Triumphrat

TB-T100 · 08-06-2007, 12:47 PM

When I bought my T100 the dealer talked me out of also buying an All weather cover. Strange dealer, huh, talking me out of spending money?

As I do not have a garage (and live on the second floor, so bringing it into my living room is anyway ruled out), it sadly has to live outdoors through the riding season.

Anyway, his reasoning is that the cover will do more damage than good. First, it can trap moisture on the bike when the bike is not totally dry. Second, if you ever put it on before the bike is totally cooled down it can leave nasty markings (and who would want to go back outside and hour or two after coming home, just to put the cover on?). Thirdly, a cover will rub the parts that it rests on (i.e. mirrors) and thus hurt the chrome.

Does anybody have good reasons why one should / not use a cover for a bike spending it's time outofdoors?

badrufus · 08-06-2007, 09:14 PM

I don't know what exactly he was trying to keep you from buying, but there are excellent motorcycle covers. Many have temperature-resistant panels that run along the bottom where the engine, headers, and silencers are likely to rub against the cover, thus no burned cover, no melting onto the bike. Most covers allow ventilation from the bottom up through a rain-proof vent between the mirrors, so unless you put the bike away sopping wet, you should be okay. Many have a soft lining to prevent scratching of the bike. Aside from water and dust, a big advantage of a cover is that it provides less "eye candy" to a would-be thief. When I had to park my bikes outside, they were securely locked and covered. They stayed clean and I got the procedure for putting the cover on and taking it off down to a minute or two. I don't really agree with your dealer. Maybe he had an economy model for sale. You get what you pay for, so if you want a cover, research the options and get a nice one.

mn9130s · 08-07-2007, 12:19 PM

Once upon a time I was in the same boat. Got an expensive (at the time) cloth (so it wouldn't trap moisture) cover with heat-resistant panels along the bottom. It did more harm than good. It did indeed trap moisture which would have otherwise evaporated & cause me to have rust issues. It didn't rub off chrome or anything like that, I also normally let the bike cool off before I put it on anyway. It did eventually rot & start disintegrating at the points where it rested on the mirrors. I wouldn't do it again. That was nearly 20 years ago, maybe they've improved since then.

Normandy · 08-07-2007, 12:29 PM

Been using a cover for several months now and I like it cause it takes less time to put on/off than it does to wipe the dust off and the security/out of sight is bonus. That is under shelter and out of the weather, I also bring it on camping trips as a portable garage. I think it is a Guardian cover.

Geoff · 08-07-2007, 12:35 PM

Yep, cheap covers will have issues, do some research and you wont be sorry you covered it
G

Lee · 08-07-2007, 12:55 PM

If they prefer that Earthy Rust color.

mecscc · 08-07-2007, 03:01 PM

I have the top of the line Nelson Riggs covers. They DO trap a lot of moisture, no matter how good they are. Nothing like the pounding they would get from an all night rain, but enough to need to towel down everything in the morning. If it is not raining and the humidity is low, they do fine. Like Deb, we use them on trips primarily to reduce the curiousity factor and deter theft. So they help if used on trips, etc. I'm not so sure they make much sense as a first line substitute for a garage or even a small, inexpensive garden shed, which would at least let some air circulate around the bike. Is there nowhere else where you could store it when not riding that is out of the sun and rain? Under some steps going upstairs, in the corner of a garage you could rent from someone, etc? Even a close by storage unit you could rent?

monte

TB-T100 · 08-07-2007, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mecscc

I have the top of the line Nelson Riggs covers. They DO trap a lot of moisture, no matter how good they are. Nothing like the pounding they would get from an all night rain, but enough to need to towel down everything in the morning. If it is not raining and the humidity is low, they do fine. Like Deb, we use them on trips primarily to reduce the curiousity factor and deter theft. So they help if used on trips, etc. I'm not so sure they make much sense as a first line substitute for a garage or even a small, inexpensive garden shed, which would at least let some air circulate around the bike. Is there nowhere else where you could store it when not riding that is out of the sun and rain? Under some steps going upstairs, in the corner of a garage you could rent from someone, etc? Even a close by storage unit you could rent?

monte

Well, I could always park it in the security controlled under-ground garage (at the Parliament building where I work). But that is a whopping ten-minute walk away from home and it would surely be way to far to walk every time my Bonnie wanted a runabout. So, it will be at work for the winter-storage months only.

The cover I asked my dealer about (that he advised me against) was the original Triumph cover.

badrufus · 08-07-2007, 07:42 PM

If they are available where you are or you can order them, take a look at the top-of-the-line Nelson Riggs and Guardians. Like the Reverend says, it's not a substitute for a nice garage, but it can be better than leaving it uncovered, if you are willing to check and dry the bike off after any weather likely to produce condensation. When I put a cover on my bike, which is rare because I can keep it garaged and I can't stand to not be able to stare at it, I often cover it first with a soft flannel fitted sheet, then put the cover over that. Just provides a bit of paint protection. Wash the sheet first--very linty otherwise.

Baltobonneville · 08-07-2007, 11:40 PM

A possible option is a "half-cover", sort of like going bottom-less. I use one when I park the motorcycle in the sun all day at work. It mostly stays off the really hot parts. My purpose is to keep the sun off the seat, backrest, tank, and instruments.