Motorcycle Cover recommendation?

[Ash]

Hello all,

I currently have my bike housed at my brother's garage, where I will keep it when the weather gets cold. But now that warmer weather is here I was thinking of keeping the bike with me at my condo.

What should I look for when buying a cover? What are some good brand names? Are there ones specifically for the Ninja? What have been your experiences with them?

Thanks!
Ash

[NJD022588]

I have one of the "Motogear" covers they sell at Walmart. It fits fine and its waterproof so it's all I need. I think they are only $40.

[athimmel]

I went through MotorcycleSuperstore.com and got a Nelson-Rigg Deluxe All Season cover. It fits perfectly when you order a medium, and is 37.99 before shipping. Great cover that holds and comes with a bag that the cover fits easily into. You don't have to fight to get the cover back in!

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...son-Cover.aspx

[00v_Lucky]

i have a trackside sport cover, it fits nicely. the only problem is that the blue material doesn't give much protection imo

[noche_caliente]

I don't actually have it, but I'm rather fond of this one:



I am pretty sure that is what I will be getting when I do get a cover.
http://www.gezagear.com/

[capt_bugaloo]

I bought a DowCo Guardian sized for sportbikes over a year ago. It has held up very well; I park my bike on the street with the cover on it year-round. We get plenty of rain in Victoria and this winter was colder, icier, and with more snow than most years.

The cover is still in great shape and I expect it to last at least another year or two. I paid about $80 for it at the local motorcycle shop.

[Tomcrane]

I also use the Dowco Guardian WEATHERALL PLUS - and my experience so far with it is great .. also paid 80 bucks for it at the cycle shop

[deckone]

Hey people, I wanna get a cover for my 250, but since I'd buy it online I want to make sure it's going to fit and that it's going to be good quality. For those of you with covers, what kind do you have? Thanks.

[n4v1n]

The guy I bought my bike from gave me a cover, but there's no brand or tags on it. For the most part, covers seem pretty generic, the only difference may be the size if anything. I guess just make sure it doesn't have any branding or anything on it b/c it will make it more attractive to thieves.

[addy126]

Hi "D"..... I have 2 covers. 1 is a 1/2 cover from Nelson Rigg size medium and fits like a glove. Good to travel with or take to work if it sits outside. Does not touch the hot muffler and is waterproof. My 2nd cover is a full cover for home.... Guardian weatherproof in size medium which also fits wonderfully well and taunt. Have had this one for 2 years and still does not need replacing. I do use the 1/2 cover more often around the house because it is so easy to whip on and whip off. If weather is inclement I just put the full Guardian overtop to keep water off the bike's bottom. (the 1/2 cover pulls over top of the muffler if you want to keep rain out).... I like them both and they fit the pregen and "now gen" very well.

[Lurkable]

Originally Posted by NJD022588

I have one of the "Motogear" covers they sell at Walmart. It fits fine and its waterproof so it's all I need. I think they are only $40.

Hey Nick, do you remember which of the three sized you got?

[madcrossover]

I bought one from Wal-Mart and they suck! They do not hold up to the SUN especially when it's 100+ outside every day during the summer. Ive gone through 2-3 covers from wal-mart, yeah I should have learned! The 60 bucks i spent on them could have got me a better cover! lol

Does anyone know what is a good cover that holds up well to the SUN? What happened to these covers is the material started to become brittle and easy to tear.

May just invest in a shed to house the bike in, if all else fails.

Thanks

[Lurkable]

Originally Posted by madcrossover

I bought one from Wal-Mart and they suck! They do not hold up to the SUN especially when it's 100+ outside every day during the summer. Ive gone through 2-3 covers from wal-mart, yeah I should have learned! The 60 bucks i spent on them could have got me a better cover! lol

Does anyone know what is a good cover that holds up well to the SUN? What happened to these covers is the material started to become brittle and easy to tear.

May just invest in a shed to house the bike in, if all else fails.

Thanks

Hmm, I'm still considering this cover as I just moved to the city where it's foggy most of the time, and I keep the bike under the shade of a big tree anyway.

[madcrossover]

They are good covers, just dont last long in the Sun. I think if I had shade I would be ok, but I only have one tree in my front yard and its not very big. The only time that tree is good for shade is when the Sun starts to set. Then its just enough shade for the bike.

So if you have constant shade and not a lot of Sun blaring down on it, then you should be ok.

[Lurkable]

By the way Daniel, which size did you get and does it fit your 250 well, despite the sun damage?

[madcrossover]

I got the Large, fit the bike pretty well! The rear tire wont get covered as much, but it covers the rest of the bike completely. Fits a bit loose (Not sagging loose) but you have the tie down cord to hold the cover if it gets windy.

I had bought another cover (same thing) but it was huge. Don't know if it was packaged wrong cause I thought the box had said Large. May have been the XL that was in it, but it was way too big! But then again it covered everything to the ground! lol

To me I think the polyester could be a little stronger, cause if it gets caught on something and you pull on it with out thinking it could tear. Of course the more durable areas are where it covers the exhaust and windshield since it has that extra protection.

If you could, maybe you could open the box so you could see the material yourself to see what you think. The 2-3 I got were $20 ea.

[Postiez]

I went to cycle gear and wanted a medium, they only had large, it works fine. The brand I got was trackside.

[dimeified]

Hi guys,
I'm staying overnight in long island at a friends house and will probably be on the bike. No garage parking, and a gravel driveway, so i will probably park on the side of the garage. While i'm there me and my friend want to hop in the car and pick up a cheap bike cover so when i wake up in the morning, the bike wont be wet with mist and dew, and more importantly, wont be missing. Do you know where i could pick one up locally in a store? If it would have to be a motorcycle shop, I'll be in the Garden City NY area, if anyone knows of one. Thanks.

[cwb48]

I have been using a cover for over 20 years- don't have a garage or shed. My current cover is a Guardian, about $70. I just started using this one this summer, so I don't Know how it will last, but it's made well. I have also owned a Nelson-Rigg, which had a problem with the plastic vent cover cracking. They replaced it once for me for free under the lifetime guarantee, but the new one did the same thing. I did get 5 years of service out of it though.

By the way, when I got my '08 250, I let them sell me a no-name cover for about the same price ($70) that fell apart after the first year. Go with the brand names.

Just a couple of points about covers- the most important thing the cover does to protect your bike is not to keep it dry. Since moisture will condense under the cover anyway, it does not really keep the bike very dry, although it does protect from heavy downpours. The main thing is protection from UV radiation, which destroys the plastic and paint very quickly. You should be aware that a cover on a bike makes it into somewhat of a sail, and if you are in a windy area you should try to park it out of the prevailing wind on the side stand and/or leaning away from the probable wind direction. I learned about this the hard way.

Chris

[ScorpionNinja]

http://www.jcwhitney.com/Full-Covers...4647_10111.jcw


I bought this from JC Whitney back in Late April 09'. I had to leave my Nate parked at my uncles garage for 3 days until this cover shipped.

I lived with a co-worker at his Condo. My Bike sat out in the open, NO CAR PORT or anything, with only this Cover to protect/cover it!

It only took like 4-5 days to arrive to my house when i ordered it. UPS ground (standard)

It comes with a bag to put your cover into and carry. (has drawstrings)

I got the Red/Black one (if you are ordering this, make sure to CALL them and ask them what is the right color you seek - their website has typos, lol)


Now this cover does FIT my 09 250R, no accecoriess of sort, but this Cover does Sag down to the ground alil bit. Ill tell you to help this, before putting it on, i used to move my side mirrors so they swep forward and out at a 45 degree angle. This helps gives the 250r more Volume and helps takes up some of the slack, so the cover doenst SAG on the ground as much! If you have a Zero Gravity Sport Touring Windscreen and a Tail/Saddle bags on your bike... then it would fit like a Glove!

Now if i wouldve been able to get it to FIT without any SAGGING and such, im sure it wouldve made a differnece of withstanding Rain. My bike and seat was 99% dry after a heavy down pour, but since the cover sagged a bit... some water would Pool up in certain spots causing alil bit of waterbeads and dirt spots on my bike, when it was time to take off the cover for a Ride.
If it had a ZG-SP windscreen and such on my bike, then the cover wouldnt have sat on the seat/gas tank allowing water to pool up in those and Other spots.
I rode home afew times when it was Hot 78-80+ degrees after work and after i got hom, parked the bike, HOT muffler and all... the cover DIDNT MELT to my suprize, thou with ANY COVER i wouldnt advise putting your cover on RIGHT AFTER you pull up from a ride! Just in case. lol

I never had a problem with it being Blown OFF or even Close to that!



Overall im happy with my cover. Thou, i dont use it atm... i moved back into with my GF afew months back, and park my Bike in a enclosed Shed! Ill be storing my Bike in my uncles garage this Winter thou! I plan on using my Cover to cover it during its Winter Slumber!

If you guys want me to Post some PICs of this cover on my bike, id be happy to do so. ATM its ****ing raining outside (michigan weather blows) so i wont roll out Nate and get him all WET! Heh, just let me know and ill Post some on here ASAP if wanted!

[lockie]

I can add about the wind effects of a new cover. My bike fell over the first night i put on the cover. Since then I'm always cautious of how I park the bike.

[DarkNinja52]

Originally Posted by cwb48

I have been using a cover for over 20 years- don't have a garage or shed. My current cover is a Guardian, about $70. I just started using this one this summer, so I don't Know how it will last, but it's made well. I have also owned a Nelson-Rigg, which had a problem with the plastic vent cover cracking. They replaced it once for me for free under the lifetime guarantee, but the new one did the same thing. I did get 5 years of service out of it though.
Chris

I just got my bike and bought a guardian cover for it. It seems to work fine, it was around $70 which is more than i wanted to pay but usually if you want quality you have to shell out the cash. No complaints here.

But as for where to get one... I do live on long island right by garden city actually, but I got my bike while i was in PA for the summer and also got the cover out there, so I'm not sure whats around here or where you can get one yet. but let me know what you find. good luck!

[Sailariel]

Originally Posted by NJD022588

I have one of the "Motogear" covers they sell at Walmart. It fits fine and its waterproof so it's all I need. I think they are only $40.

I went the same route---decent cover.

[NJD022588]

Originally Posted by Lurkable

Hey Nick, do you remember which of the three sized you got?

No, sorry, I dont remember and it doesnt say on the cover either.

[Sailariel]

I believe it was the Medium. Also sprayed the cover with KIWI Camp Dry for UV protection and additional waterproofing. Camp Dry is available at Wal-Mart for $7. Wife is a professional canvasmaker--her recommendation.

[addy126]

I use the Guardian Deluxe full cover (medium size) now 3 years old. Has held up very well. 2nd cover is for travel a Medium sized Nelson Rigg 1/2 cover water and uv protection. Easier to travel with and store. 1 problem with these covers... in windy conditions and over time they leave tiny scratches on the windshield where they have buffetted. Guardian has "material protection" sewn in the cover for windshield.... does not work. Nelson has nothing..... and has very limited scratch potential due to its very light weight.

[dimeified]

i lucked out, the walmart around westbury had one left, large, a tiny bit large for the bike but it works. 19 bucks, not bad.

[Cedilla]

Im using a el-cheapo walmart cover atm as well, its held up so far, the problem is that I don't use it enough.

[Scipyo]

Originally Posted by athimmel

I went through MotorcycleSuperstore.com and got a Nelson-Rigg Deluxe All Season cover. It fits perfectly when you order a medium, and is 37.99 before shipping. Great cover that holds and comes with a bag that the cover fits easily into. You don't have to fight to get the cover back in!

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...son-Cover.aspx

+1

[Sailariel]

Originally Posted by madcrossover

I bought one from Wal-Mart and they suck! They do not hold up to the SUN especially when it's 100+ outside every day during the summer. Ive gone through 2-3 covers from wal-mart, yeah I should have learned! The 60 bucks i spent on them could have got me a better cover! lol

Does anyone know what is a good cover that holds up well to the SUN? What happened to these covers is the material started to become brittle and easy to tear.

May just invest in a shed to house the bike in, if all else fails.

Thanks

Daniel, My wife is a pro. Canvasperson. She suggested spraying the cover with KIWI "Camp Dry". It provides additional waterproofing and excellent UV Protection. My cover is still fine--but then I really don`t use it much--only when I travel. She suggested , in your case to try to find a cover made of Sumbrella. Sprayed annually with Camp Dry, Sumbrella would be good for about five years.

[joyinc]

i ran a search looking for info on a good cover for this bike... after seeing the responses here, are covers really a good idea? I dont like the idea of the bike falling over or being scratched. I just wanted some rain protection cause this bike seems to be less waterproof then my last (ie. the wires in the trunk) but now i dont know if the pros outweigh the cons?

[Greg_E]

Blue tarp. some rope to go through the grommets and pull it tight around the bottom of the wheels. CHeap and affective. but may move your mirrors. After that my next real cover will be one of those special motorcycle fold down cover/garage/thing similar to one of these but from the company that makes them in the US:
http://www.foldinggarages.co.uk/moto...inggarages.htm

They have one with a "floor" and it seals up pretty nice. A lot more spendy than a blue tarp, but a lot nicer too.

Similar to this:
http://www.autoanything.com/GenericP...ProductID=4286

[joyinc]

oh wow, those look really neat!

[BlueRaven]

Joyce i bought mine at Princess Auto for around $30-40. I got the medium deluxe model +1. They go on sale every once in awhile. I really like mine.

[joyinc]

really? so it's good quality? I was looking at their site, but a friend said they were cheap and fall apart... how long have you had yours?

[BlueRaven]

I bought mine a year ago and from all the other i've seen and touched i can barely tell the difference. I'm also a believer that they sell lower quality items. I wait about a half hour before putting it on the bike. I've used it in my parents heated garage always seems to be dusty in there and in my carport in the summer. So far so good.

[joyinc]

good! maybe i'll just get one of those... i've got a shed anyhow, so i dont need anything fancy

thanks!

[Apex]

Found mine at Big Lots, which is about 10 minutes from my house. My wife wanted to go so I reluctantly said yes, and I found a bike cover for $6.

[joyinc]

Wow! for that price who cares if its cheap... you can just get another lol
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[Cedilla]

hmm. I might have to hit up biglots. I have not had a cover on my bike for over a month. My xtra-large Walmart special, kept blowing off every time it stormed because its way too big, and walmart does not have anything smaller than a large. The inside of it is coated with mud and dirt, so I won't put it back over my bike, and I have no water tap outside, so no way to clean it.