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Outdoor cover suggestions


Chris Schanz

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My fiance and I bought our first bike. '09 Yamaha V-Star 650, last summer. We live in a house that doesn't have an accessible way to store our machine to protect it from the wonderful Midwest weather. Because of that we have to keep it outdoors and last summer we spent about $30 on a cover. A couple months later the cover faded and eventually ripped in a couple places.

One of our friends was nice enough to allow us to store the bike in their barn for the winter, but as we get the bike out for this riding season we're in the market for a new outdoor cover to protect it from the rain/hail/etc.

Do you guys have any suggestions as to covers to look into buying, or those to stay away from?

Thanks in advance.

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Oxford, Nelson-Rigg, Dowco and CoverMax are the low cost options. The cheapest of each will fade and rip in one year or a bit more. I started buying a notch up on quality and it seemed like 3 years was about the average. Haven't tried them all, but a middle grade CoverMax is what I settled on. Middle grade Nelson-Rigg is probably about the same thing.

I strapped mine on with a bungie cord under the bike and thru the grommets. A strong wind can and will remove the cover and move it into the next county.

But that wind can also move the bike if it's covered. Once saw a wind pick the back end of bike and cover up and move it 6 inches over. Had another bike fall over in wind.

So I also liked to lock the bike down with cable and lock, so it won't blow over. Mine are safe inside a garage now, I don't mess with it anymore.

And yes, I've put bikes in the front or back door to park them inside. Worked for me.

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11 hours ago, 2talltim said:

Damn, if these were bigger (door was bigger) I'd contemplate buying one to put in my backyard to store my trailer so I actually have room in my garage again.

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2 hours ago, TimTheAzn said:

Damn, if these were bigger (door was bigger) I'd contemplate buying one to put in my backyard to store my trailer so I actually have room in my garage again.

What kind of trailer do you have? Why does it need to be inside?

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Back on topic. When my wife and I first got married we each had our own bikes and the place we rented had a shed like 2tall suggested and it was perfect. 

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15 hours ago, 2talltim said:

Not exactly. I neglected to mention we're renting our house, so big construction projects like that are unfortunately out of the question.

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2 hours ago, durk said:

What kind of trailer do you have? Why does it need to be inside?

I have a 6x10 (I think 10) open trailer with a wood floor. I take care of my shit no matter what it is lol. I don't want that wood floor to get all f'd up from being outside in the sun and rain.

Edited by TimTheAzn
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1 hour ago, TimTheAzn said:

I have a 6x10 (I think 10) open trailer with a wood floor. I take care of my shit no matter what it is lol. I don't want that wood floor to get all f'd up from being outside in the sun and rain.

I understand what you’re saying. My choice would be between a car in garage or a trailer. Trailers sit outside, both have a wood floor. 

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2 hours ago, Chris Schanz said:

Not exactly. I neglected to mention we're renting our house, so big construction projects like that are unfortunately out of the question.

Hardly a "big construction project" is a cheap tin shed that sits on the ground. We've actually picked ours up and moved it across the yard 3 or 4 times. It's a temporary thing that can be moved and or removed. 

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1 hour ago, durk said:

I understand what you’re saying. My choice would be between a car in garage or a trailer. Trailers sit outside, both have a wood floor. 

LOL My car and Truck park outside. All my bike and track related stuff is under a roof, some of it warm LOL

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5 hours ago, TimTheAzn said:

I have a 6x10 (I think 10) open trailer with a wood floor. I take care of my shit no matter what it is lol. I don't want that wood floor to get all f'd up from being outside in the sun and rain.

I keep my trailer in the garage too. Mainly because its a harbor fright trailer and the elements would not be kind to it all. I engineered a winch and a couple of pulleys to lean mine against the wall out of the way and keep space clear for other stuff.

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36 minutes ago, F4iguy said:

Harbor Freight. I think it was about $179. I keep my trailer and a bunch of other stuff in there. I think they have a smaller one for a little less that might work well for a bike. 

26F1BD26-946E-437B-8E42-670ECE9F7861.jpeg

Woah, did you have this the last time I was over there? I'm gonna look into this...

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  • 5 weeks later...

Read the reviews on that HF she'd though.  The wind folds those up with ease and the cover material is easily torn by light winds.  

Look on Alibaba.  There are motorcycle sheds on there that look like they are decent.  I've seen some that will sell just 1.

  https://m.alibaba.com/product/60068239852/Folding-waterproof-fire-prevention-Motorcycle-tent.html?s=p&spm=a2706.wap_new_search.1998817009.37.57eb284fmtdbof

Edited by serpentracer
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