4 Covers to Protect Your Motorcycle
A motorcycle allows you to feel the wind and be better connected to the road. But when parked, your bike’s open cockpit leaves all the important bits exposed to the elements.
This is why you should own a strong motorcycle cover. Whether storing your bike at home or covering it up for the night on a tour, a good cover helps keep your saddle dry and your components pristine.
Tourmaster manufactures an excellent selection of motorcycle covers. In this article, we’ll highlight four choices that cover all bases.
Tourmaster Elite WP Motorcycle Cover
If you’re ever going to purchase only one motorcycle cover, make it the Tourmaster Elite WP. This all-weather motorcycle cover tells Mother Nature, “Not today.”
The 300D polyester cover is treated to be both waterproof and UV-resistant. With double-stitched and tape-reinforced seams, the only way water can get under the Elite cover is if it floods up from the ground.
Meanwhile, the UV resistance means the cover will last for years under the blazing sun before it starts falling apart. Nothing is eternal, but this is as good as it gets.
The aluminized heat-resistant panels on the bottom of the cover resist heat radiating off the pavement. Watertight vents on the top allow moisture and heat to dissipate, preventing the cover from turning into a greenhouse.
When not in use, the cover disappears into a handy compression bag to save space. It’s not tiny but will fit in a big pannier, allowing you to bring the cover with you on the tour.
As far as motorcycle covers go, the Elite WP is expensive. However, it’s the only cover you’ll need, so the value is unquestionable.
Tourmaster Select WR Motorcycle Cover
Riders who live in sunny areas with little rain should turn their attention to the Tourmaster Select WR cover. It offers comparable UV protection to the Elite WP, but with less robust rain cover.
The Select WR is built from 150D polyester. It’s treated to be water-resistant but not waterproof, and the seams don’t have tape reinforcement. It can handle light to medium rain showers, but in a longer deluge it will soak through.
Otherwise, the Select WR is virtually identical to its more robust sibling. It has the same moisture and heat vent, lining in the front and back to prevent scratches to the windshield and rear panels, and strong UV-protection against sunlight. The cover also rolls into a similar compression pack.
The Select WR is also much more affordable than its big brother. If you don’t plan to leave your motorcycle out in a deluge (which you probably should do anyway if you can avoid it), the Select WR is an excellent cover choice.
Tourmaster Journey Motorcycle Dust Cover
Whenever you store your motorcycle for a long time, you should cover it—even if it’s in your garage. Dust, dead bugs, and other dry-air debris will eventually cover your bike and may worm their way into sensitive components.
The Tourmaster Journey dust cover has your bike covered (pun entirely intended). It covers your bike just as effectively as the heavier-duty Elite WP and Select WR covers, featuring an identical shape, double-stitched seams, and an elastic hem.
Although this cover is intended strictly for indoor use, the cover material is moderately water-resistant. It won’t hold against rain or a burst pipe, but it should keep your bike safe from accidental spills.
Tourmaster Select WP Motorcycle Half-cover
When out on the road, you might want to shelter your bike for the night, but there are no awnings or overhangs around. The Tourmaster Select WP half-cover comes to your rescue.
This cover slips over the top half of your motorcycle, covering the seat and the most sensitive instruments. There’s enough slack in the material for you to hide your helmet under it as well.
Tourmaster’s half-cover is made from the same 150D polyester as the Select WR. Unlike the full cover, however, this one is treated and seam-taped to be waterproof at the same level as the Elite WP. The gray heat-reflective material is just lighter to make the cover easier to fold into its compact transport bag.
Obviously, the bottom half of your bike will still be exposed to the elements, so the Select WP half-cover isn’t a long-term storage solution, but that’s not its purpose anyway. It’s designed to keep your seat and gauges dry over a rainy moto camping night.