To cover or not?

[lonewolf]

My nomad will be stored for winter in an unheated garage. my question is, do any of you cover your bike? the temps can fluctuate between 40 above to -20 here in minnesota . what im concerned about is moisture developing under a cover with these temp extremes.

[beezer]

Cover it with a good coat of wax and something that will breathe like a bedsheet

[glwilson]

I used the Kawasaki Nomad cover that came with my bike last year. We have similar temps as you. I ck'd it thoughout the winter -- especially on days where the temp changed 20+ degrees to see if condensation formed -- it did not.

I plan on doing the same this year.

[Top Cat]

I stored mine in an unheated shed last year. At first I covered it with a cover I bought on Ebay. Some days it had a lot of condensation on it so I removed the cover and left it uncovered. It still got some , for lack of a better word, frost on it from time to time.
This year I am going to cover it with a bed sheet as Beez suggested. That will let it breath. I will check it from time to time and remove the sheet if it dosen't do any good.

[unwind2]

Ship it here for the winter. I'll ride it occassionally for ya to keep the battery charged.

[skeeter]

Give her a "binky" and a lullabye before you turn out the lights.

[waterman]

I don't cover mine for the winter. Just park her in the shop. My fear is covering will lead to mice finding a nice shelter.

Man, you southerner's are really killing me. I guess will remember that when you complain about the heat and humidity.

[cactusjack]

I just got home from a bike night with the VROCers. It was cold when we left the "Tilted Kilt", so I put on a baseball cap to keep the top of my head warm. Brrrrrr!

[VulcanE]

I would much rather put up with the "heat and humidity" than being "frost bitten", least ways, you can still ride in the heat and humidity.

[bosko]

Originally Posted by VulcanE

I would much rather put up with the "heat and humidity" than being "frost bitten", least ways, you can still ride in the heat and humidity.

With a few mods and warm riding gear we can ride year round too.

[rksaw]

Originally Posted by waterman

My fear is covering will lead to mice finding a nice shelter.

We need to get you a cat for Christmas!

[phot]

Originally Posted by lonewolf

My nomad will be stored for winter in an unheated garage. my question is, do any of you cover your bike? the temps can fluctuate between 40 above to -20 here in minnesota . what im concerned about is moisture developing under a cover with these temp extremes.

The first year I had my Nomad, I left it clean and polished in my unheated garage during the winter. The result was some very bad corrosion, mainly on aftermarket chromed parts, Kuryakyn and others. Like most people, I have seen the droplets of condensation all over the bike at times. The following year I was determined to ensure the bike would go through the winter well protected so I did the following. I placed the bike on a plastic sheet and sprayed the whole bike with a generous coating of an anti-corrosion fluid, leaving it to drip the excess onto the sheet. I then parked the bike in the garage, uncovered. I also placed a low heat (low power), electric cylindrical heater beneath the bike, just to take the edge off the cold and create a little warmth around the bike, not to try and heat the whole garage. This worked very well, just a bit of a PIA cleaning the bike when it became time to ride again. I am sure that if there is no way of introducing a little heat around the bike, the coating would be successful on its own, but DONT cover the bike with anything like a cotton sheet. The material will absorb all the moisture and create a permanently damp envelope to help the corrosion along. If you must cover a bike, then ensure the cover is a synthetic material designed to BREATHE and not trap moisture. A bed sheet or similar may be great as a dust sheet in warm dry climates, but bad news in a colder humid climate. Spraying the bike as I did has another benefit, because the fluid finds its way into every tight corner, when you next clean it ready to ride again, you only really clean the VISIBLE surfaces, leaving a nice coating in those hard to reach, unseen places where corrosion begins. I must admit, after suffering some bad corrosion, I do tend to be a bit paranoid, but I just dont want to have the same happen again.

[novijoe]

I think I'll cover mine and check it every couple weeks when I start her up. I notice in mornings of high dew when I go to get the bike out of the shed she is dew free till I expose her to the elements. Maybe a light coat of WD-40 here and there. I hope that will be enough. Winter sucks!

[phenrichs]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

I just got home from a bike night with the VROCers. It was cold when we left the "Tilted Kilt", so I put on a baseball cap to keep the top of my head warm. Brrrrrr!

And just what do you consider cold?

Our daily high temp has been mid 40's this week.

[chainsaw]

Like I've said before, I'm glad I live in Texas.