American Rider Magazine

PRODUCT REVIEWS - BIKE BARN

Prying, curious hands and airborne schmutz are the bane of motorcyclists everywhere. Park your Harley outside and it's vulnerable to all kinds of perils, including rain, snow, hail, sun fading, aerial assault by our feathered friends and unauthorized Y paws.

Bike Barn to the rescue. Bike Barns are little portable canvas garages that come in three sizes. The Sport model, designed for smaller machines like Sportsters; the Standard size that we tried out, which will fit most Harley cruisers comfortably, and the Tourer that's large enough even for an Ultra Classic with all the luggage in place.

Bike Barns can be installed on patios, in carports, or out in the open at home or office. Unlike garden-variety motorcycle covers, Bike Barn is a non-contact motorcycle enclosure, so it won't rub against your bike's paint, abrading its finish. Just tilt the front up and it stays in place. Park your bike insides, step out and pull the cover down. There's even a small latch setup that allows a padlock to be installed. The sturdy cover is waterproofed and has two screened openings with flaps that provide ventilation.

Bike Barn's upper metal frame is made of galvanized-steel tubing, which is formed so that it can be assembled into U-shaped bows. The bows fit into sleeves in the canvas cover and then bolt to the lower perimeter frame.

Assembly was fairly easy. With about 20 nuts and bolts, plus a handful of washers, it took a little over an hour. There's a metal plate that goes across the bottom near the front that's designed to be anchored to the ground or pavement to hold the Bike Barn down when it's windy (or needed to keep wanna-be thieves from carrying it away). Everything that's needed for assembly is included, except for anchor hardware.

Since we've had the Bike Barn, the wind hasn't really kicked up. However, the canvas and framework appear to be quite sturdy. According to PTI, they've tested a Bike Barn in a wind tunnel at 75mph from both ends with no damage or adverse effects.

Obviously, the Bike Barn isn't as secure as storing your Harley in a real garage, but it does provide protection from the elements. All Bike Barns come with a two-year warranty and prices include shipping anywhere in North America. We found it to be a nicely made product that will help protect your bike.

Ken Freund