Topic: To cover or not. That is the question

[Phoenix]

I have a waterproof cover and a damp. unheated garage.  Am I better with or without?  The answer didn't seem to be in the winter setup thread.

[Kaze]

I am from Seattle, so I am a dampness expert. 

You already have the cover, so absolutely use it. Just make sure the bike is fully dry before covering it. A cover does more than keep water off. It will keep off dust and whatever flies around in the air in your garage. Like... if you're using the garage for projects, creating sawdust and such.

Damp air is still damp whether you cover the bike or not, and even if it were heated. Our house is plenty warm but we'll get mold in the corners of the house if we aren't vigilant (behind water heater, in closets, etc. The bike should be fine for a few months so long as you put her away dry. And of course you can always take the cover off at the new year and check her out.

[jonda500]

As long as your floor is sealed from the ground, what Kaze said.
   Decades ago when I had no garage, I tried to preserve a Benelli 250 project by storing it in the back yard in an old canvas army tent with no floor. When eventually I got to it I was horrified to discover that it had badly corroded and rusted at an accelerated rate - the chrome all rusted beyond saving and the aluminium pitted and corroded terribly - turns out it would have survived better uncovered! I sold it for $200 in the early nineties.
John

[HondaMan]

I have a waterproof cover and a damp. unheated garage.  Am I better with or without?  The answer didn't seem to be in the winter setup thread.

The cover is always a good idea, except I have sometimes discovered it tends to extend the time the bike is left alone too long.
Maybe it's just me?

[Kelly E]

Around here it is better to suspend a tarp over the bike in a damp garage. Not draped on the bike. Bike covers trap the moisture around the bike causing way more damage. Spreading a tarp on the floor under the bike is also a really good idea.
Some kind of roof is better even if the rain can get in from the side sometimes. If it gets wet the wind will dry it out. I didn't have indoor bike storage for my first 3 bikes but I was able to build a crude roof that made a big difference keeping the rust at bay.

[RAFster122s]

Concrete that isn’t sealed or painted with a water resistant or epoxy paint is porous allowing moisture to migrate through. Also it tends to be dusty. Always a good idea to seal the concrete to do an epoxy floor kit…it will make a difference in the dampness.

[newday777]

Either way that you go with, spray on an anti corrosion formula if you have a dampness problem in your storage area. You can also use WD40(Water Displacement formula 40), I know a couple of old Yankees that use it on their old bikes, one found his 1923 JD Harley under an oiled tarp in an old barn the had been kept preserved through the damp winters and years because of the oiled tarp. He used the WD40 to highlight the patina of the old paint.

[Keith]

I use a sealed bag, closed with a zipper. I add several bags of silica gel in the bag, then one Bullfrog brand rust blocker sheet.  20 years…. Perfect

[Keith]

Storage bag unzipped

[70CB750]

I cover most of the time. I uncover after rain to dry out.  Also ants build nests in my bikes when under cover.  Not really good solution but I have no garage. 

[newday777]

I have a waterproof cover and a damp. unheated garage.  Am I better with or without?  The answer didn't seem to be in the winter setup thread.

Ed
Does the floor get wet, have standing water or is it dry? Concrete or dirt?

[Don R]

 A friend had a 70 monte carlo, he used layers of cardboard and plastic sheeting under it to keep the moisture from the floor at bay. A cloth cover let it stay pretty clean but breathe too.

[BenelliSEI]

If the garage is damp and wet I’d store my bike somewhere else.

Given no other option, make sure there is some decent air flow through the place. Park the bike on a sheet of scrap plywood and only use a lightweight dust cover (maybe an old sheet?).

Give it a good wash and use some of the sprays as recommended above.

[Phoenix]

I have some cracks in the garage floor but none near the bike.  I also have a solid floor mat under the bike so maybe I'm ok with the cover.  The mat may be the solution.

[BenelliSEI]

I’d still just cover with an old sheet. The “water proof” cover will trap moisture.

[newday777]

I have some cracks in the garage floor but none near the bike.  I also have a solid floor mat under the bike so maybe I'm ok with the cover.  The mat may be the solution.

Well Ed, I know this is an old thread, so I'm doing a "Phoenix" thing raising it from the dead. How did you get through the past 2 years since writing this thread? Did you come up with a good solution to your moisture corrosion concerns?

[Deltarider]

In my garage I never cover my bike. A neighbour covers his BMW R100. My bike starts almost by looking at the button so to speak. His has always starting problems. Always. I hate that. Everytime he's gone riding, you can smell the stink of unburned fuel for hours. Don't know if his covering has to do with it. Anyway in the pic is mine. Why would I cover it? It's not a baby. WD-40 is fine to clean your bike. However, do cover your disk brake before you start spraying!!!

[jwurbel]

One last thing, because I learned the hard way.  Make sure you have nothing that is corrosive near it.  I live in Phoenix so dampness isn’t an issue.  I stored my bike in a shed next to some sealed plastic jugs of pool acid.  Within a few months my front tire rim and brake disc had corrosion that was impossible to remove. 

[Deltarider]

One last thing, because I learned the hard way.  Make sure you have nothing that is corrosive near it.  I live in Phoenix so dampness isn’t an issue.  I stored my bike in a shed next to some sealed plastic jugs of pool acid.  Within a few months my front tire rim and brake disc had corrosion that was impossible to remove. 

Now that you bring it up... I forgot, it's  the other reason why I don't cover my bike. American scientists have researched that the worst poluted air is in an indoor garage. Realise that all parked vehicles breath so to speak. Now our garage is well ventilated. So why would I cover my bike and leave it in a capsule, exposed to its own bad and often acid breath? Believe me, uncovered your bike won't catch a cold.

[Don R]

 I saw a 750 that was leaned against a tractor tire that was leaking chloride. That was the worst bike I ever saw. I gave a lot of free parts to the guy that bought it.

[HondaMan]

When I had my shop, one income stream was that of storing bikes in winter (Thanksgiving break to Spring Break, usually) for the many college kids in the town. Our storage facility was a war-surplus quonset hut (60 feet long!) with just 2 windows and 2 front doors (which entered the back of my shop). We stored hundreds of bikes in there, uncovered with batteries removed (those went to a charger rack where we maintained them for the winter, charging once each month for 4 hours, every battery). No bike failed to start easily the next year, and they only got a little dusty, no rust nor corrosion, even on the dirt bikes.