bike covers

[diffluere]

Hey guys. My bike came with a nice big cover. Is there any problem putting the cover on the bike after riding it for a few hours? Are my hot exhaust pipes going to melt it?

Tried a search for "bike cover" and didn't really find anything. Also tried a nice friendly google search but no luck. I found a few sites for different covers that say 'DO NOT PUT AGAINST HOT EXHAUST PIPES" but they look totally different from my cover. =)

[burkbuilds]

Like a lot of things it totally depends on the material your cover is made from. I've got a bar-b-que grill cover that I can put on the grill as soon as I'm done cooking. The one at my parents house you have to let the grill cool down first. My motorcycle cover has never had a problem with contact from the exhaust but that doesn't mean that will be true of your cover. I know that's not much help, sorry. Is there a tag on it with a brand or model that you can look up on the web and see what the manufacturer recommends? Good luck!

[Easy Rider]

Hey guys. My bike came with a nice big cover. Is there any problem putting the cover on the bike after riding it for a few hours? Are my hot exhaust pipes going to melt it?


Maybe, maybe not. Are you REALLY so pressed for time that you can't let it cool off for 20 minutes or so before putting the cover on it ?? That's about all it takes to get the temp. down below the melt point for most materials.

[burkbuilds]

Sometimes you can't wait, like if you pull into the parking lot and have to go in to work or school and want to cover the bike up before lunch.

[music man]

Sometimes you can't wait, like if you pull into the parking lot and have to go in to work or school and want to cover the bike up before lunch.


Or if its about to start raining! Do you guys seriously cover up your bikes (not asking this to anyone in particular but the whole forum) when you go somewhere, school/store/work. I just can't imagine covering up my bike when I rode it somewhere, now when I get home is a different story all together.

[Easy Rider]

I just can't imagine covering up my bike when I rode it somewhere, now when I get home is a different story all together.

:plus1:

OCD ?? :biggrin:

[burkbuilds]

Yeah, I cover my bike sometimes when I'm out, mainly if it's going to be parked all day and I don't want anybody messing with it while I'm gone. I've had a couple of things "vandalized" when it was sitting uncovered in a parking lot all day but never had anybody with the nerve to remove the cover and mess with anything! If I don't have a place to put my helmet when I go inside and I'm going to be in for a while I'll lock it on my handlebars and then cover the bike to deter anyone from messing with my helmet, and to keep it dry if it looks like rain is coming. I guess that's not really a consideration if you aren't using the bike to commute, just riding to a destination or round trip back home.

[bonehead]

Bike gets covered at home, thats it.

[dhgeyer]

Only time I ever covered bikes was because I didn't have room in the garage, and I wasn't going to ride a particular one for a while. This has happened twice. Bikes were outside, covered, for a few weeks. Both times, when I took the cover off I had a nice, fat, wasp nest to deal with. I guess they like that it's nice and warm and dry under there. I know, not germane to the present topic. Sorry.

[mrlmd1]

If it's too hot to touch the pipes or the engine case with your hand, it's probably too hot for most of the thin nylon or other synthetic covers because they will melt or burn. Not too hard to understand.

[diffluere]

My cover feels pretty similar to a grill cover...but who knows. I ended up waiting to put it on last night, then didn't remember until this morning. Oh well. Thanks for the replies. I looked up my cover and I think it's this one:

http://www.dowcopowersports.com/product ... m=50002-03 (http://www.dowcopowersports.com/products/motorcycle_covers/detail/detail.cfm?item=50002-03)


I don't cover my bike except at home. I usually use my saddlebags for other stuff when I'm out riding around, so cramming the cover into one side would be an inconvenience. Maybe I should get a special bag and attach it on the back though. I live in Florida and right now it rains randomly almost every day. School starts next week and I don't want a wet butt between classes!

[mrlmd1]

If it's that one and you know specifically that it is, the ad says it has a heat shield on it and can be put on immediately.
If I did that with either of the two I have, I's have a melted hole in it before I got it all on and secured.

[diffluere]

I think from now on I will just put the cover on but leave it tucked up on top of the saddlebags until the exhaust cools off. Mostly I am just concerned about it getting rained on when I'm not riding it. I saw that it says it has heat shields but I don't know how well I trust them.

Who wants to help me build a garage?

[alantf]

My main problem in the rainy season is that that the two buttons on the saddle fill up with water. I just carry a piece of old plasic sheet, big enough to cover the saddle & pillion. Problem solved! :2tup:

[bonehead]

A co-worker just got what I will call a sun cover. It just covers the bars and seat and will keep rain off too. Can't remember how much it was, but I think he got it on-line somewhere. I'll get more info and pass it on. BTW, it takes up very little space.

[caroledee1]

There is an old thread listed under "Rain covers" from last year. The Dowco Weatherall is a good one. I have two of them. A medium for the GZ250 and a large for the V-star. I got a free warranty replacement from the dealer this year for the 3 year-old one that had seen year-round Illinois weather. You can place the lower treated section on a hot exhaust but the manufacturer doesn't recommend this as it causes premature wearout.

[Water Warrior 2]

Wally World has cheap covers for about $20.

[Water Warrior 2]

A co-worker just got what I will call a sun cover. It just covers the bars and seat and will keep rain off too. Can't remember how much it was, but I think he got it on-line somewhere. I'll get more info and pass it on. BTW, it takes up very little space.

Sounds ideal for daily usage and a lot easier to fold up than a full tilt Dowco cover. I only use the Dowco if the bike will be parked for a few weeks in the winter if the weather turns nasty for this area.

[diffluere]

http://www.autoanything.com/car-covers/ ... 0423bb4e95 (http://www.autoanything.com/car-covers/69A4286A0A0.aspx?kc=MERCNEXT&from_search=1&mr:referralID=6979528b-8dbd-11de-bbda-000423bb4e95)


Heheh! Now your bike has its own tent when you go camping!

I also found this cover which is pretty reasonably priced.

http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Dow ... DOW-7.html (http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Dowco_Traveler_Motorcycle_Cover--58-DOW-7.html)

[VTXorcist]

Beware the $20 covers. I bought a 'water-resistant' one cheap and the bike is always wet under the cover after it rains. The $70 I have for my other bike keeps it dry. I'm not saying all cheaper covers stink like mine, but I definitely think there's something to the old 'get what you pay for' adage.

Oh, also, I take my cover in to work when there's a chance of rain. The seat acts like a sponge, and there's nothing worse than squelching your butt into a nice soggy sponge after a day of work.

[Water Warrior 2]

Beware the $20 covers. I bought a 'water-resistant' one cheap and the bike is always wet under the cover after it rains. The $70 I have for my other bike keeps it dry. I'm not saying all cheaper covers stink like mine, but I definitely think there's something to the old 'get what you pay for' adage.

Oh, also, I take my cover in to work when there's a chance of rain. The seat acts like a sponge, and there's nothing worse than squelching your butt into a nice soggy sponge after a day of work.



I have to agree. The $20 cover will keep the dust, dirt and bird droppings off the bike as well as out of sight for the honest people.
Try a plastic bag over the seat when rain is in the forcast. Either that or wear waterproof pants.

[el cheapo]

I bought a good bike cover ($70), and I like it. It has extra thick material where it covers the exhaust, and I have had no problem after about 2 years. I used the bike to commute to work, and most of the time I would leave it uncovered until my first break, then I would cover it. This was a couple of hours later, and by then it was cooled off. I used to work 12 hour shifts, and many times during the summer we would get a passing shower. After the rain, I would just take the cover off and ride home on my dry bike. I had no garage at this time and had to park the bike in the back yard. One time I went somewhere in the car (bad weather), when I came back the trees looked like somebody had taken a big shotgun and blasted the leaves off of them. They were stripped by hail! Some of it was bigger than a quarter. I arrived home and went out to look at my bike. The cover had protected it completely, and there was NO damage! :rawk: The little plastic air vent cover on top of the cover was cracked, but that was it! I think that if I didn't have a small windshield and sissy bar, it would have been a different story. These served to hold the cover several inches above the gas tank, and none of the hail actually contacted the bike. Mine is starting to let the water through (it was only water resistant), so I will get a can of CAMP DRY from Wally World and spray the whole can onto the cover and let it dry. This stuff works great for waterproofing, but only lasts a year or two. It's a whole lot cheaper than a new cover! By the way, even a cheap cover will do a good job of keeping the rain off if you hit it with camp dry. Just watch out for the hot pipes. I definitely got a lot more riding in because of the cover. If the day looked a little iffy for riding, I would just go where I wanted and then cover the bike. Sometimes it rained, sometimes it didn't.

[blaine]

I also bought a cheap cover,40 dollars I think,and waterproof it once a year.I usally let bike cool of about 20 mins before putting cover on.

[alantf]

I also bought a cheap cover,40 dollars I think,and waterproof it once a year.

I have to waterproof my riding gear every year. In the rain I wear a two piece hiking waterproof. I bought it in England a few years ago, & it's really tough, yet very comfortable, & MUCH cheaper, buying at the camping store than the bike shop.

[Mercutio57]

Mine melted from the pipe. The hole was too small and too low to be of any real consequence, but I didn't like scrubbing the blackened goo from the exhaust!