Exposure to the elements can cause a lot of wear and tear to your motorcycle and, for some riders, space in a garage is not always an option. Using a motorcycle cover on your bike is a good solution and can help ward off the damage, but in some cases using a cover for long term storage can prove to be inconvenient. Depending on weather conditions and the type of bike, a cover can cause damage to painted surfaces and windshields.

If you’re a rider without indoor parking, a fantastic option is the SpeedWay Shelter. It is basically a high-quality, temporary garage for your motorcycle. The SpeedWay Shelter not only protects your bike from weather and sun, but creates a protective barrier around it, due to the steel frame structure.

We tested the Standard Sport Shelter. There’s also a larger touring bike shelter and one large enough for two bikes. (There are a number of options and various pricing levels. In addition, AMA members receive a free double-duty cover upgrade. See the website for details.)

Our SpeedWay Shelter was delivered in two boxes, one for the structure itself and another for the non-slip rubber floor. Even though the product is pretty heavy, at about 45 pounds, it comes in a handy carrying case that I was actually able to easily re-pack it into with no trouble at all. This is great since sometimes it can be difficult to get any product back into its original packaging or carrying bag.

Assembly was easy, with no tools required. I put it together in about 15 minutes without hurrying, with guidance from the provided instructions. Once the framework was complete, draping the waterproof cover material over the top made attaching the Velcro straps to the tubing very simple. It only took a few minutes for this step and, once all was completed, getting the material centered and secured couldn’t have been easier.

Once assembled, the standard sport shelter is 110 inches long, 45 inches wide and 66 inches high.

With everything put together, it was time to test it out. We adjusted the position of the shelter to be as evenly situated on the flooring as possible and, for the time being, weighted the framework down with three-gallon buckets filled with sand. (Eventually we will build a platform as recommended in the instruction booklet but for now our system works really well.)

Using the shelter is simple. You ride up, remove your lock, open the cover, shut off your bike, close and lock the cover and you’re on your way. No more folding and unfolding your cover, messy chain lube stains, or waiting for pipes to cool off. One recommendation I would give is to have a piece of plywood for your kickstand, as it likely would damage the floor material with regular use.

Since rain wasn’t in the forecast, my wife and I doused the shelter with a garden hose sprayer. No water got past the shelter. With a bike cover, the wind can blow the cover off your bike during a storm. Unless the entire structure is blown apart (very unlikely), that won’t happen with the SpeedWay Shelter.

Finally, the silver reflective, double-duty cover that came with the shelter provides additional protection to the material, and the included light is helpful for using the cover after dark.

Overall, I would give the SpeedWay Shelter two thumbs up. If you need to safely and securely protect your motorcycle from the elements, or even offer additional protection to a show bike from accidents in the garage, this is the way to go.—Dean McNicol