winter issue

[wallasan10]

Originally Posted by Bens06Sabre

what about making a temp storage area, couple of 2x2 and some tarp material ?

So long as this shelter does not get exposed to any high wind you may be ok. But you might be surprised at the force that wind can exert on such a structure. If your driveway is on the downwind side of your house or some other structure you’ll be better off. Yes you can build it strong and yes you can weight it down but all you are really doing is increasing the amount of wind it would take to blow it away. No matter how strong you build it a strong enough wind could still blow it down. Sure, the same thing might happen with a cover but the difference is that the cover is much smaller and not able to catch as much wind. But a cover has another drawback in the wind. I have seen a cover that was flapping in the wind mar the paint in spots. Kind of like the time I spent the day hanging onto the bars and burning gas while racking up meaningless miles in the rain. By the end of the day my wet jeans flapping in the wind had almost taken the skin off of my calves.

[jpr1968]

If you use a tarp your moisture problem will be even worse. Either up the ante for a better cover or find a storage unit for it IMHO. If your area uses salt on the roads, it will get to bike whether it's covered or not. If you do use a cover, use some bungee cords to hold it close to the bike to prevent it flapping too much.

[CrazyDave]

I am sure every biker worth their salt yearns to have a nice safe place to store their bikes .. but the thing is a bike a machine..it can take being left in the elements.. it won't melt. You can indeed leave it in the driveway.. hell my first Sporty spent the winter, parked and covered in snow outside our mobile home.. it survived.. it served me well.. then went on to serve another owner.

[wallasan10]

Just get one of these and your problem will be solved
My new place in Arkansas

I’m lucky in that I’ve had a garage for the past eight years or so. Before that my bikes sat outside. Most of the time without cover of any kind. Like Dave said, they don’t melt. But it is hard on them. The seat seems to be the first to go. When they get wet water seeps in through the stitching and soaks the foam rubber inside. But after the rain stops air can’t get in to dry things out so the foam rots. I had many a wet ass back in those days because when I sat on a seat that looked dry water would come out of it like squeezing a wet sponge. If you do leave it outside cover the seat when you think it might rain.

[jpr1968]

It's not the elements that would bother me. Damn salt they use on the roads gets to all chrome and steel surfaces. I had to leave my Magna on the driveway one winter and even with a good cover on it there was a lot more corrosion in the spring.