motorcycles damaged by winter weather?

[Blueberry]

I thought that he wanted to do something more than put the cover over it - it sounds like he wants to erect a tent structure to put it in. I can see why that would be a problem - gee, I'd really like to construct a tent to put my car in too.

And yeah, I agree lots of owners are passionate about their motorcycles too. But I won't buy a house where I don't have appropriate bike and kayak storage, and if I like motorcycles, I certainly wouldn't live somewhere without a garage. Just my 2 cents.

CA

[Grog]

NY Biker IS talking about a tent, not a cover. I assume it's the same kind as the outdoor "tents" as for cars, which look like this:

Hopefully his thing would be smaller.

However I can imagine that lots of other residents would like to have something to shelter their cars in the parking lot. I know a lot of towns have rules against those car tents, mainly for aesthetic reasons.

[OakLeaf]

Does it matters to the association what kind of a cover we're talking about - stretched, draped, pole supported or inflatable? Has he already shown photos (or the actual cover) to the association? Would they allow an unsupported cover but not a supported one?

If he was worried about the cosmetics of the bike, he would be renting indoor space year-round. If he was very concerned about having to wipe moisture off his seat every morning, ditto, or at least he'd have tried to cover it before now.

I assume this is his daily transportation or he would definitely be storing it indoors for the winter (also most condos only allow one parking space per unit - the motos are part of why we bought a house and not a condo for our second home! Also if he had another parking space, he shouldn't have to worry about the snow-removal behavior of the people parked next to him, because there would always be at least one side next to his own other vehicle).

So basically, if you're talking about winter weather exclusively, it comes down to two things IMO;
(1) will his daily commuter vehicle be blocked in or knocked over by rude people removing snow; and
(2) will his bike be exposed to excessive salt by the same rude people?

As much as I feel for someone who has to park his bike outdoors, I don't think a cover is necessarily the best way to address those two issues. I wonder whether he's already had some conflicts with people who park next to him?

[ny biker]

As usual, you folks have lots of good information and insights. Let me try to clarify a few points.

This person is saying he needs a tent-like, free-standing structure for his motorcycle, otherwise snow and ice will destroy it.

Things like exposure to salt or being blocked by snow cleared off of neighboring vehicles are not really issues here, because they affect cars and SUVs as well as motorcycles. As for tires freezing to the pavement, I've had that happen to my car, so again it's not a motorcycle-specific issue.

All the parking spaces are on outdoor lots for the entire condo association, and the number of available parking spaces is less than the number of units. That means there are no reserved spaces, and no one is guaranteed to have even one space, let alone more than one, even though many units are inhabited by two adults with two (or more) vehicles. It is first-come, first-served.

The storage tent that the resident wants to use is free-standing, and it stays in place even when there is no motorcycle in it. So using it is a way of reserving a space when the vehicle is not there. It is closed, so you can't tell if the motorcycle is in it or not unless you go up to it and open it.

As for motorcycle passion, that simply cannot be a consideration here. Everyone is passionate about one thing or another, but we all have to live together and make compromises. I would love to build a shed behind my building to store my bikes in, but that's a common area, so I have to keep two bikes in my living room instead. Moreover, the parking facilities here are not a secret. If someone wants reserved and/or garage parking for a car or motorcycle, they need to factor that into their decision before they move here. There are plenty of condos and apartments in this area with that kind of parking.

Thanks again for all your feedback.

[squirrell]

As usual, you folks have lots of good information and insights. Let me try to clarify a few points.

This person is saying he needs a tent-like, free-standing structure for his motorcycle, otherwise snow and ice will destroy it.

Things like exposure to salt or being blocked by snow cleared off of neighboring vehicles are not really issues here, because they affect cars and SUVs as well as motorcycles. As for tires freezing to the pavement, I've had that happen to my car, so again it's not a motorcycle-specific issue.

All the parking spaces are on outdoor lots for the entire condo association, and the number of available parking spaces is less than the number of units. That means there are no reserved spaces, and no one is guaranteed to have even one space, let alone more than one, even though many units are inhabited by two adults with two (or more) vehicles. It is first-come, first-served.

The storage tent that the resident wants to use is free-standing, and it stays in place even when there is no motorcycle in it. So using it is a way of reserving a space when the vehicle is not there. It is closed, so you can't tell if the motorcycle is in it or not unless you go up to it and open it.

As for motorcycle passion, that simply cannot be a consideration here. Everyone is passionate about one thing or another, but we all have to live together and make compromises. I would love to build a shed behind my building to store my bikes in, but that's a common area, so I have to keep two bikes in my living room instead. Moreover, the parking facilities here are not a secret. If someone wants reserved and/or garage parking for a car or motorcycle, they need to factor that into their decision before they move here. There are plenty of condos and apartments in this area with that kind of parking.

Thanks again for all your feedback.

Well, if it had been me, I would never have moved into a place that didn't even have at least 1 reserved spot. That being the case, I can see y'all not liking the idea. I had assumed that this was a reserved spot he was talking about. Every apartment we ever lived in had reserved spots (that was one thing we always looked for when having to move, which we did alot of because DH is retired Navy). We also only rented if a place had COVERED reserved parking because of our motorcycles. If need by, we'd get roommate to help pay the extra rent such places usually cost but reserved parking was an absolute necessity.

Sounds like he wants a reserved spot as much as anything.

[Grog]

Based on your further explanations, it does sound like an unreasonable request to me.......

[OakLeaf]

Things like exposure to salt or being blocked by snow cleared off of neighboring vehicles are not really issues here, because they affect cars and SUVs as well as motorcycles. As for tires freezing to the pavement, I've had that happen to my car, so again it's not a motorcycle-specific issue.

I do have to address those - even though it sounds like the guy really shouldn't get his exemption -

Many (maybe most) bikes are still chain-driven. Salt can damage a chain pretty quickly - it's not like a steel frame (which would affect older bikes and cars, but is protected by paint, so it wouldn't get damaged unless the vehicle doesn't get washed often) or steel bodywork on a car (which is just cosmetic). Motorcycle chains aren't cheap, and a broken chain can be life-threatening.

As far as buildup of snow and ice, it's not like a car where you can just drive over it, or rock the wheels back and forth to dislodge it. Maybe it's hard to explain to someone who's never ridden a bike - but trying to ride or push a bike over a steep, slippery hump, even one only a few inches high, is a recipe for dropping it, especially from a stop, and especially when footing and tire traction on either side of the hump is probably dicey, too. Dropping a bike carries a high risk of personal injury as well as damage to nearby vehicles, not just his own.

[bounceswoosh]

I do have to address those - even though it sounds like the guy really shouldn't get his exemption -

Many (maybe most) bikes are still chain-driven. Salt can damage a chain pretty quickly - it's not like a steel frame (which would affect older bikes and cars, but is protected by paint, so it wouldn't get damaged unless the vehicle doesn't get washed often) or steel bodywork on a car (which is just cosmetic). Motorcycle chains aren't cheap, and a broken chain can be life-threatening.

As far as buildup of snow and ice, it's not like a car where you can just drive over it, or rock the wheels back and forth to dislodge it. Maybe it's hard to explain to someone who's never ridden a bike - but trying to ride or push a bike over a steep, slippery hump, even one only a few inches high, is a recipe for dropping it, especially from a stop, and especially when footing and tire traction on either side of the hump is probably dicey, too. Dropping a bike carries a high risk of personal injury as well as damage to nearby vehicles, not just his own.

These are exactly the thoughts I had when I read this. Cars don't have their mechanical parts on the outside. Motorcycles do. And motorcycles have only two wheels, but they are weigh several hundred pounds, so there are situations (like being frozen to the ground) that are extremely tricky.

The most important consideration to me is that a mechanical malfunction on a motorcycle can be much more life-threatening than one on a car. You don't have all that protective material around you, and your bike isn't going to be upright when it's all said and done unless you are a very skilled and/or lucky rider. So I would say, any level of concern about even a slight risk to the motorcycle is simply smart.

That all being said, I don't want to express an opinion on whether or not his request is reasonable for the community -- I'm just expressing some of the concerns I would have as a rider.

[CyclChyk]

when we lived in NH, we would store our bikes in a rental storage shed. It was about $36 monthly but we were able to keep them out of the elements. The tarps only protect from so much and why chance it?