cover that fits

[Tuna Man 62]

I'm looking for an all weather cover to fit the XII. I purchased one online that said it fit touring bikes, but alas, it did not. Any recommendations on who makes one, and where to find it? Reasonably priced too, I'd like to keep both arms and legs.

Tuna Man

[Nails]

I bought some Bilt cover that was on sale, size XL. The sales folk said it'd surely fit, so I tried it on right at the store. It did fit fine. (That cover saved my butt when I had to disassemble the triple-clamp to repair the headset lock, in a public parking garage, over a couple days, 2k miles from home. Just covered the mess up.)

Below is the one I take traveling -- about as lightweight and stuff-able as it gets. Fits the bike swell ... 'cause I made it. (Well, it fit better before I dumped the trunk.) The ripstop nylon won't put up with much UV though, so just for travel.

[SgtSlag]

I bought one from Nelson-Rigg, years ago. Love it. When we tour, we cover the bike with it at night: it keeps dew off of the seat, and the rest of the bike; it keeps Lookie-Lu's at bay, as it is covered up, so nothing for them to look at, except a small portion of the tires poking out; it compresses down to fit in a provided bag, which we push between the passenger seat, and the Trunk (XII Trunk Extender, pushed all the way back for max comfort), forming a cushiony pad for our rumps, when we ride, keeping it secure. Had it for around 8+ years -- would buy another in a heartbeat! We went for the high-end, XXL cover, and it works superbly -- worth every penny! Our's is silver and red.

Wife and I swap positions on the bike, typically every two hours, so I know what each position rides like, based on 1,000's of miles of enjoying front and rear seats. We both love the cover as a cushion, between the rear seat, and the trunk backrest; we both love that it keeps the bike, and the seats, dry and clean, overnight, while we sleep nearby. It has some attached, factory bungy cords, with hooks, that connect with the reinforced holes on the opposite sides, allowing us to pull it tight on the belly, making it more time-consuming for anyone to pull it off -- this keeps honest people, honest, with their hands off our bike. Cheers!

[GrandpaDenny]

This is the heavy cover I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0845 ... =UTF8&th=1

[Tuna Man 62]

Thanks for the replies folks! And thanks SgtSlag, I just received my cover from Nelson-Rigg, and it fits great! I opted for the extreme for the most protection. When travelling, I keep it in a Voyager soft case that snaps to the luggage rack on the trunk-- real convenient.

Tuna Man

[SgtSlag]

I hope you enjoy your Nelson-Rigg cover as much as we enjoy ours. It should last you a very long time, giving good service for the duration.

For anyone else looking for a bike cover...

Our Nelson-Rigg cover, and the current XXL cover, have air vents, so air can circulate in and around the bike, when covered. That was a real selling point for us, as well: it does not trap moisture and vapors inside, like a sealed cover would.

These covers have a soft liner in the front, where it covers the windshield. This liner prevents the cover from scratching the Plexiglass windshield.

Our cover came with bungee cords with hooks, to secure it. The current model just has the heavy-duty eyelets -- you need to supply your own bungee cords to lash it under your bike's belly.

When we come out of our motel room, in the morning, the cover is often wet with dew. We shake it off, roll it up, bag it, and stow it. That cover is fantastic. It is well designed, well made, and a real boon to our touring. We've come out in the rain, uncovered our dry bike, hopped on, and ridden off into the rain -- but the seats were dry, they were not filled with water puddles waiting to soak our backsides! We've used the cover to shield the bike while we stopped for meals, keeping the seats dry until we returned -- we hate sitting in a seat puddle!

Nice, quality rain gear (Frogg-Toggs: not very durable, but very breathable -- YES!!!) is a must, but keeping water from puddling in your seat is a boon!

I really like having the XII covered, when we are inside, and overnight. The XII attracts a lot of attention when we are riding it. No matter where we go with it, someone always looks at it, and/or asks about it. The cover shuts that down as they have no idea what kind of bike is hiding underneath. LOL! Cheers!

[Tuna Man 62]

Update on the Nelson-Rigg deluxe cover that I bought. I have gone out in the morning, uncovered the XII to find moisture underneath and on the bike. This is on more than a few occasions, with just the cool night air with no rain. After riding, I let it cool a bit before covering. If the remaining warmth of the engine and pipes are causing this then I'll have to change my ways or go with it. But if not, I feel that contacting Nelson-Rigg for help may be needed. I'm naturally disappointed with the situation so far.

Tuna Man

[GrandpaDenny]

Condensation will form under any cover. Are there vent holes in the cover? If not, seek another. Even with vent holes, there will occasionally be some moisture under the cover, depending upon weather conditions, temperature changes, etc.

[SgtSlag]

When we cover our bike, overnight, at a motel, we have had minor condensation moisture on the seats, in the morning. If the seat gets colder than the air surrounding it, moisture from the air will condense onto the cooler seat. That is hard science. We keep a few microfiber towels in the trunk, and the bags, to clean the windshield, and our helmet visors, with aerosol Pledge Lemon, as well as to dry off the seats when they do get wet.

Likely the air is warming up faster than the covered bike seats are, leading to water condensing on the seats. The cover prevents rain on the seats, but it also delays the Sun, and the air, from warming the seats up.

You can lay a microfiber towel over the seats, before you cover the bike. The towels might get damp, but the seats should be dry. You will likely need to clean your windshield, and maybe your helmet visor, before you begin riding, so the towels will be handy, but you'll still need to pull your aerosol Pledge to finish the job. Cheers!