Cover for year-round outdoor use?

We live in the UK (Bath) for 5-6 months of the year. We want to purchase bikes to keep in the UK but our house has no garage and on-street parking is not allowed on our street - only loading/unloading.

A friend has non-covered parking space at his house/property which is gated and he has offered to let us use that space at no charge. We have covers for our current bikes but they are more for indoor/dust or occasional outside use. Does anyone have any experience with covers - if any exist - that would be suitable for year-round outdoor use?

FWIW, I am considering a Kawasaki Z900RS as my UK bike. Before you immediately ban me from the site, my wife is considering a Triumph Street Triple. So please answer for her sake as a britt-bike buyer if not for mine! (I think the current Triumphs are made in Asia somewhere...)

I've got one of these Oxford numbers – it's ok, but after just over a year it's not looking as UV-proof as I'd expected. It has an elasticated skirt (!) and eyes in the fabric at each end that allow it to be tied down at both ends. I put a long security cable through all the eyes on mine, that attaches to one of the locks. Maybe wishful thinking as far as 'security' goes, but it does hold the cover down well – before adding the cable, I did once find the cover pulled up over the tail light, in a way that could only have been done by a nosy person, and not the wind. But apart from the UV aspect I'm happy with it, and the item I've linked to is quite a bit cheaper than I paid for mine.

You can get these bags that seal the bike in. They are really designed for use indoors so you would need a stronger cover over it I think.

Ian

https://www.vac-bag.co.uk/motorcycle-vac-bags.html

NortonMKIIA850 said:

I've got one of these Oxford numbers – it's ok, but after just over a year it's not looking as UV-proof as I'd expected. It has an elasticated skirt (!) and eyes in the fabric at each end that allow it to be tied down at both ends. I put a long security cable through all the eyes on mine, that attaches to one of the locks. Maybe wishful thinking as far as 'security' goes, but it does hold the cover down well – before adding the cable, I did once find the cover pulled up over the tail light, in a way that could only have been done by a nosy person, and not the wind. But apart from the UV aspect I'm happy with it, and the item I've linked to is quite a bit cheaper than I paid for mine.

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I've had exactly the same experience with Oxford covers
They are just not UV proof I'd love to be able to put my Norton in a garage or shed etc

baz said:

I've had exactly the same experience with Oxford covers
They are just not UV proof I'd love to be able to put my Norton in a garage or shed etc

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Crazy thing is, I could've sworn the specs for my cover said it was UV-resistant, maybe even highly so! It was certainly something I was looking out for when buying. But it started turning from black to grey PDQ, so not great. Having a workshop or at least a shed would transform my life, no exaggeration! So I sympathise.

NortonMKIIA850 said:

Crazy thing is, I could've sworn the specs for my cover said it was UV-resistant, maybe even highly so! It was certainly something I was looking out for when buying. But it started turning from black to grey PDQ, so not great. Having a workshop or at least a shed would transform my life, no exaggeration! So I sympathise.

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May be worth buying the Oxford one and putting a cheap two quid one over it just to keep the UV off?

baz said:

May be worth buying the Oxford one and putting a cheap two quid one over it just to keep the UV off?

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Then I'd worry about condensation … Unless it were an inflatable one that turned into a shed!