trmn8er
Well-known member
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Do you cover your bike, and if not, why not?
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krashdragon
Well-known member
Looked at those covers...nice... problem with towing a bike covered is usually the covers flaps against the paint...yuck.... these stretchy ones look good...
However... do I cover my bike..?
When I'm thru riding, it's too dirty to throw a cover on, and if I wash it, it's going out again... <BG>
It does live in a garage sometimes...
mary
However... do I cover my bike..?
When I'm thru riding, it's too dirty to throw a cover on, and if I wash it, it's going out again... <BG>
It does live in a garage sometimes...
mary
trmn8er
Well-known member
mdisher
formerly Renegade, get used to it.
It's covered when I travel, mostly to keep people from dicking with it. One that's covered keeps people from playing with shit and is less likely to be sat on and tipped over. Any cover works well and travels well in a compression sack 
At home it's stored in a barn, if it's in there for any length of time it will probably get covered too because it tends to get dirty pretty fast from all the crap flying around in there. But when ridden regularly no, because covering and uncovering is a pain in the ass.
YMMV.
At home it's stored in a barn, if it's in there for any length of time it will probably get covered too because it tends to get dirty pretty fast from all the crap flying around in there. But when ridden regularly no, because covering and uncovering is a pain in the ass.
YMMV.
luvtoride
My Indian name is "Pants On Fire"
This thread really shows how different people are... & who doesn't have their first scratch on their spiffy new FJR, yet.
My bike... while not being ridden lives in a shed. I don't have the luxury of a house w/ garage. I just have the house. Bike is uncovered in there all of the time.
@ work I park in a parking garage. Nice luxury there.
When traveling, if I'm staying at a motel, I try to get it under covered parking. If no covered parking then it sits in the open. I've thought about being anal about just this subject... & laziness overroad that feeling. Uh, I do put it up on the center stand! Is that good?
A cover has never touched my paint unless the previous owner used one.... because I do not... ever.
My bike... while not being ridden lives in a shed. I don't have the luxury of a house w/ garage. I just have the house. Bike is uncovered in there all of the time.
@ work I park in a parking garage. Nice luxury there.
When traveling, if I'm staying at a motel, I try to get it under covered parking. If no covered parking then it sits in the open. I've thought about being anal about just this subject... & laziness overroad that feeling. Uh, I do put it up on the center stand! Is that good?
A cover has never touched my paint unless the previous owner used one.... because I do not... ever.
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mehaffydr
Well-known member
I always cover mine at home because I dont have a garage and dont want the sun damage. I use the factory cover bought it from Gary at University motors. Hell I even poured a parking slab of concrete just for the fjr.
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trmn8er
Well-known member
Aha! So there IS a Factory cover. Do they offer one for the tail bag like you have as well as one without? VERY nice cover. Thanks...I always cover mine at home because I dont have a garage and dont want the sun damage. I use the factory cover bought it from Gary at University motors. Hell I even poured a parking slab of concrete just for the fjr.
mehaffydr
Well-known member
It is the same cover for trunck or not. The trunk section is in a zipper compartment. If you have trunk you unzip and it expands.If you dont have trunk you just dont unzip that expansion piece and it fits nice and tight.
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RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
To stay 100% on topic, no I don't cover my battle cruiser. Why not? He's garaged at home, under covered parking at work, and the cover flaps annoyingly when he's travelling between the two.
But to take this thread slightly off topic, I think the subject and the answers being posted reveals something about the people replying and the unspoken context of their replies.
Reading these, I get the feeling there are basically 3 types of motorcycle (and FJR) owners --
1) The hobbyists -- like those who tie flies for fly fishing, the art is in the fly, not in the fishing. Many of those wonderful custom-tied flies never get wet. These types of bike owners wash, wax and polish their cycles damn near every weekend and farkle the hell out of them with damn near everything available for their mounts, trading one GPS mount for another, then another, then another, 'til they get them "Just Right". These are the guys 'n gals who would probably trailer their bikes to Sturgis...and rack up mileage by the tens of hundreds...not tens of thousands....and cover their bikes on a daily basis, regardless of the inconvenience of doing so. These are the folks who unrealisticaly tout their bikes' performance, unmercifully bash other brands, and piss and moan about "soft paint" and "buzzy grips". Their bikes are the ones you want to buy when they get sold.
2) The weekend warrior -- these guys n' gals are serious about their bikes. They'll buy only the best tires, only the top-of-the-line aftermarket seats, exhausts, etc., and ride the piss out of their bikes, even taking them on long trips. I'd put my image of IBA folks in this group. It's just that their weekends are 2500 miles long. They're the ones who cover their bikes Monday thru Friday when they're caging to work. These guys are just as serious about playing with their FJRs as they are with their Waverunners. But they don't distinguish a real difference between the two. They are simply high-performance toys. At least they're not the Obsessive/Compulsives the hobbyists are. They're the ones putting 25,000 miles a year on their bikes....over the course of 50 weekends. These guys are the reason God created TOGs and frame sliders. And God forbid you're shopping for a used FJR and run across one of these worn-out nags! They've been "rode hard and put away wet!"
3) The daily-drivers, such as myself, who consider their bikes their primary transportation. Last time my car was even cranked over was middle of February, the day before my doctor cleared me to ride again. Our bikes are hardly every stopped long enough to get washed, much less covered. Farkling isn't as important to us, although we appreciate quality accessories, and wish we could spend more on our "toys", but in reality, our bikes aren't really toys...they're appliances we enjoy using every day. Covering our bikes probably isn't even considered by most of us, since it's a PITA inconvenience. We wrack up mileage a lot like the #2s, but do it on a steady, consistent basis, not usually in huge chunks in short periods. We ride rain or shine, hot or cold, day or night. Not because we love our FJRs.....but because we love riding, period.
Of course, not everyone fits these three categories perfectly. You can't pigeonhole everyone. There's always gonna be some bozo like the guys who drive their their little pissant, underpowered Porsche Boxters/BMW Z4s to work every day, autocross 'em on weekends, take 'em on long vacations, and STILL cover them every day. They're also the guys washing their hands 10 times every hour.
But to take this thread slightly off topic, I think the subject and the answers being posted reveals something about the people replying and the unspoken context of their replies.
Reading these, I get the feeling there are basically 3 types of motorcycle (and FJR) owners --
1) The hobbyists -- like those who tie flies for fly fishing, the art is in the fly, not in the fishing. Many of those wonderful custom-tied flies never get wet. These types of bike owners wash, wax and polish their cycles damn near every weekend and farkle the hell out of them with damn near everything available for their mounts, trading one GPS mount for another, then another, then another, 'til they get them "Just Right". These are the guys 'n gals who would probably trailer their bikes to Sturgis...and rack up mileage by the tens of hundreds...not tens of thousands....and cover their bikes on a daily basis, regardless of the inconvenience of doing so. These are the folks who unrealisticaly tout their bikes' performance, unmercifully bash other brands, and piss and moan about "soft paint" and "buzzy grips". Their bikes are the ones you want to buy when they get sold.
2) The weekend warrior -- these guys n' gals are serious about their bikes. They'll buy only the best tires, only the top-of-the-line aftermarket seats, exhausts, etc., and ride the piss out of their bikes, even taking them on long trips. I'd put my image of IBA folks in this group. It's just that their weekends are 2500 miles long. They're the ones who cover their bikes Monday thru Friday when they're caging to work. These guys are just as serious about playing with their FJRs as they are with their Waverunners. But they don't distinguish a real difference between the two. They are simply high-performance toys. At least they're not the Obsessive/Compulsives the hobbyists are. They're the ones putting 25,000 miles a year on their bikes....over the course of 50 weekends. These guys are the reason God created TOGs and frame sliders. And God forbid you're shopping for a used FJR and run across one of these worn-out nags! They've been "rode hard and put away wet!"
3) The daily-drivers, such as myself, who consider their bikes their primary transportation. Last time my car was even cranked over was middle of February, the day before my doctor cleared me to ride again. Our bikes are hardly every stopped long enough to get washed, much less covered. Farkling isn't as important to us, although we appreciate quality accessories, and wish we could spend more on our "toys", but in reality, our bikes aren't really toys...they're appliances we enjoy using every day. Covering our bikes probably isn't even considered by most of us, since it's a PITA inconvenience. We wrack up mileage a lot like the #2s, but do it on a steady, consistent basis, not usually in huge chunks in short periods. We ride rain or shine, hot or cold, day or night. Not because we love our FJRs.....but because we love riding, period.
Of course, not everyone fits these three categories perfectly. You can't pigeonhole everyone. There's always gonna be some bozo like the guys who drive their their little pissant, underpowered Porsche Boxters/BMW Z4s to work every day, autocross 'em on weekends, take 'em on long vacations, and STILL cover them every day. They're also the guys washing their hands 10 times every hour.
S100 good enough? don't want to be flamingly gay and pull out the bucket and used cloth diapers...I have a trailer I use to carry a down comforter and pillow for my '05 when I'm not riding her.
Seriously, though, she's in the garage at home or under a carport at work, so I don't worry about it. But even if there weren't carports here, I wouldn't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with a little dust on the bike. If I get tired of her being dirty, I'll have ShinyPartsUp wash her for me. :lol:
Bob
Rancho Cucamonga, CA (Everything's in boxes except the bike!)
RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
Hmmm...trying to distinguish between being "just" gay and "flamingly" gay.S100 good enough? don't want to be flamingly gay and pull out the bucket and used cloth diapers...
Kinda like being "a little pregnant" if ya ask me. :blink:
I don't have an FJR (yet), but here is my viewpoint: I ride to work almost year-round here in SC. After seeing what the sun did to my '81 Silver Wing, I now cover my '03 Magna when it is out in the parking lot all day at work. Like the other guy said, the fading of the cover shows I am helping out my bike. I don't care about water or dirt, but sun damage is hard to repair. I don't cover it at home in the garage. Regarding the hassle, after about a week I got real good at quickly covering/uncovering it, and I use the few minutes to get in the correct frame of mind for riding safely. As you might tell, I am not one to play musical motorcycles.
Saddletramp
Well-known member
Yes, my bikes are in a heated garage with covers on while our expensive cages sit outside in the elements! A person has to get their priorities straight!
The primary reason I cover my bikes is due to dust. I live in the desert part of Washington & still have Mt. St Helen's ash to contend with. It lives a film on everything. I prefer the nylon covers cause when they become dirty I can rinse them off with the hose.
Here's my big problem though. Cats! They love to crawl under the covers & sleep on the seats of the bikes. The big Corbin seat on my Valkyrie is their favorite. The three cats belong to my 12 year old daughter & she loves them to death & I love her, so the cats aren't going anywhere! I knew everyone would suggest various ways to dispose of the cats! I will won't miss them when she takes them to college!
Yesterday, as I uncovered the FJR to go take a run to Seattle, my wife about died of laughter. I had taken tennis shoes, laid them on my seat, & strapped them down with bungee cords. It worked! The cats have apparently decided that the tennis shoes aren't too comfortable to sleep on.
I outsmarted them buggers! Yea, right! :yahoo:
The primary reason I cover my bikes is due to dust. I live in the desert part of Washington & still have Mt. St Helen's ash to contend with. It lives a film on everything. I prefer the nylon covers cause when they become dirty I can rinse them off with the hose.
Here's my big problem though. Cats! They love to crawl under the covers & sleep on the seats of the bikes. The big Corbin seat on my Valkyrie is their favorite. The three cats belong to my 12 year old daughter & she loves them to death & I love her, so the cats aren't going anywhere! I knew everyone would suggest various ways to dispose of the cats! I will won't miss them when she takes them to college!
Yesterday, as I uncovered the FJR to go take a run to Seattle, my wife about died of laughter. I had taken tennis shoes, laid them on my seat, & strapped them down with bungee cords. It worked! The cats have apparently decided that the tennis shoes aren't too comfortable to sleep on.
I outsmarted them buggers! Yea, right! :yahoo:
valetz
Well-known member
I'm one of those guys who thinks of the bugs as decorations...
At Home -> Garage
At Work -> uncovered in lot
Running Errands -> Stich covers part of it including toys, I literally just toss the stich over the handlebars, set the Arai on the ground next to it & go, no problems yet
On the Road -> I use an aerostich lightweight cover (packs small) Clicky on the theory that someone will be less likely to mess w/ the bike if they have to take the cover off, I think it's one of the best security mesures a person can take... Yah know, outa sight outa mind
-bvw.
At Home -> Garage
At Work -> uncovered in lot
Running Errands -> Stich covers part of it including toys, I literally just toss the stich over the handlebars, set the Arai on the ground next to it & go, no problems yet
On the Road -> I use an aerostich lightweight cover (packs small) Clicky on the theory that someone will be less likely to mess w/ the bike if they have to take the cover off, I think it's one of the best security mesures a person can take... Yah know, outa sight outa mind
-bvw.
My bike is garage kept and uncovered.
However, I don't want my bike baking in the sun all day so when at work I do keep it covered. I use the Covermax cover. Fits great and does what it's supposed to.
However, I don't want my bike baking in the sun all day so when at work I do keep it covered. I use the Covermax cover. Fits great and does what it's supposed to.
daytripper
Well-known member
Mine is in the garage and covered. The cover I have is a soft blanket cover made by Nelson Rigg. I feel it lets the bike breathe and helps keep dust and garage dings off of it.
wambow
Member
When I am traveling, I like to cover my FJR at the motel or camp site at night. I use a cover I bought years ago from Cableas for my 4 wheeler. Fits both my 05 FJR and 03 Road Star. The color is woodland camo. If folks can't see it they won't f##k with it. :lol:
CarmynS
New member
Bluestreek
Bluestreek
At home I park in a garage uncovered and on the road I use a Tour King 1/2 cover when overnighting at a motel. It keeps the cockpit farkels out of sight and the top of the bike dry. The cover folds up small enough to put in a jacket pocket.odot
CC member # 17,----- DUP member # 7, mensa club m
And remember gay peeps....park next to a tree. lol
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