[eddie]

I live in Georgia where the sun can bake a canvas bike cover to death in no time. I was buying Dowco or Nelson Rigg covers until my girlfriend showed up with a Formosa cover for her Suzuki.
I just replaced Formosas purchased in June of 2015. They were getting faded and old-looking and I knew from experience it would not be too long before I tore the aging fabric on something.
The heavy duty ones are just $29.99, come with a cable & lock plus a nifty storage bag that doubles as a small backpack. They last just as long as the more expensive others and have definitely been a good value.
Did I mention they're only $29.99? :wink2:

Interested? Check out Heavy Duty Motorcycle Cover W/cable Lock (l) Black

 

[OpenRoad]

One thing I've always wondered with motorcycle covers, if they're protecting your bike from getting baked in the sun why is it not just pure white to reflect the sunlight? That way you won't have the black part soaking up the sun and turning the are under it into a sauna.

 

[eddie]

One thing I've always wondered with motorcycle covers, if they're protecting your bike from getting baked in the sun why is it not just pure white to reflect the sunlight? That way you won't have the black part soaking up the sun and turning the are under it into a sauna.

Great question! =)
Probably the reason most motorcycle rain suits are black.
Apart from nighttime, isn't that when you need to be seen the most?
Who knows?

 

[eddie]

I thought about the whole dark cover mystery and realized it may be a light transmission thing.
Sort of like while you can sunburn through a white t-shirt, a dark one offers some UV protection.
As for heat, there are vents in the cover for moisture and ventilation.
The dark cover thing must work some for the UV part.
My red 09' KLR650 was still nice and red when I sold it after three years under a dark cover.
KLRs are particularly susceptible to plastic fading.
That's why there are quite a few pink ones! LOL

 

[OpenRoad]

Never thought about how UV rays can make paint fade over time. Had to do a bit of research about that and it looks like some covers have ratings for UV exposure and how much of it the cover blocks. I'm guessing those ratings don't matter all that much unless the cover is those porous fabric types. That red 09' KLR650 looks as good as new even after three years!

 

[TheScrambled]

$29.99 for that cover is an amazing deal, considering all that it comes with including a backpack for portability. It pretty much covers every concern of yours including clamshell vents and thermo guard.

 

[YamiGuy]

Before putting a cover on, anyone willing to spend a few hundred extra should have the paint coated with some protector. Not all covers have paint friendly linings and can leave small scratches. So if you want a pristine bike, keep that in mind. A few hundred dollars will go a very long way.

 

[eddie]

Before putting a cover on, anyone willing to spend a few hundred extra should have the paint coated with some protector. Not all covers have paint friendly linings and can leave small scratches. So if you want a pristine bike, keep that in mind. A few hundred dollars will go a very long way.

I'll pass on the $$$ coatings mostly because I don't feel the need and there isn't any where within 100 miles that I'd trust to do the job right if I did.
Even the inexpensive covers I have come with soft cloth linings at the front where a windscreen or bare instrument cluster resides and more at the back over the tail light area. The handlebars, mirrors, hard saddlebags and such keep the covers from touching 99% of the paint. Even my Yamaha dealer asks me how I keep my bikes looking so nice. So, I must be doing something right.
:smile2:

 

[Cruze]

You're definitely doing it right then. Even if it causes "scratches", they'll be extremely extremely minor. Minor to the point where you could literally rub on some polishing compound (not cutting), by hand, and you'll be able to get em' out easy.

 

[OpenRoad]

That's looking at the very fine details! Maybe I'll look into those car paint protection solutions, not the kind that's a film but the kind that you just rub on. Would make cleaning suicidal bugs off the bike a whole lot easier.

But most of the time, once I get the first scratch on there, I just don't care anymore. Adds character!

 

[eddie]

snip...

But most of the time, once I get the first scratch on there, I just don't care anymore. Adds character!

I'd owned the Super Tenere less than 2 weeks before I rocked it off the center stand and my jeans zipper pull put a 3 inch scratch right up the middle of the gas tank.
My second thought (LOL) was "Well, I got that out of the way."
A magnetic tank protector covered the scratch and is hopefully preventing others.

 

[TheScrambled]

I made the target fixation mistake and laid down my first bike, nothing major was damaged but at that point any additional scratches and dings did not matter to me anymore.

 

[Cruze]

I always appreciated the ppf route and all, but I follow the same theory... one mark out of the way, ah, what's another few more after that. Just enjoy the ride and continue to do what you love doing. These are meant to relieve stress, not add !