To Cover or Not to Cover?

Daboo

Daboo

Joined
Apr 10, 2018
Messages
629
Location
Martha Lake
Bike
F900 XR
The subject line sounds like Shakespeare..."to be or not to be". ;) There's nothing that literary in this post though. Anyway, I was looking at @ChucksKLRST and @HurricaneST1100 's posts in the NT1100 thread and a thought came to mind that has been ruminating in the recesses of that mind. Is it better to cover the parts of the bike that can get scratched, or not? I didn't want to take away from their thread, with what is really a philosophical question that can apply to any vehicle. Let me explain...

...way back when I was growing up half a century and a few decades as well, my parents owned a 58 Ford Fairlane. It had vinyl seats on it, and to keep them looking new, they put plasticky seat covers on. The idea I think for them was to protect the seats from the abuse three kids would bring them, so when the car was eventually sold, the interior would look nice. But in doing so, we lived with sticky plasticky seats in hot Texas. They were never ideal. And the next owners...they would get the nice seats. Not us.

Later, I would get my own cars and the thought occurred to me in the beginning to cover my seats too. For reasons unknown to me...maybe simply putting it off...I never did. I did put on a clear covering on the front of our 99 Camry when we bought it. That turned out to be a mistake. Underneath the clear plastic "protector", the paint began to turn brown. I think it was rusting underneath the plastic coating. :confused:

When I got my first motorcycle, I did what many of us do and looked to see what I could add to the bike to make it "mine". Bagster tank covers were one that always intrigued me. I think I saw them on the European Deauville forum. More recently, it has been looking to find the rubber adhesive pads that are cut to fit specific bikes and protect the places our bikes are susceptible to scratching. So I bought some.

These are a quick example of what I'm referring to.
1775510066510.png

And that brings me to the question. Do you buy these add-ons to protect the bike from being scratched? Or would you buy them to cover up where the bike already got scratched? One choice is before the damage is done. The other choice is after the fact.

In my case, I fully expected to install my tank pads to protect the bike, but got caught up with packing and moving and still haven't installed them. (I know they are in the garage...in a box...but, which box? :D ) And now, I'm wondering...should I put them on...which covers up some of the beautiful blue paint on the bike's tank and breaks up the lines some? Or leave them off for now and put them on later if the scratches get to be noticeable and bother me? :unsure: Sort of like, do I put the plasticky seat covers on the 58 Ford Fairlane to preserve the seats for the next guy? ...or enjoy the seats the way they came from the factory...and put the seat covers on them when I sell the 58 Ford?

There's no "right" answer. But I'm curious as to how you look at that?

Chris
 
I ride with a Nelson Rigg magnetic tank bag on the ST1300. Not wishing to mar the pristine paint any more than absolutely necessary, I cut some perforated rubber shelf liner material, to the size of the bag where it meets the tank. In my mind, it helps prevent *some* scratching, although the magnets don't actually allow any sliding. And yes, there still is the opportunity for dust and junk to get under the rubberized liner, but the total surface area is still less than the solid rubber of the bottom of the tankbag. I don't wear anything pants-wise that would scratch the sides of the tank.
For the BMW 1250, it was bought as a used training bike, so it already had some fading, scratched decals, and so on.
For the knee pads on the tank, they are on my list... not so much as scratch protection, but more for gripping with my knees while standing. You'll see built-in knee pads (if you want to call them that) on older dirt bikes.
I do know some riders who will put clear vinyl on EVERYTHING as a protector against bugs, scratches, washing, and what-all else might nick the paint.
Neither of my bikes are show pieces, but that's not to say I'll go out of my way to mess them up, either.
Aside from the sitck-on vinyl things, or aftermarket decals, pretty much anything we put on the bikes' bodywork will afford dust and dirt to get under it and still scratch the finish. That includes tankbags, straps, tank "bras", and all that.
 
I used a tank bag that locked onto a ring that surrounded the gas cap. I've never liked magnetic or strapped on tank bags because of the inevitable damage they do to the paint. But...I'd never put plastic on to cover the tank because it ends up looking worse than a chip or two. I agree with you about covering seats - my step grandmother covered all of her couches and stuffed chairs w/ plastic covers to keep my grubby hands off the fabric (maybe not just me, the covers were permanent). In the end, age and corrosion will dictate resale value more than a few chips or faded paint.

A friend of mine put marble countertops in his kitchen. I asked him about staining. He said the stains over time would become a patina and he enjoyed seeing the ageing of the stone.
 
Yeah, I was originally set on putting the tank protector pads on, then as things got busy, I got to thinking...should I or should I not? Do I want to enjoy the bike? Or do I want to protect it so the next guy can enjoy it? I'd never before turned the question around in 22 years of riding.

Now if it had been a question of protecting the bike for maintenance...no question. Just do it. But for a cosmetic reason, then I got to thinking.

And then I got wondering how others I respect treat this...

Chris
 
I only cover my bike when I am traveling - especially in bad weather when sitting over night. I read somewhere that bikes that are covered are less like be stolen. I have a cover that has a screaming alarm in it that goes off if someone tries removing the cover. In my garage with any of my old classic bikes, I just cover them with a cotton bed sheet. Mainly to keep too much dust from collecting. I don't cover the bikes in the garage that I ride regularly. I don't like any cover that does not breath as condensation can build up underneath from heating and cooling.
 
As Daboo said there is no wrong or right answer. It is all personal preference. I have always liked the look of the Baster tank covers and the tank bags that just clip on the cover. Expensive yes, even before tariffs. But I have OCD on some things and a pristine motorcycle tank is one of those things. A chip in the paint on my moto tank will always draw my attention to it. I had a cover Bagster on my ST1300 for years an was able to use the Bagster tank bags, also it help with the ST1300 heat on the legs. I find that on the NT1100 the Givi Tank Lock won't work with my tank lock bag because of the bar risers I have on the bike. So for now I am using a magnetic bag. The tank was starting to show minute scratches from the bag. That is why I went to the Bagster cover. Also it protects the tank from me dropping a tool or my GPS on the tank when working on or changing GPS on the bikes. I also have a Bagster tank cover on my FJR while using a Givi Tank Lock system with it now for almost 10 years. I like the Bagster set up and that is all that matters to me. Not fond of any stick on stuff. Each to his own. Buy what you like, Like what you buy.

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Daboo said:
The subject line sounds like Shakespeare..."to be or not to be". ;) There's nothing that literary in this post though. Anyway, I was looking at @ChucksKLRST and @HurricaneST1100 's posts in the NT1100 thread and a thought came to mind that has been ruminating in the recesses of that mind. Is it better to cover the parts of the bike that can get scratched, or not? I didn't want to take away from their thread, with what is really a philosophical question that can apply to any vehicle. Let me explain...

...way back when I was growing up half a century and a few decades as well, my parents owned a 58 Ford Fairlane. It had vinyl seats on it, and to keep them looking new, they put plasticky seat covers on. The idea I think for them was to protect the seats from the abuse three kids would bring them, so when the car was eventually sold, the interior would look nice. But in doing so, we lived with sticky plasticky seats in hot Texas. They were never ideal. And the next owners...they would get the nice seats. Not us.

Later, I would get my own cars and the thought occurred to me in the beginning to cover my seats too. For reasons unknown to me...maybe simply putting it off...I never did. I did put on a clear covering on the front of our 99 Camry when we bought it. That turned out to be a mistake. Underneath the clear plastic "protector", the paint began to turn brown. I think it was rusting underneath the plastic coating. :confused:

When I got my first motorcycle, I did what many of us do and looked to see what I could add to the bike to make it "mine". Bagster tank covers were one that always intrigued me. I think I saw them on the European Deauville forum. More recently, it has been looking to find the rubber adhesive pads that are cut to fit specific bikes and protect the places our bikes are susceptible to scratching. So I bought some.

These are a quick example of what I'm referring to.
1775510066510.png

And that brings me to the question. Do you buy these add-ons to protect the bike from being scratched? Or would you buy them to cover up where the bike already got scratched? One choice is before the damage is done. The other choice is after the fact.

In my case, I fully expected to install my tank pads to protect the bike, but got caught up with packing and moving and still haven't installed them. (I know they are in the garage...in a box...but, which box? :D ) And now, I'm wondering...should I put them on...which covers up some of the beautiful blue paint on the bike's tank and breaks up the lines some? Or leave them off for now and put them on later if the scratches get to be noticeable and bother me? :unsure: Sort of like, do I put the plasticky seat covers on the 58 Ford Fairlane to preserve the seats for the next guy? ...or enjoy the seats the way they came from the factory...and put the seat covers on them when I sell the 58 Ford?

There's no "right" answer. But I'm curious as to how you look at that?

Chris
Click to expand...
I added a protector to the aft/aft top of the gas tank on my 1300 right after I brought it home. Does it actually work or am I just careful/lucky? In either case, no scratches.
 
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