Bike Shifting in Arabic College

Households around Arabic College have a lot of fabric, and some of it ends up outside. When a bike cover tears, or never gets bought, an old saree, a bedsheet or a length of curtain goes over the motorcycle instead. It is free, it is to hand, and it works well enough on a dry day.

Fabric like that has a few habits, though. Cotton and silk soak up rain and hold it, so a bike under a wet saree stays damp underneath long after the sun is out. That damp sits on chrome, on the tank and on the seat. Dyed fabric can bleed colour when wet, and a pale seat or a white panel ends up with a faint pink or blue tint that doesn't wash off. A loose cloth also flaps against the paint in the wind, and fine dust trapped beneath it acts like sandpaper.

Pets and birds add to it. A cloth over a bike is a favourite roost for pigeons on a covered porch and a warm bed for a street cat, and both leave marks that etch into paint if they sit for weeks. Under the saree, you may find more than dust.

On moving day, those problems show up at the worst moment. Our crew lifts the cloth off to photograph the bike for the condition note, and finds stains, water spots or dull patches. Some are old, some are new, and it is hard to tell which. A bike that has been under a damp saree for a week can also have a film of moisture on the seat and switches.

So deal with it a few days before collection. Take the improvised cover off. Let the bike stand uncovered in the shade for a day or two to dry out completely. Wash it with plain water and a soft cloth, and let it dry again. Then look at it in daylight. Any dye marks, rust spots or dull patches you find are old, and you can point them out at pickup so they go on the note as existing.

For the move, the bike travels uncovered on the carrier, strapped and padded, or under a proper fitted cover if you have one. A loose cloth isn't strapped to a bike in transit; it flaps, catches the straps and can blow off.

At the new house, buy a proper breathable bike cover if you want one. Pick one sized for your bike, with an elastic hem and a tie under the belly, so it doesn't blow off in the first gust. It costs little and it lets damp escape rather than trapping it.

Packing sarees and hanging clothes for the household is covered on the Arabic College packers page. The one that was doing a bike cover's job is the subject here.

An electric scooter under a damp cloth is worse off than a petrol one, because moisture near the charging port and switches is not good for electrics. Dry it out fully before collection and before charging. Give us the maker and battery arrangement when you book.