Trailerable Bike Covers

[Northwings]

I have an open trailer. Last year I trailered my old Yamaha behind a dirty diesel motor home from Maine to Texas in the spring with the storage cover on for protection against road film. The cover billowed so much it scrubbed some of the paint and broke a mirror. This year I have a pristine GL1800 and will be trailering from Maine to Florida in the dead of winter. I cannot afford to upgrade to an enclosed trailer right now. Can anyone recommend a Goldwing cover that will protect the bike from dirt and abrasion in the filthy turbulence behind my motor home on snow and salt covered winter roads?

[wingpilot08]

I really have not heard of a bike cover that could be used on an open trailer. One would think that you would have the same issues you encountered hauling the Yamaha...damage to the bike. It may be better to just trailer uncoverd and clean the bike once you arrive in FLA. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, maybe someone else will chime in.

[offcenter]

I would be REALLY concerned about the salt!
Whether on a trailer or running under it's own power, that salt spray
gets into everything. And as we've talked about on this forum before,
these bikes are not meant to deal with the corrosion that salt can
generate. The problems may not show up for a year or two, but they
WILL show up eventually.
Rent an enclosed trailer if you can't afford to buy one.
Your nice 1800 may never be the same if you don't.

[WingAdmin]

Two things you should never do:

- Put a bike on an open trailer with a cover on the bike. You have learned the hard way why you shouldn't do this - the flapping cover will wear paint (and worse) off the bike.
- Put a bike on an open trailer when there is salt on the roads. Covered or not, the salt spray will get up into the bike and corrode things that were never intended to deal with salt. You will cause permanent problems that will never go away - and on a GL1800, you will cause expensive, hard-to-find problems that may not show up for a year or two.

Either rent a covered trailer to transport your bike, or just leave it at home.

[Viking]

My advice? Find a way to afford that covered trailer, and in addition, once in the trailer, ensure that you have a front wheel chock and that you tie the bike down at four spots at least. Then stop after a hundred miles and check it, and tighten the tie downs, and again at 500 mile intervals but at a minimum, at least morning and night. There is nothing so heartbreaking as going to the expense of a covered trailer, just to find your bike on its side when you get where you are going.

I do know a guy with a large motorhome (Greyhound bus large) who had a jackable frame built on the rear so that he could raise his GL1800 up to ride sideways across the back, and he had a custom fiberglass cover made to fit over the bike once it was there (hard fiberglass cover). It was labor intensive to set up, but once there it was good to go. Probably less expensive than a covered trailer as well.

[Northwings]

Thanks for all the advice. I am now looking for a used covered trailer. I have been trailing bikes for 40 years and know the distress of having a bike tip over on the trailer. With open trailers you know right away, but I had never thought about not seeing inside a closed unit. How about a baby monitor for your two-wheeled baby? I will be getting a bolt-on front wheel chock. I upgraded all my ratchet straps to 1,000 pound working load after breaking one of the regular 400 pound straps.

[Northwings]

One more thing. Most motor homes get too light in the front when a heavy bike is mounted on the rear. Makes them twitch in crosswinds. This setup works for your friend because his motor home weighs 40-50,000 pounds. Most of us have rigs only 15-20,000.

[crock4]

I have a cover made by Ultraguard that I have used to cover my 01 1800. I have towed it back, and forth from Florida to Ohio 3 times with no damage at all. 1000 miles each way. paid appx 200. New. It is very heavy with good padding inside, and an abundance of straps that keep it from flapping. It keeps it dry too.

Sorry the picture isn't great, but I think you can see it ok. This was about halfway there, and you can see it hasn't moved much.

[roadwanderer2]

here's an idea.....i've seen some boat transporters, car transporters and mobile home transporters use these on some of them....white shrinkwrap. it fits tight, doesn't move and will keep your bike perfectly clean and free from road salt. its something you might want to look into. just a thought.

stuart.

[Bluewaterhooker0]

I'm not from the Great White North. I'm from Florida. But, I have driven to upstate NY on numerous occasions. Some trips the weather is crap, others, no weather at all. If your time frame is flexible, you could just monitor a clear period for the northern weather, and hit the road, uncovered. Many times the snow and leftover debris is gone by Virginia, the first days drive. If the weather up north is clear, that's the end of your salt/ice/sand issue after the first day. They seem to keep those roads clear pretty quickly on the main highways, like 95.

[CrystalPistol]

I have seen clear shrink wrap used to wrap a strapped down bike followed by a cover securely strapped. The shrink wrap protected the paint the guy said.

I did like the white wrap idea above .... it's a little thicker so fewer wraps needed.

I think that just the clear would be OK if done in a good number of layers on leading edges. Roll ain't too costly.

Then there is the nekkid tow option.

[liflyboy]

If you do the naked bike idea, spray the bike down with WD40. Then upon arrival give it a REAL GOOD bath with fresh water. Most of the crap will wash right off.

[Northwings]

Shrink wrap or stretch wrap? Stretch wrap is about the same gauge at about 1/4 the cost. It does not have the structural strength, but does it need to when under a motorcycle cover?

[roadwanderer2]

ok, how about this for an idea....after you get your bike tied down on an open trailer, and before you cover it, how about using bubble wrap strapped down to the bike's body parts, THEN use your cover to cover it. that way it will protect the paint from getting scrubbed off by the cover flapping in the breeze. you can get bubble wrap at any post office, u haul, or ups stores or anywhere they sell shipping supplies.

stuart.

[crock4]

I've never used anything under my cover, and never had any damage. There are covers out there that work if used properly.
Bob

[redbug]

GEZA GEAR motorcycle covers. Just found these on line and they are made to be used on open trailers. Lots of sizes and one for the 1800. Could not post there home page. gezagear.com

[roadwanderer2]

type this into a new tab........https://www.gezagear.com/orderingform.htm and it will take you to their ordering page. you'll see the prices for all their items, and btw, they ain't cheap on their covers. prices range from 75.- over 500. for their covers. for the goldwings, you need to order the extra large cover. a bit pricy in my opinion, but, if thats what you think you need/want, go for it. i still say using bubble and or shrink wrap is the more economical way to go.

stuart.

[CrystalPistol]

Shrink wrap or stretch wrap? Stretch wrap is about the same gauge at about 1/4 the cost. It does not have the structural strength, but does it need to when under a motorcycle cover?

Well .... I should have just said stretch wrap .... like we use at work wrapping pallets of parts / boxes / odd shaped parts for shipping. Comes on a roll, like thick saran wrap.

Layer some bubble wrap in impact areas ain't a bad idea .... good idea.

[revtmuller1]

Have used the Ultraguard cover for years and have been very pleased. Used it on a '87 and a '99. My newest trailer is an open trailer with nose guard as well. No real issues and definitely no rubbed paint areas.

[ayassa]

ok, how about this for an idea....after you get your bike tied down on an open trailer, and before you cover it, how about using bubble wrap strapped down to the bike's body parts, THEN use your cover to cover it. that way it will protect the paint from getting scrubbed off by the cover flapping in the breeze. you can get bubble wrap at any post office, u haul, or ups stores or anywhere they sell shipping supplies.

stuart.

Stuart, It is a good idea as I was going to suggest the same principle.
Purchase a good cover that you install first then you use a sturdier cover to completely protect the motorcycle. I used as an "undergarment" for my 1800 a half cover, then covered all with a full cover with additional straps. It was used only for a 700 km ride and I didn't notice any abrasion afterward.
I resolve the transport (and storage!) issue with the purchase of a second-hand Stealth enclosed trailer Apache model with ramp door in the back and another ramp in the V-nose in front.

[roadwanderer2]

ayassa, i was thinking more of using it on the bike BEFORE you put any kind of cover over it. strap the bubble wrap right down on the bike's plastics and windshield,( if you have one), THEN use your cover to cover the rest of the bike.

stuart.

[muddy 456]

Please do not take this as fact I have not done this,I assume you have a flatbed trailer.What I have seen done is buying plywood(can be used for other use later)and just make a box with the plywood screwed to 2x4s and to the trailer.You could make the box as waterproof as you like with caulk.Just thought. Remember to also tie the box down.

[Northwings]

I thought about a box for my present trailer, but it is a triple track skeleton trailer with no real flat surface from which to build a box. Plywood tall enough and strong enough to drive in would be too heavy, so such a trailer would need to be aluminum on an aluminum or steel frame, i.e. a conventional cargo trailer. I am now all set; a friend in my riding group just volunteered his enclosed cargo trailer for the trip.

[Snowmoer]

I used the stretch wrap years ago when I moved from PA to WA in the middle of winter with an open trailer. They sell it at Home Depot where they have the packing boxes. Put the bike on the trailer and tie it down like you want it. Then wrap the bike from top to bottom including the tires. I then took packing tape and taped over some of the edges where the wind could get under the wrap. Go a few miles and if you see where you missed some edges, put some more tape on it. I went through a few good snow storms and a lot of salt spray. When I got to WA, I just cut off the wrap and I had a clean dry bike. I would not mess with a cover. I had a Geza cover for my ST 1300. They are not water proof and the salt will leak through at 60+ mph over time.

[ayassa]

a friend in my riding group just volunteered his enclosed cargo trailer for the trip.

There you got it! Always have good friends!