Anyone else garage-less?

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"Just park next to a tree.....the leaves will provide uv protection and cover from precipitation. The stump of the tree will help prevent tip-overs."

Bad idea, all kinds of stuff to ruin your paint and finish in dead tree leaves.

 
Holy old thread, batman! I just found out I'll be moving and won't have a garage anymore. Not only that, but I'll be so close to work (~1 mile) that riding every day won't make sense. Even worse, my FJR will be parked for at least 6 months when I go play in the sandbox. No way am I going to leave it uncovered to get rusted...

I'm ordering a CycleShell as soon as I hear back on shipping (to Hawaii... OUCH...) from the company.

Anyone that ordered one have any feedback? Looks like it'll fit the bill perfectly!

 
No garage here, only a carport. Right now the FJR is housed in the carport and the truck stays in the driveway. It's a very tight fit to get both in the carport. I'm thinking of moving the FJR either onto the deck or into the dining room during the winter. The deck is covered and stays mostly dry. The question is, will my deck and deck ramp support the FJR? I'd hate for the deck to fail as it is 8' above the ground. If I move it into the dining room I'd be able to work on it there without freezing my butt off.

 
Most of the time my FJR is under a quality cover in the driveway, but usually I use a Cycle Shell in the winter for my FJR and for a few months I stored my former Triumph in it. When not being used it gets folded up against the shed under a tarp. Wind is not an issue due to a high fence so I cannot testify to that. On the rotor of my FJR and other parts of my Triumph, I did get a little surface rust so some condensation must be occurring. Here in Maryland it can get very humid. For over two years I have not had any noticeable wear and tear to the Cycle Shell other than a slight curvature to the floor from the weight. The Triumph kept better in the shed, which unfortunately is too small for the FJR. A bigger replacement shed is in the future.

 
3 words: old folks home

There are piles of them and the garages are never full since generally speaking, most of the residents don't drive. Last 4 years, I've paid ~60/mth for November 1-April 1. For $300 a winter, I can put my bike and my summer car underground in low-traffic / high security parking.

In the summer though, my neighbors must think I'm nuts. When it's nice outside, I put the cover on the bike to protect from sun-fading. When it's raining, I don't bother.

 
I've got a couple of buddies with garages so I just go that route. Seems to me this year I've seen a few ads/signs for heated storage around town for $150 for the season. One of them is the local HD dealer, who, until last year, was a multi-line dealer (including snow-machines, snow blowers and power generation stuff). He ONLY sells HD now. Word is out he probably won't last this winter with the mines being on strike.

Nailed his own coffin that boy.

 
Using someone else's garage isn't an option for me. Only been on island for a year and don't know anyone with a garage I'd trust enough to leave it in. Speak of on island, humidity is going to be a problem. Any thoughts on how to keep the humidity out?

I had thought about a shed, but I'd have to modify the fence in the back yard and pull the bike around back through grass (not sure base would appreciate that much). I could possibly put the shed under the carport... I'll have to price compare the CycleShell (with shipping) to a shed. The nice thing about the shell is that I can fold it up and put it away when I'm not using it (and thus it'll move easier when I go back to the mainland in 2011).

 
Reading your logistics makes me think I'd put the FJR in self storage here and buy another small bike in HI for a year or so, JMHO.

 
Reading your logistics makes me think I'd put the FJR in self storage here and buy another small bike in HI for a year or so, JMHO.
I'd have to pay to put it in self storage in Hawaii (as I'm already here!), then ship it when I move again in 2 years. Really don't want to store the bike for 2 years. I hadn't planned on buying an FJR while out here, but I found a steal of a deal and I use it to commute 32 or so miles every day. Worked great -- now I won't have that commute.

That's ok, I'll just have to get back to riding for pleasure instead of back and forth to work! :yahoo:

 
When I was garage-less in New England (prior house) I built a shed in the back yard big enough to put my bike (A BMW K100RT at that time) on one side and the riding mower on the other. I even had enough room inside it to do extensive maintenance on the bike (valve adjusts, etc.) when the weather was crappy. Even in the summertime, when I was riding the bike regularly, I would never leave my bike outside under just a cover except while out on the road overnight. I'm too anal retentive for that.

The only downside is the local fauna has a habit of seeking out places like that in the cold winter months. They really like to snuggle up inside your intake. Apparently air filters are like the the Ritz Carlton to small rodents. So spread a bunch of mothballs around inside the shed. Mice don't like the smell and will go elsewhere. I used to have a couple of empty cigar boxes full of moth balls for just that purpose. Works well inside a winterized boat too, FWIW.

Oh, and riding back and forth across the grass in the summer is a non event, so long as it is a flat yard. Just take your time and go easy on the throttle. Grass is pretty slick even when dry. And vary your course a little bit each time so you don't wear a path. ;)

 
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Oh, and riding back and forth across the grass in the summer is a non event, so long as it is a flat yard. Just take your time and go easy on the throttle. Grass is pretty slick even when dry. And vary your course a little bit each time so you don't wear a path. ;)
Normally I'd agree with the grass thing, but I don't know how much base housing would approve. Not to mention the required modifications to the fence to get my bike through it.

I have considered putting a small shed in the carport. :assassin:

 
Normally I'd agree with the grass thing, but I don't know how much base housing would approve. Not to mention the required modifications to the fence to get my bike through it.
You may be right . I was never so "lucky" as to get "on base housing", being a lowly non-com with limited years. And then when we moved to Norfuck, Vagina, I just said forget this nonsense and bought my own house, off base, across the river in Hampton. Quite possibly the best financial move I've ever made in my life... BTW. Ah, those were the days. 2 bedroom bungalow for $23k. Sold it a less than 2 years later for $33k. I've made better killings, but not in such a flat market.

 
I was going to order one, but my condo board wont allow it :( (I am not happy about this)

Lucky for me I found reasonably priced indoor parking for motorcycles in NYC....

 
You may be right . I was never so "lucky" as to get "on base housing", being a lowly non-com with limited years. And then when we moved to Norfuck, Vagina, I just said forget this nonsense and bought my own house, off base, across the river in Hampton. Quite possibly the best financial move I've ever made in my life... BTW. Ah, those were the days. 2 bedroom bungalow for $23k. Sold it a less than 2 years later for $33k. I've made better killings, but not in such a flat market.
I was an E-4 with no kids and got a much larger house (with a garage, no less!) than I'm getting now as an O-3 with one kid...

Really wish I could just stay in this house, but family situation dictates otherwise. Still haven't heard back from CycleShell on how much the shipping is going to be. I can't imagine it will be a pleasant experience. :unsure:

 
...and I thought I was the only one without a garage.

If I ever move, I wil be looking for a garage with an attached house.

 
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