I just went through the challenge of finding an "all weather" cover to fit over my XB-600 to help protect it against the rain. Because the need was immediate, the quickest thing I could find was a plastic bicycle cover which covered the dashboard and seat, but it didn't come down far enough to cover the motor. That held me over for a few days while I tried to find a better cover to fit over the entire bike. The local motorcycle shop stocks motorcycle covers but not scooter covers, and even when I gave them the maximum dimensions and told them it was the same size as a gas-powered Vino 125 (which they sell), all they heard was "electric moped". So the first cover they special-ordered was too small and was meant to fit a small scooter. I finally ended up with a Dowco scooter cover, size XL, which fits completely over the XB-600, including the mirrors, rear cargo container, and goes all the way down to the ground. It has an elastic cord around the bottom for a snug fit, plus reinforced grommets near the bottom edge so the cover can be bungie-corded or cable locked onto the bike to help prevent it ballooning in the wind or being easily pulled off by the curious. Of course, I really don't have any need for the "aluminized panels" so the cover can come in contact with "warm exhaust pipes", but the water resistant fabric seems to do a good job at venting moisture on humid days, and the cover easily fits into the seat compartment for travel.
As a help to any new XB-500 and XB-600 owners and similar bikes, I opened this thread to see if any of you had any other recommendations for weather protection covers. Brands, sizes, special features to look for, etc.
Obviously, the best way to store the bike is in a locked shed or garage (or take it to bed with you), but for those of us who ride our bikes in "chance of showers" weather, or need to store our bikes "out back, outside, out of sight," bike cover recommendations would be appreciated.
Weather Protection Covers for XB Bikes
Sun, 07/19/2009 - 18:10
#1
Weather Protection Covers for XB Bikes
Who's online
There are currently 0 users online.
Who's new
- Skyhawk 57
- wild4
- justinsmith07
- Juli76
- xovacharging
Support V is for Voltage
HI Buzzer, we have been looking for a cover to offer on our site for some time now. Is this the exact one that you found that fit so well? http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/5/18/171/1459/ITEM/Dowco-Scooter-Cover.aspx
We are looking to set up with these folks here. Further to Buzzers question, has anyone tried these guys out? http://classicaccessories.com/subcategory.aspx?id=36
Thanks,
Harvey
www.neoscooters.com
That's the cover I got. While I ended up with size XL, I'm wondering if the Large size would have been big enough. The one I have is a little baggy, but not too bad. It covers the entire bike and goes on and off easily if you remember to stretch the elastic cord out until you get the hem down to the ground. Then it snaps back to fit the bike. Of course, the covers will probably be a little loose because each cover is meant to fit different bikes within a certain size range and with different accessories.
Buzzer
There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.
Wow...wish I could have gotten this info to you sooner...although I posted this on here someplace a good while back. I have the xb600 and I bought a good plastic "grill cover" from Academy Sports thats cheap and does the job well. And it fits perfect over the xb600 going almost to the ground. It has a pull cord at the bottom, etc. and folds up to fit nicely under the seat with room to spare. It costs like $5 or $6. The plastic seems strong and it's black.
Gushar
Gus
Does the plastic cover give you condensation problems on hot sunny days? With my plastic bicycle cover, I'd get condensation on the dashboard gauges and seat, which made me wonder about possible condensation on the wiring. Of course, the solution was to try to remember to remove the plastic cover if the weather was hot and sunny, but I wasn't always home to do that.
Buzzer
There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.
We are in the process of evaluating http://www.classicaccessories.com/product_detail.aspx?pid=270&cid=11 to carry on our site as an accessory to sell with the X-Treme XB series of electric bikes. Classic Accessories sent us a sample deluxe cover (small) just like the one found at the link above. Being an online dealer, I don't have a bike in inventory to try it on and have the following proposition.
If you are in need of a cover for your X-Treme XB product, I will send you this (one!) sample to keep providing you can:
1) Send us several clear pictures of the cover being installed on the bike, and then in place
2) Send us a short review of the product that you would allows us to use on our site if it works out well. Obviously, if it's a dud, we want to hear that prior to putting it out on our site for sale.
Send us a short email expressing your interest and if there's a bunch of interest, we'll randomly pick one person to send the cover to, and then pick three more randomly and give a 5% off coupon code for anything on our site. Fair enough?
If there are any other accessories (trunks?) that you know of that we can also offer as an accessory please let us know.
Thanks and Regards,
Harvey
sales [at] neoscooters.com
I'll take you up on that offer. My background is advertising, marketing, printing and web design, so I know what you need. Plus, it will let me compare your sample cover to the Dowco cover I already have. I will contact you separately so you can add my name to your list of people interested in testing and reviewing the cover.
Buzzer
There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.
I saw this at a website from Toronto Canada
http://mobilityunlimited.ca/accessories_and_parts.htm
It has a rain cover for their ebikes. It even has little ears for the mirrors. I do not know the material, I guess you could either order or find their source and material. The price is reasonable in Canadian dollars.
I would imagine something like Tyvek (not sure of the generic name but there are other manufacturers beside Dupont) that they use for house wrap, it is waterproof but allows water vapour to escape, would be the best material. It is also very tough, not sure about UV resistance, I guess you would have to check specs. Plain plastic or vinyl would "sweat" like you experienced and create condensation under the cover unless it had lots of vents. I think I saw some car covers that are "Tyvek" type material somewhere.
I will be a full time employee at Mobility Unlimited as of August 8th 2009. The material that the E-Bike cover is made of is ripstop nylon similar to what tents are made of. I have one of those covers myself.
Thanks,
Ken Finch
Hi Buzzer, I wanted to follow up on your kind offer. I did go with another member on the forum Jamess who has been a member for a few years and is in a different climate than you are in. I will send you the coupon code via direct mail though.
I am interested in a review of the new scooter trunk just released today though, and while I didn't receive a free sample that I could pass on like we did for the scooter cover, I would be interested in offering a deep discount on the trunk I just talked about in the Accessories section to make it available for a review that you could share with the folks here.
Please email me if interested, I have visited your site, read your contributions and would be interested in your opinion if this is a quality product we start bundling in with our electric scooters.
Regards,
Harvey
Tiger Motion, Inc. DBA Neo Scooters
I have finished my review of the cover I received from http://www.neoscooters.com/ and thought I would share it here.
I have included a few pictures of the cover as well.
Classic MotoGear Deluxe Scooter Cover Review.
This truly is a deluxe cover to protect your scooter from the elements. Its has a functional design that makes it a perfect fit for the Extreme Scooters XB line and will probably work great on other scooters with about the same wheel base and height. The fit on the XB-600 was great from front tire to rear tire, and down to the bottom of the plastic side panels. The supplied bungee cords to fasten beneath the scooter hold the sides down as well as the elastic band that goes all the way around the bottom of the cover. Midway along the bottom of the cover there are re-enforced openings so that a cable lock can be used to lock the cover. A carrying case is included that is sewn to the inside of the cover so you never have to worry about where the cover is or remember to put it in the trunk before you cover your scooter.
Installing the cover is quite easy, starting with the front over the mirrors and handle bars then stretching the back over the trunk and then working down the sides fasten the bungee cords and you are done in less than a minute. Removal is just as easy and you just stuff it back in the bag. No hard folding and the wrinkles come right out the next time you install it.
Testing was done in southwest New Mexico in the month of August, where the daytime temperature exceeds 100 degrees most afternoons. The cover is black and so there was some concern about heat build up under the cover in the mid day sun. The cover has two protected vents on the front that allow air to circulate inside the cover, and with a thermometer left on the seat under the cover the temperature was only 13 degrees warmer then the outside air after two hours.
Another great feature besides the vents, is the non absorbent lining on the inside of the cover to protect the front fairing and trunk area from scratches. It also acts to reinforce the areas that are most prone to .the edges of mirrors and handlebar ends.
August is also monsoon season in New Mexico, with afternoon thunder storms and lots of high winds. The cover held up well to the rain and wind keeping the scooter dry and protected. One note about the wind is that you should park your scooter into the wind on the center stand, never on the side kick stand ( I have had my scooter blow over twice without a cover using just the side stand.). The highest gusts of wind while testing were about 50mph and did not cause any problem for the cover or scooter when parked as recommended above
This cover was made for more than just keeping dust off of your scooter while parked in the garage. It can handle the elements and will do a fine job of protecting your scooter. If there is any down side, it is that it will take up a good 1/3 of your trunk space to carry it with you, but that is a small price to pay to have your scooter out of the elements in your portable scooter garage.
On a 5 star scale I give the Classic MotoGear Scooter Cover 5 out of 5
I have included a link to this cover here
http://www.neoscooters.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Deluxe%5Fscooter%5Fcovers
Happy scooting,
JamesS
There are many types of breathable fabrics available. The big difference in price between the cheap covers (and tarps) and the good covers is due to the breathable fabrics. Never ever cover a bike with a non-breathable cover. Condensation build-up under the cover can do lots of damage.
I have the max cover from empire its a 3 layer cover made from Tyvek developed by DuPont.
http://motorcycle-covers-review.blogspot.com/
I use a xl bbq cover for mine, picked up from home depot it works great, covers everything and even has little velcro straps to fasten it in high wind