Bike cover - any thoughts

[Stu]

Argos £15
Bike Barn £246 - do you get a free Starbucks with that?

Had the Argos one covering mine for 2 and half years, a bit tatty now but very good for the money and it is breathable. Slightly too short to cover whole of back wheel but swingarm and chain are covered.

the argos one get my vote too, i got 2 of em, one i leave at work, and one here.
waterproof, breathable and i put it on hot everytime.

ive had it for 3 years, and is looking a bit tatty, but who cares - hopefully people will think "tatty cover, tatty bike, no point nicking it"

ive used a motrax one that melted on my exhaust, was rubbish.
i got another swanky expensive bike cover, but frankly, its rubbish - its so heavy, re-arrages my mirrors everytime i put it on, takes ages to get snug in the right place and doesnt cover the wheels or the swingarm, and its too expensive to replace if it gets nicked.

and for 15 quid, you cant really go wrong with the argos one, they do a larger size one for 20 i think now.

here's a tip though, put the cover under your sidestand, as it doesnt blow away, and it trips your alarm (if you got one) when its removed.

here is the one i got, and swear by
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/7400311.htm


here is the larger size one
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/7400768.htm

Originally Posted by Stu

Argos £15
Bike Barn £246 - do you get a free Starbucks with that?

I tried those cheap covers in Argos and even got a custom made one designed specifically to fit the SV.

I found all of them rubbed against the paint in the wind and forget the soft linings - any dust and dirt on the paint gets scratched across it. They also have a blow-over risk.

I found them time consuming when it comes to taking them off and even worse when you have to wait for the bike to cool before putting them on - even with the so called heat resistant ones. Messing about with them to stop the mirrors getting moved and getting down to click the straps together was a right pain in the ****. Plus the argos one sprung a leak!

Condensation was a nightmare and they aren't much use if you get home with a soaking wet muddy bike.

The barn is more like a garage. Well worth the investment. Takes 3 seconds to pull over and you walk away. No condensation and no bike to cover contact. The price different between that and a cover is the equivalent of four nights in town for my pi$$ head mates. Plus £240 is a small price to pay to protect £4500 worth of motorcycle.

might as well get a tent from millets,

Yes I had looked for similar tent type designs but none were made from such tough material and had a fold over design or vents to avoid condensation on winter days.

I have since beefed up the security with a ground anchor due to getting a decent bike and the barn is locked down in place. To steal my bike they would first have to cut through the metal frame and then break my lock/ground anchor.

Good alternative if you can't use your garage and the shed is full. Better than a cover if a bit more expensive but then a fraction of the cost of a large shed with a proper concrete base - if you have room for one that is. I bought the patio stones and dug up the garden to make a proper bike spot. Planted some grass seed and it looks nice and tidy now after years growth.

[Stu]

[quote="Warren
might as well get a tent from millets,[/quote]
No, I agree with Toypop it looks like a good product if that's what you want. Cheaper than paying £10,000 or whatever for a garage. Horses for courses and all that.