The humble motorcycle cover is a simple piece of kit, but a very important one, especially if you don’t have a garage and have to keep your bike outside on the street. It is important for various reasons, obviously of course to protect it from inclement weather and grime from the street, but also to keep it hidden from the  prying eyes of passing thieves who might get ideas about stealing it. Thieves are often on the look out for a particular bike or scooter and will cruise the streets looking for what they want. If your bike is just a blank canvas under a cover, they can’t see what it is and are more likely to cruise on by until they find a target bike which they can see and they know that they want. Even if you do have a garage or workshop to keep your bike in, it is still a good idea to cover it and keep it free of scratches, dust or any paint or DIY detritus which you may be making in the workshop.

Getting it right
There are a plethora of covers out there, some at a fair old whack price-wise, but don’t be tempted just to use an old tarp as these ill-fitting and unventilated little fellas will flap in the wind possibly causing scratches or pulling the bike over and can trap any moisture round your bike. A properly designed bike cover will fit your bike better and have ventilation built in which will let any condensation which collects under it out again.

There are a lot of covers out there to choose from and they come in at a range of prices, so it is worth taking a bit of trouble to make sure that you get the right one rather than wasting your cash on the wrong thing.

What to think about
It is a good idea to invest in a waterproof cover, for obvious reasons really, especially if your motorcycle lives on the drive or the street. However, even if you primarily keep your bike in a garage, there may be a time when you want to leave it somewhere else outside so a waterproof cover may then be needed.  Also many garages are a bit damp and leaky and you may want to cover it up even when it is inside.

Clearly any cover will do the job of hiding the machine for theft prevention purposes, but in the UK an indoor cover will only be any use on a few days, so it may be a false economy if you're thinking of using it outside, as we can have wind and rain at any time of year!

How and what to choose
Go for a sturdy tough and waterproof cover which is unlikely to flap in the wind and beat itself to bits. Make sure you measure your bike’s vital statistics and get a cover which is a good fit, even over a top box or panniers if you have them. Although it is easier to put a larger cover over your bike, it is not a good idea to get one which is too big as it then leaves excess material which can catch the wind and flap and scratch your bike.

Check your chosen cover has built in ventilation so that condensation can’t build up underneath it and cause rust. Also it should have a soft lining which won’t damage your bike’s paintwork.

Motorcycle covers need to have heat resistant panels where they might come into contact with a hot exhaust system – you don’t want it melted to the exhaust!

It is also a good feature if it has a strap which goes under the bike so that it is secured fully pulled down to conceal the whole bike from view and to make sure it stays secure in all levels of wind and weather.

Ideally get a cover which is designed for your particular type of bike, in that way you can ensure that it will actually fit your bike properly and cover it up completely.

He ain’t heavy he’s my cover
If you are covering your bike on your drive every night, then it makes sense to go for a heavy duty cover which is really tough and robust so that it  sits snugly on your bike and can withstand all weathers. These types of covers can be very heavy and bulky, but it shouldn’t be a problem if you don’t need to transport it around. You can invest in a heavy one for home and a more lightweight job to take out when you need to park up away from home. Although it’s a big outlay up front, quality bike covers should last for years and will be used over and over again.

Some tips and wrinkles
Leave your cover unrolled to dry when it has got wet so it doesn’t get mouldy and stinky.

Speaking of stinky...nothing you can do about this one but watch out for the neighbourhood cats spraying it – a covered bike always seems to be a favourite cat target and when you then brush against the cover while taking it off you then have delightfully smelling legs for the day until the trews get into the wash!

Use a permanent marker pen to mark the front F and the back of the cover B to save yourself time when you get home cold and tired so you don’t put your bike cover on back to front so it doesn’t fit!

Wemoto stocks a full range of covers which will protect your precious machine all year round – in fact while weather protection may be essential in the UK in Winter, Spring and Autumn, theft protection is, sadly, a year round necessity. If you have any personal tips, recommendations or stories about bike covers tell us at: [email protected] or drop us a message on Facebook