Oxford Stormex Motorcycle Cover - Review
A high value throwover style cover from Oxford, the Stormex is fully lined with a nice and soft, heatproof lining and has a reassuringly heavy weight to it. It also seems to offer a decent amount of room for larger bikes and comes with natty features such as chain loops and reflective panels, we put the Oxford Stormex Motorcycle Cover to the test in some really quite heavy rain
Initial Thoughts
Grabbing hold of the parcel you get a feel for the weight of this cover, the Oxford Stormex is no lightweight model at all which is nice to know because for around £60 you want to get a quality product. On first opening the package you notice a thick and durable feeling PVC outer and a fleece lining, the Stormex comes with openings on the front that allows for a chain to be easily fed through for greater security (who wants to be fiddling under a dripping cover to undo a lock?) they also included reflective panels on front and back and a fully elasticated base which In my opinion is a very nice touch.
Construction
As already mentioned the Stormex cover is made from a PVC outer and a nice luxurious soft and fleecy type inner liner, one top point on the Stormex cover is that it is heat proof to 150 degrees C and is safe to pop on while the bike is still warm, some models on the market require you to cool the bike down first. Size wise this is very generous and even though I ride a sportsbike it is an older model and much larger than the current stock of micro machines on the market, the Stormex covers the bike amply and saves you the rigmarole of trying to stretch it out when putting it on.
The first test was done during some heavy rain periods and having ridden the bike I popped the cover on with the engine hot then left mother nature to supply the wet... Oh and she did! If I am honest when I took off the cover I noticed the base had soaked up a lot of water and drawn it up the cover, this led to the bike being smeared with dirty ground water as I lifted it off - not really a great start really though the upper half of the bike was nice and dry. I did notice that the soft liner had also picked up a bit of oil from my chain/wheel and transferred it to the bike.
The second chance I had to test the Stormex I tried to keep the PVC outer on the ground and not the soft lining in order to stop the rain soaking in, the next morning was a pretty similar result though as the base was drenched through, I lifted the cover (carefully) off the bike and noticed that where the cover had sat directly on the bike such as the fuel tank there was a dampness, to me this looks like the Stormex has let a little of the rain through. Over time of using the Oxford Stormex I have seen the soft lining pick up more dirt and grease off the bike, unless you wash down your ride every time you have taken it out I doubt you could avoid this, the liner has its advantages in terms of scratch protection I guess but disadvantages in other areas.
Tech Specs
Ultimate all-weather bike Protection WARNING: this cover cannot be put straight onto any Motorcycle with a catalytic converter as these exhausts can reach temperatures of 500 degrees C +. Tough on the outside, to protect against the weather Soft on the inside to protect your paintwork from scratches Heat-resistant to 150 degrees C
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Conclusion
Honestly, I expected more from the Stormex as it really should have been impervious to water for the money. It was very easy to fit with the ample elastic along the base and room interior but the number one quality you want in a rain cover is waterproofing.
It may have been that we got a duff cover or an older model perhaps but to my mind the soft lining created more problems than it perhaps should have - maybe removing a few inches from the base would be a better idea?
If you live in a place where dust is an issue or you just want to keep your bike under wraps the Stormex may do you very well, as for wet conditions - your mileage may vary.
