seat to hop on at the end of the day is nice, but if it's raining hard and you get in stop and go traffic, it gets wet anyhow.

Chris
 

trikepilot

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Ditto ... no, double ditto to everything Dallara said.

I bought this cover linked below for my KLR. I have used it sparingly on the SUper Ten. It is lightweight "tent fly" material that is hardly waterproof - better with annual DWR application. However it does a good job on dew and dust. It has a soft fabric inner where the windscreen goes and packs "relatively" small.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/14/71/971/1425/ITEM/Nelson-Rigg-Deluxe-All-Season-Cover.aspx?SITEID=Google_Nelson-Rigg_Deluxe_All_Season_Cover&WT.mc_ID=10001&WT.srch=1&esvt=GOUSp340944700&esvx=None&esvadt=999999-0-4014878-1&esvid=400074&gclid=CPy85srl3LgCFTRo7Aod4VEAoQ

I understand what you mean about it being so foggy that it rains. Our problem here in "Wet Virginia" is not that it rains so much (which it does!) but that dew here is so heavy that a bike out in the open overnight might as well have been in the rain. For all the reasons stated by Dallara, I have stopped using my cover for most all circumstances. When I work night shift and travel on the SuperTen, I take a black plastic trash bag and tuck it around the edges of the front seat. That way I get a dry perch home in the AM and typically the bike is bone dry after its 25 mile blowdry trip home.
 

Don in Lodi

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trikepilot said:
Ditto ... no, double ditto to everything Dallara said.

I bought this cover linked below for my KLR. I have used it sparingly on the SUper Ten. It is lightweight "tent fly" material that is hardly waterproof - better with annual DWR application. However it does a good job on dew and dust. It has a soft fabric inner where the windscreen goes and packs "relatively" small.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/14/71/971/1425/ITEM/Nelson-Rigg-Deluxe-All-Season-Cover.aspx?SITEID=Google_Nelson-Rigg_Deluxe_All_Season_Cover&WT.mc_ID=10001&WT.srch=1&esvt=GOUSp340944700&esvx=None&esvadt=999999-0-4014878-1&esvid=400074&gclid=CPy85srl3LgCFTRo7Aod4VEAoQ
Looking further down that page, mine is the econo cover. Keeps the coastal fog, and dew off on trips. Packs into the lid of my Jesse with room to spare. Would work as a emergency shelter/cover if needed as well.
 

tubebender

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I have an older Nelson-Rigg cover. Used it on on my ST1100 and now on my Tenere.
 

OldRider

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I use the Kuryakyn half cover. It's light and small and covers up all the important stuff. I did spray it with a couple of good coats of Scotch Guard to make it waterproof.
 

Karson

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I just use a weatherproof nylon moto cover from Target we got for a wedding gift. I put it on during in the winter months (bike's already in the garage) just to make myself feel good for not returning it.

I doubt I'd ever pack it on a trip, it does have a stuff sack. Be just another thing to take up space and keep track of and the bike would already be dirty.

I'm not sure if I buy into the whole theft deterrent saying of out of sight out of mind, either.
 

Tremor38

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Hmmm! I have a garage now, but when I didn't, I appreciated having a good cover. Can't say a had any horror stories of having 'moisture in every nook and cranny,' being scuffed up by dirt or anything even close.

I suppose climate is a huge variable though. We always have at least a light breeze that will blow through the vents on the cover to keep it aired out, and we only have maybe one month of high humidity per year.

I never left the cover on for more than a few days either. I will say that people who let their bike sit outside without a cover ended up with faded paint, rust and a weather-cracked seat.

Anyway, it's very easy to condem covers if owns a garage, but they beat having no protection at all, IMO.

Another thing to consider is something along the lines of a 'Bike Barn' or 'Cycle Shell,' which are actually a shelter that doesn't physically touch the bike.

Sent from my SC-03E using Tapatalk 2
 

snakebitten

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I like dirt. Looks good in the appropriate places.

If I have a pretty bike that deserves to look brand new everyday, I don't need a cover. I'll park it in the dining room. (Ask my wife)

My KTM spent its early life perched on my concrete floor den. I just stared at it while watching TV.
 

sail2xxs

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snakebitten said:
I like dirt. Looks good in the appropriate places.

If I have a pretty bike that deserves to look brand new everyday, I don't need a cover. I'll park it in the dining room. (Ask my wife)

My KTM spent its early life perched on my concrete floor den. I just stared at it while watching TV.
::006::

::026::
 

DubbleJay

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Thanks to all who have replied.

My main concern... and something I should have aired when originally posting is that Im moving from a garage environment to a outdoor storage situation. Moving from Southern California to Seattle (Rainy and Wet most days) and Ill need something. Im a daily rider now, but probably will not be in Seattle given proximity to work and weather. I have looked into dry storage somewhere but the costs are a little higher than I like per month.

Im wondering... If a good cover is $100+ but runs the risk of all the aformentioned problems is it more worth the hassle and inconvienence of a $85 per month spot in a parking garage? If I cover and store on-site, I can walk out to my bike when I want and take off... BUT I have to cover 24/7. Or I pay for the garage spot (which is cheaper of the off-site storage options) and have to be deal with getting to garage location with gear/stuff for riding.

I just cant decide!! ::010:: Honestly, I would pay top dollar for a good cover that protects from constant moisture, paint debris, etc, etc.

ANother Idea... What about using those dessicant packs that you buy for boat cabins when storing to keep the humidity under the cover controlled?

Thanks in advance.
 

sail2xxs

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DubbleJay said:
Thanks to all who have replied.

My main concern... and something I should have aired when originally posting is that Im moving from a garage environment to a outdoor storage situation. Moving from Southern California to Seattle (Rainy and Wet most days) and Ill need something. Im a daily rider now, but probably will not be in Seattle given proximity to work and weather. I have looked into dry storage somewhere but the costs are a little higher than I like per month.

Im wondering... If a good cover is $100+ but runs the risk of all the aformentioned problems is it more worth the hassle and inconvienence of a $85 per month spot in a parking garage? If I cover and store on-site, I can walk out to my bike when I want and take off... BUT I have to cover 24/7. Or I pay for the garage spot (which is cheaper of the off-site storage options) and have to be deal with getting to garage location with gear/stuff for riding.

I just cant decide!! ::010:: Honestly, I would pay top dollar for a good cover that protects from constant moisture, paint debris, etc, etc.

ANother Idea... What about using those dessicant packs that you buy for boat cabins when storing to keep the humidity under the cover controlled?

Thanks in advance.
In that case, the cover sounds like less hassle and cost in the long run. Not sure how the dessicant idea would work out, but if you do decide to try that route, I've found this dessicant/dehumidifier setup to work very well on my sailboat.

http://www.amazon.com/Eva-dry-E-500-Renewable-Wireless-Dehumidifer/dp/B000H0XFD2/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1375465923&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=plug+in+dessicant

Best,

Chris
 

Don in Lodi

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DubbleJay said:
Thanks to all who have replied.

My main concern... and something I should have aired when originally posting is that Im moving from a garage environment to a outdoor storage situation. Moving from Southern California to Seattle (Rainy and Wet most days) and Ill need something. Im a daily rider now, but probably will not be in Seattle given proximity to work and weather. I have looked into dry storage somewhere but the costs are a little higher than I like per month.

Im wondering... If a good cover is $100+ but runs the risk of all the aformentioned problems is it more worth the hassle and inconvienence of a $85 per month spot in a parking garage? If I cover and store on-site, I can walk out to my bike when I want and take off... BUT I have to cover 24/7. Or I pay for the garage spot (which is cheaper of the off-site storage options) and have to be deal with getting to garage location with gear/stuff for riding.

I just cant decide!! ::010:: Honestly, I would pay top dollar for a good cover that protects from constant moisture, paint debris, etc, etc.

ANother Idea... What about using those dessicant packs that you buy for boat cabins when storing to keep the humidity under the cover controlled?

Thanks in advance.
Sounds like one of those folding clam shell designs would be better for you for what may turn out to be long term storage. If you have access to electricity at your space, an electrical safe drier would work. Desiccants saturate fast, you'll be forever changing them out. A storage unit might be better if you wind up only riding once or twice a month during the off season.
 

klunsford

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Check out Formosacovers.com. I have one and it is great. They have anything that you need.
 
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