So after three months of scooter ownership I am deciding finally to get a cover for my Italia. A couple reasons why:
The fog in San Francisco is starting to eat away at the cheap Chinese chrome on my mirrors
The fog is also making my seat wet every morning and I'm tired of wiping it down.
Do any of you have specific recomendations? I was thinking of this Prima one that Scooterworks carries:
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Thanks! I did try searching but as you can imagine just about EVERY post on this site contains the word "scooter", and a lot of them contain the word "cover".
Formosa Covers. $18.99. I've had one for a several months and it works great for me. Fits over my St. Tropez with top case and windscreen like it's custom fit. I put it on directly after riding with no problems from the heat. Vented, waterproof, lockable. Plus so cheap that if anything happens to it you're not going to be all bent out of shape.
[Tip: If you're using it around town spray paint your license place number on it to discourage theft.]
I did a longer review of it that's around here somewhere so keep searching if you're interested...
Dowco has one of the more comprehensive lines of covers, running the range from fully weather-proof to simple dust covers. They're reasonably priced and a number of the covers also have lifetime warranties. Size ranges for most of their lineup include sizes for scooters.
gt1000 wrote:Dowco has one of the more comprehensive lines of covers, running the range from fully weather-proof to simple dust covers. They're reasonably priced and a number of the covers also have lifetime warranties. Size ranges for most of their lineup include sizes for scooters.
I have a Dowco. I think it's a large - my shop new the size I needed to cover with my top case. It's got the shield for the exhaust so you can cover it as soon as you're stopped. it also has grommets so you can put like a bicycle chain lock through so folks won't steal the cover. My shop guy said he's never had a scooter stolen but he has had several covers - usually when it's raining.
Sad to say, that hasn't stopped the rusting mirrors I'm back to scrapping it off once a week and then rubbing it with WD40 since the consensus is that WILL help not harm.
The Prima scooter cover that you are looking at is part number SCMAX which is a cover for a maxi scooter. It will work but it will be larger than what you need to cover your Buddy.
A better fitting Prima scooter cover is the part number SC5 (Scooter Cover, Buddy/Rattler/Blur). Here is the URL for the Buddy specific SC5 scooter cover:
I have used the Prima SC5 scooter cover for over a year. It fits like a glove over my Buddy and when not covering my Buddy it packs into a small travel pouch. I have not had a problem with the cover getting scorched if I cover my Buddy while the exhaust pipe is still hot. I have been satisfied with the quality of this cover: the elastic on the bottom is still good, the bungee cord hooks and grommets are still good and the seams are still good. The downside with this cover is that at $40 it is more expense than some of the other covers already mentioned.
Wayne
The safest rule, no ifs or buts
Just drive like everyone else is nuts! (Burma Shave)
Skootz Kabootz wrote:Formosa Covers. $18.99. I've had one for a several months and it works great for me. Fits over my St. Tropez with top case and windscreen like it's custom fit. I put it on directly after riding with no problems from the heat. Vented, waterproof, lockable. Plus so cheap that if anything happens to it you're not going to be all bent out of shape.
[Tip: If you're using it around town spray paint your license place number on it to discourage theft.]
I did a longer review of it that's around here somewhere so keep searching if you're interested...
I just got mine in the mail. It is very thin nylon and doesnt have a heat shield. It does however have an elastic band on the bottom and a bungee. I haven't got a chance to use it yet. Those crooks charged me 10 bucks for shipping and it took 7 days to get to Maryland.
jijifer wrote:
I have a Dowco. I think it's a large - my shop new the size I needed to cover with my top case. It's got the shield for the exhaust so you can cover it as soon as you're stopped.
I've got a Dowco as well (can't remember the size). While I pretty much never cover my scooter anymore (it's garaged at night though) I do like the it and think it's a good cover. My experience with the shield for the exhaust is that it is too small of a patch to cover all the hot places (I might have a cheaper or older model) so I would kind of hang the elastic up around the exhaust when covering it.
Skootz Kabootz wrote:Formosa Covers. $18.99. I've had one for a several months and it works great for me. Fits over my St. Tropez with top case and windscreen like it's custom fit. I put it on directly after riding with no problems from the heat. Vented, waterproof, lockable. Plus so cheap that if anything happens to it you're not going to be all bent out of shape.
[Tip: If you're using it around town spray paint your license place number on it to discourage theft.]
I did a longer review of it that's around here somewhere so keep searching if you're interested...
I just got mine in the mail. It is very thin nylon and doesnt have a heat shield. It does however have an elastic band on the bottom and a bungee. I haven't got a chance to use it yet. Those crooks charged me 10 bucks for shipping and it took 7 days to get to Maryland.
Heat shield or not, I have always put mine on immediately after riding without issue. Yup, it's nylon. Waterproof, thin, light, transportable, very functional. Rolls up nice and small in the carry case provided. It is a low-cost option for a cover that IMO does the job really well. A nice alternative to spending $50+.
What do you think would be reasonable shipping? For CA to MD $10 doesn't seem too outrageous to me...
I ordered a motorcycle helmet the same day from Oregon and it cost 6 bucks to ship and got here in 5 days with UPS. Is it easy for you to get the cover back into the pouch? I don't think I could get it back in there without a struggle.
adamshahan wrote:I ordered a motorcycle helmet the same day from Oregon and it cost 6 bucks to ship and got here in 5 days with UPS. Is it easy for you to get the cover back into the pouch? I don't think I could get it back in there without a struggle.
For me it's totally easy to put it back in the pouch. Easier than I anticipated when I first got it. But I'm used to it by now and do it pretty much every day. I put it back in the pouch whenever it is not on the scooter. Lives in my top case when not in use...
Hope you're happy with the cover. For $18 I'm totally good with mine.
Cheshire wrote:Hey, Skootz: do you have the smaller or larger of the two covers in that link? I'm trying to plan for future add-ons.
I got the Medium. It fits perfectly over my Genuine topcase. If you've got one of those super jumbo GIVI cases or something much larger like that you might want to consider the large cover. Shipping was $8.50.
digital-entropy wrote:
The fog is also making my seat wet every morning and I'm tired of wiping it down. ...
If you think you're tired wiping down a wet seat everyday, wait until you have to store a large wet cover.
I'd say throw a towel over the seat at night and remove it in the morning.
I think all m/c, scooter mirrors corrode after a lot of moisture exposure. Get another set for sunny showoff days and let the ones you have corrode all they want. The side benefit might be their ugly look might dissuade someone from stealing the scooter.
I have a cover for mine but at work if I do not cover my bike it gets welding dust and paint specs if I do not plus it also cuts down on the damage from the sun. Although I got a scooter cover and it just has a small patch for a heat shield and it has melted in several places leaving remnants on my muffler so I am going to get a nice motorcycle cover which has a heat shield on both side on the lower half. I had one for my motorcycle and it lasted ten years. My scooter cover has lasted three months and I need a new one.
Sorry to drag up an ancient post, but I wanted to update it incase someone found it in a search.
I just reordered a cover from Formosa Covers to replace one I lost and what they sent was pure crap. Not even a scooter cover (which they do not carry any more. Apparently they felt no need to update their website). Anyways, what was sent was cheap, flimsy, and would melt on a sunny day. Pure crap. I returned it immediately. So, I withdraw my previous recommendation.
I'll never cover a vehicle again after learning the hard way that mice are nocturnal creatures that hole up in dark places (under covers).
Not to mention the constant gnawing, there's the urine that etches the painted surfaces.
So Beamster...what does a Chevrolet orange colored Buddy look like?
And about the mirrors...luckily, I don't have an issue with rusting as I park in a garage at home and at work. However, has anyone tried painting their mirrors with that black rubbery stuff that you can dip screwdriver handles in? I'm wondering if that would keep them from rusting a bit longer...
Past bikes: 08' Genuine Buddy 125, '07 Yamaha Majesty 400, '07 Piaggio MP3 250, '08 Piaggio MP3 500, '08 Aprilia Scarabeo 500
Current bikes: Two '09 Genuine Buddy 125's
So Beamster...what does a Chevrolet orange colored Buddy look like?
And about the mirrors...luckily, I don't have an issue with rusting as I park in a garage at home and at work. However, has anyone tried painting their mirrors with that black rubbery stuff that you can dip screwdriver handles in? I'm wondering if that would keep them from rusting a bit longer...
That's not a bad idea... Plastidip or one of the other brands are intended to keep rust off of tools, so I imagine it would have the same effect on the mirrors. Plus, black mirrors!
I think you're right that you would have to paint it on though, since dipping the mirror would be problematic, unless you detach the glass and protect the threading.
In regards to the cover, my Italia lives outside. I recently got a small Bilt deluxe motorcycle cover (on sale $40); and it fits great and is of better quality than the Prima cover I was using. I decided to replace the Prima when the latch on my topcase snapped - the Prima wouldn't fit over the milk crate I used to replace the case. Plus after only a few months, the prima was getting torn up.
michelle_7728 wrote: I park in a garage at home and at work. However, has anyone tried painting their mirrors with that black rubbery stuff that you can dip screwdriver handles in? I'm wondering if that would keep them from rusting a bit longer...
I garage at home, not at work. Nor do I cover at work, too afraid that the cover (which I don't even have) would act like a sail and pull the scoot over. I came out one evening after work to see two big bikes that were previously covered that afternoon laying on their sides.
I do however have a slight amount of rust, nothing to really worry about yet, on my mirror stems, I like the 'PlastiDip' idea.
Hmmmmmm.......Color match other than black?
Aging is mandatory, growing up is optional.
My kids call me 'crazy', I prefer 'Eccentric'.
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I have a Dowco. I think it's a large - my shop new the size I needed to cover with my top case. It's got the shield for the exhaust so you can cover it as soon as you're stopped. it also has grommets so you can put like a bicycle chain lock through so folks won't steal the cover. My shop guy said he's never had a scooter stolen but he has had several covers - usually when it's raining.
I'm back to scrapping it off once a week and then rubbing it with WD40 since the consensus is that WILL help not harm.
