Lidl Motorcycle Rain Cover

Lidl recently ran one of their Motorcycle accessory weeks, which featured some rock bottom priced rain covers. Since the lining on my old R&G cover was disintegrating and leaving a cloud of white fluff over the bike each morning, I thought I’d give them a go.

We also needed a cover for Mary’s ZZR400, so at just £9 each, we managed to buy two for less than the price of the R&G cover or a basic Oxford cover. But were they cheap and cheerful or do you really get what you pay for? Read on…

The covers are very thin, made from a lightweight material with no lining. There are no ventilation holes, so condensation building up inside could be a long term issue. There are also no holes for threading security chains etc. Interestingly, there is a clear window at the back so your number plate can still be visible. Along the bottom of the cover there is some elastic and a couple of small eyelets for threading a supplied cord through to secure the cover.Also supplied is a small bag to store the cover in.

The first thing that strikes you about the covers is the size, they’re huge! These would cover a semi detached Goldwing with ease. They swamp my Fazer 600 and Mary’s ZZR400, stretching down to the floor with no need to fold mirrors in or remove luggage. It worries me how much crap and wet they’ll pick up off the ground however. Due to their size the number plate window falls much to low to actually display your plate (for better or for worse). The cord for tying the covers is a faff, as it needs manually threading through the eyelets each time, not great if it’s been dragging in all the wet crap on the floor.

There is no mention in the blurb of whether the covers can withstand a hot exhaust, just a warning to be kept away from fire. Either way, I wouldn’t like to risk it. Being so light weight does mean the covers can be folded away small very easily. Unlike my padded R&G one which really bulky

Overall, only time will tell regarding how well these covers withstand the elements. In the meantime they appear functional, certainly not the best, but at just £9 each I don’t feel ripped off. Especially as my last R&G cover cost four times this and has only lasted a year.

Update: These covers lasted a couple of years, before they finally weakened from the sun and elements, then tore a little. Certainly lasted longer than the R&G cover, and on par with Oxford Aquatex covers which are also more money. I would buy them again (albeit a few sizes smaller), but I’ve haven’t seen them stocked in Lidl for some time.

Rating: 4/5.