Hello all.

I'm on a quest to find a outdoor cover for my Street Bob that I can put on right away (too lazy to wait for the pipes/engine to cool off and remember to go back and cover it later) and have venting, waterproofing and UV protection.

I have a Dowco Guardian Weatherall Plus XL cover (had to exchange for a larger size from the L the Dowco site recommended) which fits, but I also have the "gets scratched if you cough near it" denim black. The elastic at the bottom of the cover is pretty tight so the cover won't blow away, but it can very easily scratch/scuff the paint unless you have another person on the other side of the bike to help gingerly take it off. I tried covering the gas tank and fenders with some t-shirts, but they manage to slip off and if it rains I don't want to have a soaking wet shirt on it.

Any suggestions for a good weatherproof bike cover (and what size) that won't take two to put on and won't scuff my paint?

 

Slayer,

While I don't have a Street Bob, I do have a SG with a windshield and tall sissy bar.

I went with a fold up cover, Touring model, from the Bike Baarn ( http://www.thebikebarn.net/ ). I've only had it for about 5 weeks, but it has withstood two 50+mph wind storms, a Seattle snowstorm and quite a bit of rain. The bike has stayed nice & dry so far. I did opt for their 60w heater to help keep the inside moisture down.It was $9 cheaper than the local marinestealers. No worry about scratching paint hot pipes, etc. Plenty of room for bike, a few odds & ends, etc., if you have the space for it.

 

That's a pretty cool contraption which I never knew existed. Why'd you go with the touring model one instead of the cruiser? Is your sissy bar that big of a sissy? I'm not sure if that'll work for me as I park in an alley and have to keep part of it clear as a walkway. How easy is it to move when your bike isn't in it?

 

Slayer,

Short answer - its a good cover, but it isn't all that easy to move around.

The touring model is a bit taller and carries the height further back. My bar is an HD tall ~14" high, so the top of it sits about 51" when mountedand the crusier model just didn't have enough height at the back end. Jim suggested the larger size and its very niceas I have plenty of room so I don't have to set the bike on an exact spot. The turing model hits the scales at about 64# so its not all that heavy, but it is pretty cumbersome to move around. It opens to just a little over half it length, to get the bike out.There are two support pipes at the front end that hold the front end "up" that the rest ofcover leans against when you open it. Due to the design of the pivots (bolts through the bottomU pipe and theends of the upright pipes, it will not fold flat even if you thake the two side support pipes off. You can down load the user/installation manual from the site. It will provide you a good view of how it goes together. I can try to remember to to get an "open" ground measurement if you like. Since the cover material goes around the U-shapped ground pipe frame, I wouldn't suggest dragging it out of the way as you'll wear through the cover pretty quickly.

 

Also take a look at the Cycle Shell.

Pros - easy to use (just roll the bike on and flip over), lockable, portable (but bulky), and reflective

Cons - a bit bulky

I have the cruiser model, and it's a bit snug on the Bob (it was purchased for a sportster). The touring model would fit the Bob better as adds another cross support and gives a bit more height forthe bars. I'll try and attach some pics below.

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