U should get an air tight plastic incubation chamber.

 

9x12 drop cloth from Home Depot - Cheap, breathable.

Didn't used to cover it... My old RK was - well - "old" so I didn't notice anything in particular. My '08 SG on the other hand -- After the 1st winter (Chicago area, mind you), all the "inside" bolt heads were orange (micro-thin rust coating). Drop cloth after that.

Never really though about it before -- Every time I pull into the garage, salt and salt-water is falling off my car - And the fan is blowing dried salt up into the air, covering the bike.

Last winter (my '11 EGC's first winter), I used the drop cloth and the bike looked "showroom" (other than some fiber dust from the cloth) in the spring.

I [iSELF-CENSORED]-ing can't wait for spring. We haven't even had a substantial snowfall here yet.

 

Cover !

 

My approach is a bit different - I moved to south Florida where I don't have to store the bike for the winter any more. No cover - problem solved

Seriously though, when I was living in Vermont and did store the bike for 5 months I used a breathable cover with a soft inside and made sure the tailpipes were covered to guard against any 4-legged winter residents. Bike came out great in March...ok sometimes April

 

I would not cover it.

 

Inside you just want dust protection and not a waterproof barrier. An old cotton sheet should work fine. Even outside a water proof barrier that does not have vents is bad. Most cheap covers don't have vents.

If you are concerned about corrosion try fogging the bike or at least anything that may rust with a can of engine fogging oil, you can always wash this off in spring.

 

Couple of soft flannel sheets on the Duece as it doesnt see much use. Ultra sits bare as I ride all winter as lpng as the roads are bare. Waterproof covers are a no no for long term storage.

 

Make sure that if you do cover it in the garage to put something down on the concrete so that moisture doesn't rise up and get trapped under it. Even with a breathable cover, moisture can be a problem and can cause issues with the chrome. You can get a barrier from Lowes or Home Depot that will do the trick. Without the concrete barrier, I would not cover my bike for a long period of time in the garage.

 

Sounds like a sheet or drop cloth is the way to go. I've got it hooked to a battery tender and dryer sheets in the pipes. Thanks everyone for the great advice.