When you don’t have the necessary storage to keep your bike safe, outdoor covers come to the rescue. Although they are quite a straightforward accessory when it comes to looks, bike covers offer a variety of options regarding material, protection, and other features. It’s easy for people who have a shed or a garage as they only need a simple thin cover to keep dust off the bike. For those of you who have to park it out in the open, however, there’s more than size or thickness that you need to consider.
Size
When I said size is not the only thing to consider here, I didn’t mean that you don’t have to take it into consideration at all. With indoor covers, you can even get a bigger cover than your bike, because it doesn’t matter if it’s going to be hanging on the sides. But with outdoor motorcycle covers, this isn’t the case, as they can get soaked in water or flap around picking up mud or debris which can easily get into your bike thanks to wind. To make sure this doesn’t happen, measure your bike’s length and width accordingly or you can even get a cover with an elastic hem underneath.
Sun Protection
With outdoor motorcycle covers, you have two types of sun protection which can be distinguished by the different materials used to manufacture them. If you want to have protection from the sun’s UV rays then get a cover that is made out of 100% polyester, but if you want to protect your bike from heat – get one that is a blend of polyester and other materials. A 100% polyester cover isn’s as breathable as a polyester blend cover, which means that it won’t allow the heat to escape from the bike – which can lead to some serious issues.
Safety
Discretion is needed the most when you want to keep your motorcycle from being stolen, and outdoor covers can offer that as well. Thieves pose a threat to your bike more than you think and an outdoor cover has the added advantage of keeping your bike out of the prying eyes of thieves. By getting a simple, single-color cover design you’ll be able to make your bike less noticeable – black and dark grey are your best options. Also, you can get a cover with grommets on the bottom, so you can thread a cable lock through it.
Water Resistant & Waterproof
Similar to sun protective covers, there are two different types of protection here as well. First, we have water-resistant covers which are made breathable enough to let moisture escape and prevent corrosion. With a waterproof cover, you will be able to completely protect your bike from water which is great for areas where there’s a lot of rainy days and high humidity.
