BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

My bike lives in a 7m x 3m garage with a slightly leaky roof. I wouldn't call it damp - all my tools and so on live in there and they don't get rusty - but neither would I consider it a particularly dry environment. One result of this is that if I put my bike away after a wet ride it can still be wet - to the extent that there may be visible water drops still sitting on it - several days later. This annoys and worries me but at the same time I don't have either the time or the patience to dry the bike after a wet ride home from work.

A while back I bought a small dehumidifier to dry out the inside of a convertible car which had suffered a leak. The dehumidifier has ended up in the garage (it's where everything ends up eventually) and last night I had the thought to plug it in, stick it next to the bike, and leave it running on it's built-in timer for 8 hours.

This morning I checked the result. Dehumidifier full of water, bike completely dry. Result! So I thought I would share.

The dehumidifier I used is the one in the link below. It's a 'dessicant' type, meaning that it works at low temperatures, so perfect for my unheated garage. Okay it's not the cheapest thing around, but if it helps keep my bike in good condition - plus I expect to use it for a variety of other things over time - then I'm happy with it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00I5NEZ78/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Good to know for when mine springs a leak.

RTman10 wrote: Good to know for when mine springs a leak.

or you could just fix the roof...

richardbd wrote:
or you could just fix the roof...

Hadn't thought of that.

Used to have a trawler, in the two cabins had electric dehumidifirers that did a excellent job of preventing mildew. Check out marine supply stores, on this side of the pond we have West Marine, which has online sales
As others have said fix the leak first

I have also used desiccant bags, but they work best in a tightly enclosed space, such as inside a vehicle.  Not a bad idea to put a couple on the seats just before you cover a bike for the winter (indoors, not outdoors).


https://www.amazon.com/Silica-Desiccant-Dry-Packs-Prevent-Corrosion/dp/B004N6JQFW

We have a version of those desiccant bags (see link below). In the winter it lives in our MX-5 convertible to help ward off the damp that comes in through the hood. They are very clever - with a plastic screen through which you can see the crystals and when they get saturated you just microwave it a couple of times to dry them out again.


http://www.lakeland.co.uk/24575/Dashboard-Dehumidifier?gclid=CjwKEAjwtbPGBRDhoLaqn6HknWsSJABR-o5s5e_uIZfBTx3Locx65KMinjAZfGdlIrHZuZwd8KB4whoCGnTw_wcB&src=gfeed&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!105382587029!!!g!43864963205!&ef_id=WJNRiQAAACvEQO95:20170318153753:s

Such high tech(?) is also used with great success when packing gas turbines into transportation bags!!

I use a very small dehumidifier in my garage as the wife has a tumble drier in situ. it costs about 15£ and does the job really well. After about 6 hours it will have taken a mug full of water out of the air.


[size=21px !important][size=19px !important]500ml AirPro Mini Compact Air Dehumidifier for Home, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom, Caravan etc on Amazon[/size]