Modern Vespa

http://www.cycleshell.com/index.html

So I inquired here about this product a few weeks ago, and no one seemed to own it. I decided to buy it, and post my thoughts about it here in case someone else is interested.

The reason I need this is because I live in apartment complex with no garage, so I was worried about weather and theft.

i ordered it about a week and a half ago, and the guy, Mark, was super helpful. He makes them himself by order in Denver, Colorado, and he also apparently takes the orders too. He helped me find the right size for my bike, and emailed me a tracking number after he shipped it.

I received it a couple of days ago, and my first thought was how much nicer it is in person compared to the picture. The materials used are top rate, and it looks pretty cool when installed. It looks very sturdy. I ordered the sport size, and my P200 fits perfectly, it even has room in the front of it for some storage. I'm thinking about putting a small shelf in there for a few spare parts and tools. The center stand plate could be a couple of inches wider. My center stand barely fits, but I'm not too worried about it because my center stand has rubber feet. I'm sure if you told the manufacturer he would just cut you a bigger plate. I might email him soon to do that for me.

As far as weather protection goes, it looks more than adequate. Its no comparison for a heated garage, but I think it will do. The material used is heavy duty and I have no doubt it will stand up to the crazy southern Louisiana rain we get here. I was worried about humidity, but the vents look very large, so I guess we'll see.

As far as theft protection goes, I'm not sure. It has the ability to be locked closed, but obviously, if someone really wanted to get inside of it, it would only take a couple of knife slashes to get inside. I think it might attract more attention versus a regular cover, so I'm worried about that. But you are able to chain your bike to the base, and its about 75 lbs, so it might deter a novice thief. The base is able to be ground anchored with supplied metal stakes, but since my living situation is not permanent, I worry about being able to take it with me. I might end up buying a kryptonite ground anchor, and just leaving it there when I move.

So, all in all, I'm happy with the purchase, and I would recommend it to someone without a garage. If anyone has questions, or is interested in looking at pictures just let me know, and I'll post some.

megnez,
Thanks for the write-up.I'm sure someone will find it informative.Yea,I would be more worried about the shell getting taken,rather than your scooter.My neighbor has one and when he is gone,it appears like anyone could easily just pick it up the shell and run with it.I say appears but I assume he must have the shell anchored somehow......Thanks again.


Tim

How about a pic or two of how you have yours set up. This looks interesting to me for setup at the house I am selling until I sell it, a lot better than the tarp I throw over my ride right now.

Looks like a scooter tent! Now you can take it camping with you! Don't forget your pet tent (aka "pup tent") for the critters, too:

Hello Megnez,

I was wondering how your CycleShell has been working out for you? Do you have anymore comments, thoughts or suggestions to add?

Zowie!!
At $325-$425, thas a lot more moola than a standard cover'd cost, no?

I also think that if I were a thief I'd be a lot more apt to slash that to see what was inside, rather than with a standard bike cover....
But I could see it in a backyard or other somewhat protective place, away from the street!

Let us know how it works out.........

Its great. I live in an apartment complex with a gate, so I'm not too worried about it being slashed open. I bought it more for environmental protection rather than security. I don't have a garage, and the weather here can be a bit harsh on things left outside. When its not storming or 90% humidity, the sun will kill anything. Its much better than a standard cover:

-It gets it off the ground with its 1" thick outdoor grade plastic base, so if my parking lot has standing water, the tires aren't sitting in stagnant water.

- There's enough room in there so it never touches my bike, which is great for humidity. Before I bought this, I had just a normal cover, and i would sometimes take off the cover to find a wet seat and/or headset where the cover was touching the bike due to condensation and humidity. In fact there's so much room in it, I just bought a small craftsman tool chest to keep in there. Since I'm doing my own maintenance, I've been buying a lot of tools, and I need somewhere besides my 700 sq ft apartment i share with my girlfriend and our two cats to keep them. So there's enough room in there for some storage too since my Vespa is shorter than the average motorcycle its designed for.

- Its very well made. top notch materials, and made in Colorado by order from the guy you talk to on the phone to place your order. so you don't have to worry about factory defects, or improper assembly. It comes fully assembled. If the cover ever gets damaged, you can place an order just for the cover part, so you don't have to pay for another base.

- I feel more confident with it in my parking lot than without it. Because its big and has reflectors on it, it can sufficiently take up a parking space and be seen at night. Before i was always worried someone would speed into the parking space i had it in without seeing it because the cover i had on it basically made it camouflaged at night.

If you have any other particular questions about it let me know.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! ''
Thank you for the response. I do have one other question. Do you feel the need to secure it to the ground, or are you comfortable just leaving unsecured to the ground?

Well, like i said, i live in a gated apartment complex, so for security sake, i'm not too worried. If the bike is in it, its heavy. If its not in it, its 72 pounds by itself. So, take what you will. It comes with screws to anchor it, but since my living situation isn't permanent, I didn't go that route because i want to take it with me when i move. I did purchase a kryptonite ground anchor so i could just unchain it if need be, but never installed it. You could look into it:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/5/18/178/2785/ITEM/Kryptonite-Stronghold-Above-Ground-Anchor.aspx

pics pics pics.... We don't see any pics!

Sounds like the ideal solution for you!

And I guess expense is not always the prime consideration either...
I'm thinking about getting a $300+ table lift simply so I don't have to lay down on my garage floor to maintain the oil, lubes, and tires on my scoots. My younger son-in-law scoffs at this, saying how hard can it be to get under those things? -But hey, he ain't not 70 years old either...

pics
http://burgmanusa.com/gallery/micbergsma/cycleshell/

Here are a couple i had on my hard drive. Yesterday, i put a craftsman tool chest in the front of it with room to spare.

that looks like some good protection. i see what you mean about the kickstand plate being to small. you could probably go buy some extra diamond plate and pop-rivet or glue it down to get the extra coverage.

thanks for the pics

PERFECT!!! This is just what I had in mind!!! I will most certainly be putting one of these on order! Thank you guys for for posting the pictures. Somehow your real world pictures do a much better job of selling than those found on the cycleshell site.

Nice cover, but I like the scoot more. Beautiful P.

Thanks!

That is pretty cool. If I didn't already have a garage...

I want to thank the original poster for this thread. I got a Fly 150 in
march 08 and dont have a garage. I was thinking of getting one of those little sheds like from sears.
But there was some objection to a tool shed in the driveway so just had a crappy nylon cover. Useless,wet,filthy. Did I mention useless?
MAJOR hassle while being useless.

After a year my Fly was showing the effects of the weather. After being rained on for days a fight broke out over the issue. I needed a solution!

My shell arrived yesterday (took 2weeks from mailing the check) and have parked it without hassle. I could close it with 1 hand. Easy! And dry!
The quality is incredible. Worth every nickel for anyone without a garage or a shed.
Thanks to the OP and Modernvespa forum youve really been a good friend.

My cycleshell is on sale now, it's on austin craigslist