Braving the elements...

[celcius]

I am wondering how many of you people have to keep their bikes outside rather than in a garage etc? And how does the bike cope with it?

I don’t have a garage and no near-by covered parking covered facilities where i live. Have to leave my 1150GS outside, rain or shine. I know these bikes are quite tough and can pretty much take anything but still want to know if there are any tips you people want to share on parking out in the open (apart from the obvious safety concerns)?

For example; a bike cover neccessary?
Some say it’s a must to protect the bike from the elements, yet others say it’ll keep the moisture trapped under it and will rust the living daylights out of the bike in no time, thus much better to leave the bike with no cover if you tend to leave it out in the open!

I am not too worried about the effects of cold on the battery, the longest it rests idle between my rides is about 2-3 days, hardly enought to kill a normal battery eh?
Should i be worried about the rain and water getting into speedo/RID/control switches and messing up the whole lot?...
...

Or am i just a typical first-time GS owner worrying about things that are not really worth a thought? J

Oh crap, it is raining again! Please tell me my bike will not melt like sugar or rust to death staying outside!

 

[oblertone]

Keeping it outside ...

... is not a problem, however it does need some preparation. In particular you need to ensure the drain tube from the filler neck is clear, otherwise water will build up and enter the fuel tank, leading to all sorts of misery

The search function on here is your friend

 

[trotsky]

If you are regularly using the bike a good, preferably breathable, cover will help. Leaving the bike under a cover for a long period is probably not a good idea but it can mean the difference between leaping on and spending timewiping everything down before you sit on it.

I've kept my bike out under a cover since I got it several years ago and I've never seen a significant build up of dampness under the cover. Saying that I do try to uncover it every week if it hasn't been used, preferably on a sunny day when I can through the cover over a fence inside out to soak up some rays and drive off any wetness.

I'm sure the dampness that may gather under the cover is less of a problem to the bike than the thick layer of grime that mine has acquired. If you do leave it outside, hosing it down regularly might be advisable.

A cover is also said to be a deterrent to having your bike nicked, but your mileage may vary.

I have used covers from http://www.classicadditions.co.uk which are more expensive than your Oxford standard but they are good quality. They also fix on a bit better than most for windy days.

 

[vilguy]

Mines left on the highstreet everynight rain/shine/snow, no cover, with a tank bag on to cover the fuel cap to prevent water ingress.

Never cleaned, covered in salty crap (wheels dont like that though) and no ones ever tried to nick it, it starts everyday with no problem...

cover...i dont need no stinking cover!

Itll only not start if there is a problem with it

less worrying... more riding mate

 

[Onwalkabout]

... is not a problem, however it does need some preparation. In particular you need to ensure the drain tube from the filler neck is clear, otherwise water will build up and enter the fuel tank, leading to all sorts of misery

+1 This caused me such misery and is a regular feature on this site.

I would also recommend an occasional spray over with that eco nasty stuff that coats everything in a nice protective layer.

A cover is a good idea - over time your switch gear plastic bits will fade in the sun and the other plastic bits will similarly not be impressed - more eco unfriendly spray.

 

[celcius]

Thanks for the replies guys.
I guess i will go and get a cover after all. I wouldn’t think it absolutely neccessary, but this filler-neck water drain issue seems to be an nasty one to overlook.
I don’t have a tankbag etc. to cover the filler cap so a breatheable bike cover seems the way to go when leaving it out in the pissing rain.

Hey, at least it rains much less here in Turkey than in U.K. Lol!

 

[vilguy]

Least you dont have to worry about salt on the road eh?

 

[celcius]

Nah, not really.
Potholes the size of infant graves are what one should be worried about riding in Turkey! Lol!

 

[kanhulk13]

If you're worried about tank bag being nicked you could instead use a map case. It's just a flat cover with see through plastic and a zipper for slipping maps on top of the tank. Cheap and easy....Mine has a zip attachment for the tank bag (eg. combined tank bag + map case), but I always leave the map case on the GS.