Seeing that my GS has become my only transportation, rain or shine, I was wondering who leaves their bike out in the rain from time to time, for maybe an hour or two.  When you do have to leave it out, what means of protection do you use?  Any specific measures you take to ensure the bike's ready for the water?

I just cover mine with a busted cover and lube the chain weekly, clean chain bi-weekly.  The rest of the bike gets bathed but honstly started riding into rain and just drying it off and cleaning with towel. 

I get a garage in 3 weeks

I picked up a $25 waterproof bike cover at Menards. Don't know if you have those in Pennsylvania or not, but they have boat and car covers too. Odd for a home improvement store, but Walmart and other retailers didn't carry them and all the bike shops wanted almost $100 for one. Folds up nicely in it's own pouch and transports easy under my cargo net. The one I got was made especially for Menards.

All of my bikes, 4 Hondas and 2 GSs, have sat out in the rain for many hours and also have been riden in the rain for many hours too.  I have no concern anout it sitting out in the rain.  I lube my chain when the rollers get shiney not by a schedule of miles.

Actually, I got my cover at Wally World for $19 and has lasted two years. It is faded and does have a small hole but overall has held up well in the Florida rain. Flick stays out most of the time because I don't have a garage so he sees a little rain almost everyday. But, I wash and wax him religiously and lube up the chain!

No problems at two years!

Mary

I would just let my bike sit out in the rain but it gets dirt and that makes me sad  In my opinion the bike is designed to take endless amounts of rain without damage.
I have a generic bike cover that I keep on my bike 90% of the time I'm not riding it. I park my bike on the street and like to protect it from rain, sun and dirt. I think it is also a good first step as a theft deterrent.

I've always kept my bikes outside, recently i started using a cover but that is mainly because covered bike seem to attract less unwelcome attention, the crapier the cover the better.

Quote from: Cal Price on July 02, 2009, 03:11:11 AM
I've always kept my bikes outside, recently i started using a cover but that is mainly because covered bike seem to attract less unwelcome attention, the crapier the cover the better.

+1, thats why i cover mine.  Although my cover has its fair share of gaping holes ... err vents 

Quote from: Toogoofy317 on July 01, 2009, 10:54:15 PM
Actually, I got my cover at Wally World for $19 and has lasted two years. It is faded and does have a small hole but overall has held up well in the Florida rain. Flick stays out most of the time because I don't have a garage so he sees a little rain almost everyday. But, I wash and wax him religiously and lube up the chain!

No problems at two years!

Mary

I have left my bike outside in upstate NY winter, Ohio winter and now Florida rain, the bike has never been in a garage, but except for a few rust spots that clean up with steel wool, the rain and snow haven't done anything.

The sun on the other hand.....==fade

The GS has pretty much always been indoors for the time I've owned it, and only ridden in the rain 2 times or so(no idea about the previous owner). My triumph and old ninja 250 were both in the rain constantly. They stayed in a garage over night, but both were my only transportation, so I rode them whether it was raining or snowing, and both survived ok. I would leave them parked outside at work for 8 hours a day. You'll get a couple random rusty nuts and bolts, and your engine will look filthy all the time, especially the air cooled GS, but I never had any real problems as long as I kept drying off the bike and waxing the shiny parts. My house now is the first time I'll have a bike with me and no real garage, so it's either going to be on the street(for short periods of time) or else it'll be on the back patio under the overhang, or else inside my basement if it's not smelling too bad(plus there's nothing cooler than motorcycles in your workspace!). I would highly recommend you put the bike on it's stand, take off the tank, airbox, and all the seat panels, and give it a thorough going over because the worst things to rust are going to be the parts you forget exist because you never see them.

Wow, thanks for all the replies.  I was just curious because quite a few craigslist posts say 'never seen rain' or something similar, and I was wondering if I was missing something.  I mean, I garage it I'd say 98% of the time when I'm not riding it, but recently I've been stuck with some pretty crappy weather.  It sounds like cleaning/lubing the chain and checks for rust should be the concerns.  Thanks again!

Quote from: rohde88 on July 02, 2009, 06:21:37 AM

I have left my bike outside in upstate NY winter, Ohio winter and now Florida rain, the bike has never been in a garage, but except for a few rust spots that clean up with steel wool, the rain and snow haven't done anything.

The sun on the other hand.....==fade

+1 for the toronto winter... 3 winters and still going strong. my exhaust looks like an 84 hyundai pony, but otherwise the bike is happy.

I used to have a friend that took 10 minutes to fill up his tank because he wouldn't get a drop of gas on it when he had to put the nozzle in or take it out, and he spent hundreds of dollars to replace a side fairing with a microscopic scratch on it when he dropped his 636r in his driveway. Those are the people that will only buy a bike that's never seen rain. I used to just cup my hands around the nozzle so the gas wouldn't drip so we could all move on with our lives.

Buying a bike that's never seen rain doesn't mean it hasn't been abused, but it's most likely pretty clean. I on the other hand prefer stuff that's dirty, scratched up, and slightly rusty, because I'm not too picky about how things look, and I'd rather put out less cash if it's only cosmetic.

Always outside.
Here is a small trick of you're leaving it for a few months ... un ridden.
There is a product made by PB blaster caller - CSP - corrosion preventer or some crap like that.
Its acetone, propellant and vaseline. You could paint on vaseline with a brush into all teh nooks and crannies. Then psray it to really inaccesible parts.
You just pressure wash to get it off, or just hot water wash.
Remember vaseline is one of the most combustible substances on the earth. So, like keep away from exhaust and cylinders - but its OK - spray it with hot water as you're bringing it back.
Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: The Buddha on July 02, 2009, 09:13:35 AM
Always outside.
Here is a small trick of you're leaving it for a few months ... un ridden.
There is a product made by PB blaster caller - CSP - corrosion preventer or some crap like that.
Its acetone, propellant and vaseline. You could paint on vaseline with a brush into all teh nooks and crannies. Then psray it to really inaccesible parts.
You just pressure wash to get it off, or just hot water wash.
Remember vaseline is one of the most combustible substances on the earth. So, like keep away from exhaust and cylinders - but its OK - spray it with hot water as you're bringing it back.

yea i should add that I put dialectric grease in the bolt heads that gather water. Luckily my tank and such is all scratch/rust free.

I've ridden in the rain and its been parked in the rain.  When I get home I just dry it off an d put it in the garage.

QuoteI think it is also a good first step as a theft deterrent.

I just park next to a more expensive bike.

-Porkchop

Mine is undercover at work and in the garage at home.

I'd be more concerned about it sitting out in the hot sun all day in summer rather than the rain.

Quote from: drewbytes on July 02, 2009, 01:59:29 PM
I'd be more concerned about it sitting out in the hot sun all day in summer rather than the rain.

Must be nice, haha.

The GS and the SV both sit outside all the time, except that I'm luckily storing both in a friend's garage right now. I'm getting a cover for at my new apartment, because everyone else has one, and it's a semi-decent theft deterrent. Bikes are waterproof, I ride in the rain all the time, just keep up with your chain, and the occasional wash, claybar, and wax, and it's all good!

At home my bikes sleeps in the garage. At work it rests under an el cheapo bike cover from an auto store - supposed to be waterproof BUT have come back to it with water on the seat after heavy downpours. Wipe down and go.

Other guys at work leave their bikes uncovered. But as our Depot is very dust and the tree we park under drops sap and bird things, I'll keep it covered thanks.

Michael