Precip Moto Adventure Rally Half Cover Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

When choosing accessories to bring on a long-distance moto trip, the three factors adventure motorcyclists need to consider are functionality, durability, and portability. Protecting your bike and its on-board electronics is essential, but bringing a full motorcycle cover isn’t usually practical because of its size and weight. While some consider a rainstorm to be a much-needed bath for their bike, others may cringe at the sight of their ride getting soaked.

The Adventure Rally Half Cover by Precip Moto is a great way to keep the most vulnerable part of your motorcycle protected against the elements. It’s not so much a half cover, but more a waterproof nylon shower cap to protect the ignition, handlebar switches, and entire headlight assembly. In a world of high-tech gadgetry and top-shelf electronics, this is becoming increasingly important.

The defining feature of the Precip Moto Adventure Rally Half Cover is that it packs up into the size and weight of a sandwich. The storage bag can be mounted to your handlebars using two Velcro straps and MOLLE spec webbing. The cover will fit most motorcycles under 650 cc, but from the looks of it, it’ll fit some bigger bikes with stock windscreens too.

The Velcro straps used to attach the storage bag to the handlebars are just barely long enough to use over typical crossbar pads. The cover isn’t attached to the bag itself, but if Precip Moto decided to stitch them together in the future, this could be a unique way to set their product apart from the competition (I for one, always seem to lose stuff sacks). While the cover seems durable, the storage bag is mostly single stitched, which causes concern for possible failure after repetitively shoving the cover into it. I recommend taking the time to properly fold the cover before storing it. Fortunately, in the case that the bag or cover fails, the Adventure Rally Half Cover does come with a ONE-YEAR warranty.

While attached to the handlebars, the stored Adventure Rally Half Cover doesn’t collide with anything except my gas cap vent tube. I barely notice it is there while riding, although if your bike is kitted with multiple holsters and electronics, you may need to reposition their mounting for everything to fit.

The Adventure Rally Half Cover is easy to use and the elastic edging ensures a snug fit. A front buckle is sewn into the front of the cover to clamp around the front fender or forks, but it’s not necessary unless it’s really windy. With practice, I was able to deploy the Adventure Rally Half Cover from stored to equipped in about 10 seconds.

There are no logos or reflective striping on the Adventure Rally Half Cover, but I think that would be a welcome addition. Striping on the front would help users more quickly determine the cover’s orientation, especially in the dark. A bit of visibility may even prevent neighbors from accidentally backing into your bike.

To test the Adventure Rally Half Cover I simply left my bike in the backyard during a rainstorm. As expected, the covered portion of the bike stayed completely dry while the rest got a wash. A few shakes of the cover got most of the water off and it dried in sunlight after a couple of minutes. That said, I’d like to see a small weep hole on the storage bag in the next iteration for times it’s necessary to pack the cover away wet.

One of my favorite aspects of this cover is that you don’t need to wait for the bike to cool before using it. Many full covers suffer exhaust burns if used immediately after a ride, but the Adventure Rally Half Cover doesn’t come close to any parts hot enough to burn the nylon. My favorite full bike covers include heat shields, but they cost three times as much as the Precip Moto option and are certainly not “portable.”

To be clear, the Adventure Rally Half Cover is not a replacement for your current full motorcycle cover. It’s an option for travelers and commuters. For me, it’s a sensible product that checks all the boxes to remain on my bike, or at least in a tank bag or backpack. I have no doubt the cover itself will last, keeping new bikes looking fresh, and in my case, preventing my ol’ rusty, sun-scorched XR from further deterioration. 

MSRP: $34.99

PrecipMoto.com

PROS:

• Compact and lightweight
• Universal design works on many models
• Convenient storage can be mounted to handlebars
• Affordably priced

 

CONS:

• Would like to see an option for hi-viz striping
• Questionable storage bag durability

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