Has anyone ever made their own bike cover?

Dalemac · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Karma :

Paid £60 for a decent cover when i bought my YBR a year ago, not it leaks when it rains which totally defeats the object of having the bike covered!

has anyone made their own covers on the cheap, im looking to make two, one for the ybr one for the gpz.

what sort of materials could be used? obviously needs to be waterproof, but what about breethable? if you made a sheet impermiable to begin with why does it need to be breethable?

can anyone shed any light? dont want to be spendin £££ in bike covers!
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~~YBR125~~ -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

Itchy · Super Spammer Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

breathable so that the hot engine parts and water that lands on them don't produce condensation/steam whatever what fouls the bike electronics,

that said , my CBR in France was caught in a horrendous amout of rain on the homeward leg from the Italian border,

and it steamed up really heavily when I stopped you could see clouds of the stuff rising from the gap in the fairing where the forks go through, and it worked fine.

Mylar maybe heat sealed ? heat sealer £5 a good one up to £100,
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truslack · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Apr 2007 Karma :

I just use a tarp! Laughing

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Ariel Badger · Super Spammer Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Karma :

Netto, Lidyl or the other one ( just rembered it Aldi!). They all do a cover for a tenner at the right time of year.
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growler · Traffic Copper Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Karma :

Dalemac · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Karma :

growler, you yhave mis understood me, i meant the cover i have currently doesnt keep the rain out Wink

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~~YBR125~~ -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

growler · Traffic Copper Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Karma :

Dalemac · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Karma :

oh i see!

does that not totally defeat the object! lol!
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~~YBR125~~ -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

growler · Traffic Copper Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Karma :

thats what I was trying to say
actually it is very good in the rain I think it is a problem with translating the instructions as if you need instructions on how to use a cover Laughing

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truslack · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Apr 2007 Karma :

Pie-Roe · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Karma :

I use a patio furniture cover, its reasonably light, waterproof yet breathable. Costet me £12 from work.

Pyro
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steveh · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Karma :

huge ass tarp to cover 4 bikes, the rest are kept inside Thumbs Up

argos specials dont last too long Thumbs Down

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calum17 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Karma :

i have a £15 cover from argos to cover mine. work svery well, a friend has the same one and is waterproof (my bike lives in the garage but i cover it anyway to keep people/things away from it)
if you dont want to buy one, i'd get a tarp or something then put a towel or blanket inside it, to make sure it doesnt damage the paint, some tarps are course - perhaps staple or sow them together, or neither - just use them both.
good thing about most tarps is that they have the eye holes in them with the metal rings so it is easy to strap it together. two loops (one on each side of the tarp) and you could use somethign as simple as a pen between the two for them to stay together - elastic is better than string for that method, or just get some kind of hook on one side then put it straight to the metal eye of the tarp on the other

Ariel Badger · Super Spammer Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Karma :

Who on earth reads the instuctions on a bike cover?
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growler · Traffic Copper Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Karma :

Akira · Trackday Trickster Joined: 24 Jul 2003 Karma :

I have one that has vent pockets on the grip bits and heatproof sections where the zorsts go. It wasn't much money, it's blue and silver, you'll find it on the mail order sites no problem.

calum17 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Karma :

the vent son mine seem to be on the wing mirror sections - but can be Velcroed over ..i dont understand why they are there really?! i just leave them velcroed.

Akira · Trackday Trickster Joined: 24 Jul 2003 Karma :

Same one mate, if they're velcroed they're still open. Just not quite as open as not velcroed if you know what I mean.

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

It's better to have a cover that can breath like the expensive ones with vents you are talking about. Air flow around the bike will get rid of condensation which is just as damaging as leaving your bike in the rain.

Do not cover when wet. Do not cover when hot (other than melting the cover, it causes condensation)

I'm not a great fan of covers except for them being a bit more deterrent to tea leafs.
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