Seal Skin Covers Review: Quality Material and Great Coverage
If you need to protect your bike from the elements, a waterproof, breathable cover from Seal Skins is a great option.
Last September, when the pandemic made it feel like the world was ending, and my beloved hometown of Seattle was locked down tighter than a drum, I bought a new motorcycle. It’d been too long since I’d owned a bike, and while I do love Harley-Davidsons, I’ve always wanted a blue Triumph, as a 1960s Bonneville was the first motorcycle I can ever remember seeing. So when this Fusion White and Aegean Blue T120 arrived at my local dealer, I pulled the trigger.
To date, I’ve put 3,700 miles on “Mabel” — and I’m looking to double that figure over the summer.
Since the Emerald City isn’t exactly San Diego, and I don’t have a garage, Mabel has to spend an unfortunate amount of time under a cover. And while the dealer threw one in with the bike, I’d long heard great things about Seal Skin Covers. I live at a marina, and over the years I’ve heard some of the mechanics and recreational folks talk about how high-quality they are. So when the company reached about reviewing one of its products, I jumped at the chance.
Unboxing the Seal Skin™ Supreme All Weather Outdoor Motorcycle Cover was a simple affair. In addition to the cover itself, there was a storage bag included, along with a little security cable and combination lock, to dissuade anyone from pulling the cover off to have a peak. Immediately, I noticed a difference between the Seal Skins unit and the one I’m currently using. While mine feels a lot like a tent, the Seal Skin is more like an oil cloth coat. If you’ve ever owned a perfectly broken in Filson, you’ve got the picture.
One thing which really impressed me about the Seal Skin cover was that it’s fully lined in a soft, terry cloth-style fabric. My current cover is only lined on the areas that might touch the tank, so I felt like that was a big improvement. Also, it was helpful to have the ends labeled “front” and “back” — why this isn’t done with fitted bed sheets, I have no idea. Now obviously, before they shipped out the product for review, Seal Skin asked what kind of bike I had, which meant I was curious about how it’d fit.
Fortunately, the answer was really well. It’s significantly larger than my current cover, in that it completely envelops the entire bike, so when it’s on it protects everything down to the tires. Since the one I’ve been using fits more like a pair of skinny jeans, I liked seeing the additional coverage. Also, the supple nature of the fabric, and well-contoured seams made installing it a breeze. Once it’s on, pretty much everything is left to the imagination.
That said, it’s not perfect. While there are grommets in the middle to cinch the sides together, there’s no integrated system to secure it. My current cover has one that runs under the bike and connects with sturdy snap closures, which is super handy. Given how big the Seal Skins unit is, making sure it was properly secured would be pretty important, so it didn’t get buffeted during windy conditions. If Seal Skins added a couple of those along the bottom, this thing would be absolute aces. As it stands, however, I’d say that if you’re looking for a cover, definitely check out Seal Skins, as this is a high-quality piece of kit.
Photos: Jamie Hunsdale for HDForums
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