Covering bike after commute in the rain

[Lighthiker90]

What do you do to cover your ride after you have commuted in the rain and it's still raining outside? Seems ashame to leave it uncovered but a hot exhaust under a cover is not a great idea either.

[tallman]

I go inside and get out of the rain.

When its time to go, I go, raining or not.

 

I would not cover a wet/hot bike.YMMV

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

I never cover a wet bike. I wait until dry and then make sure I'm not sliding a bunch of silty dirt around.

[eddd]

I've never covered a bike so maybe I'm not the one to listen to on this subject.

 

My thinking is that when riding, the bike is exposed to the elements hitting it at speed so how much can it hurt it to sit outside for 8 hours at a time? Modern finishes are very durable and built to take the elements.

[BrianM]

When I get to work I cover my bike regardless of the weather. Never had any problems. Been doing this for the last 28 years.

[Marty Hill]

Some do/some don't. Must not matter.

[kmac]

What do you want to cover it for? Keep it dry?

[upflying]

I would think a wet and warm bike will create a humid green house climate inside the cover. Those ingredients sound ideal for rust formation.

[jjg3]

I parked outside a couple of years when commuting (now have the luxury of covered/guarded garage parking) and never covered the bike regardless the wx. Parking was right outside my office bldg in downtown DC at a set of 10 motorcycle meters, and in the 10 years or so I've been here I think only 1 guy ever bothered to cover his bike so he sort of looked like an oddball. It just never occurred to me to cover it while parked outside. That and we had to go out at 7am to put quarters in the meters and would like to gawk at the bikes and BS. And at the 4 hr mark again put quarters in the meters. It seemed everyone knew everyone else so there was some security in that, and we just liked looking at bikes. There were parking areas not so close and maybe I would have considered a cover if it were that far out of sight, but if the 10 close spots were taken I'd probably just have not stopped and gone riding for the day, but I get in pretty early. As for the weather, the bike would get a free wash when it was raining, it never hurt. Getting on a wet bike in the rain was fine, of course I had the luxury of being able to gear up in the bldg before going out... we all gear-up for for the rain, right?. Traveling is a different story. Seems trips and rain go hand-in-hand, at least for me. The bike gets covered every night as a security measure more than anything else, and the wet cover gets packed in the mornings and it has done fine (getting dried out on the nights it didn't rain). And it's exhilarating packing during a morning downpour and hitting the road. Try covering it if you feel the need, and then if you get tired of it, try not. It seems to be a comfort though, if there are at least a few bikes parked together.

[Dave39]

I routinely cover my bike at home in the garage. I live in country and it's pretty dusty here, especially in the summer. Otherwise I'd have to dust it off every time I ride. When touring I cover it mainly just to keep inquisitive eyes and hands off, especially at motels.

[kmac]

I did not mean to suggest that there is never a time to cover a bike. I was merely asking why cover it if it is pouring on the way and already wet.

 

If I got to a destination, IE work, and it was looking like rain, I might be inclined to cover it so it might keep the seat and any electronics from getting saturated. But if it is already wet from riding in the rain I personally do not see why to bother staying out in the rain any longer than I need to.

 

I kind of feel like leaving it uncovered might be better also if it stops raining and starts to dry out during the day. Better uncovered then so it can air out.

 

But that is just my opinion. I live in Cali so we do not get as much, or as hard of rain as many other places do. We tend to sit out bad rain here. That prevents us from riding a solid 20-30 HOURS a YEAR...lol

[elkroeger]

I think it mainly depends on the climate. Here, it's wet all the damn time, and before you know it you've got moss all over everything.... NY is probably a little drier. I'd put a cover on when you're expecting 3 days of downpour in a row. But a squall rolling through on an afternoon, you could probably skip it.

 

I used to leave my R100 out in the rain all the time. The only problem I really had was water getting in through the rotten gas cap gasket. The carbs were always full of h2o.

 

Certainly both ends of the spectrum represented here, and nobody is complaining much. But I'd bet that the "use-the-cover" crowd has shinier bikes.

[Kathy R]

What do you do to cover your ride after you have commuted in the rain and it's still raining outside? Seems ashame to leave it uncovered but a hot exhaust under a cover is not a great idea either.

 

The bike is just fine in the rain while you are working. It's fine while you are riding in the rain, as you know.

 

If your seat holds water, or allows water to get to the foam, you may want to cover just the seat.

 

There was a time when I had to leave a bike outdoors all summer here in N.Y. The only reason I used a cover was to deter kids from climbing on it. Baring that I would never have covered it. I once came out to get on it and had to wipe away some snow.

[Dale SC]

+1 My cover seems to vent very well. It also keeps hands off the bike and provides some protection from the sun.

[malcolmblalock]

I use a lightweight partial cover a lot just to keep the sun off the seats and dashboard. I'm just weird that way....

[GordonB]

I cover mine at work only to prevent the pollution from the factory next store getting on it. I cover at hotels to keep little kids climbing on board when I'm not looking. And yes, I've actually caught a 'dad' hoisting his toddler onto my bike for a photo op. But in the rain...No.

[Kathy R]

I use a lightweight partial cover a lot just to keep the sun off the seats and dashboard. I'm just weird that way....

 

But it's a good weird

[Sonor]

I have a full bike cover that I use when I am traveling. I also have a seat only cover that I made myself. It goes from the tail light and attaches at the tank. I store it in my hard shells and when I get to work I will cover the seats. It keeps the elements off of the seat and should a bird decide to let loose over the seat, it hits the cover. It is never nice to get out to the bike at the end of a work day and find the seat was a toilet for our winged friends.