Material to put on gravel for bike parking?

[qwerty123]

Hello forum denizens,

I've got my R65 (Penelope) parked on gravel in my back yard. I'd like suggestions on what sort of material I might put down to make for a better / more stable parking surface. I'm thinking a 3/4" thick, 4x8 foot piece of plywood might last long enough to justify its cost, but if you happen to have any better suggestions I'd be glad to hear them. Cement board? Countertop material?

Thanks much!

[marcmax]

I made a parking area using 1 ft square concrete garden tiles from the garden section of the local home improvement store. They are cheap, easy to make an area the right size and will last forever.

[Tony Smith]

Whoever installed air conditioners and heaters in your vicinity will have access to a source of various sized pre-fab concrete bases for putting such devices on. They make perfect parking bases for motorcycles. The small ones just provide a footing for the side or centre stand, larger ones will take the whole bike.

[Luca]

Plywood works well enough under the stands, but it can become very slippery when wet.  Covering it with paint/varnish/glue mixed with sand will give a little more traction, but cement "pavers" really would be the way to go.  Set them a little higher than the surrounding gravel and you will ensure that rain doesn't collect and evaporate under Penelope.

[montmil]

Nix the plywood idea. Unless you spend bigger dollars on some type of weatherproof plywood, basic sheet goods will de-laminate muy pronto. I also wouldn't take bets on how long before your center or sidestand breaks through the soggy lumber and the bike goes over.

Cheaping out on a good bike parking base might eventually cost substantial repair$.

A good, heavyweight, weatherproof and vented bike cover should also be on your shopping list.

[qwerty123]

Thanks very much for the thoughts folks. I'll have a look around for some pre-cast pieces of concrete.

[nhmaf]

+1 on the concrete / pavers approach instead of a sheet of plywood.  You also want something (ideally) that won't cause water to pool/collect under the bike.
With the cement blocks it will roll off or seep between the cracks.

[Snakeoil]

Qwerty,

You don't show where you are located. So weather/climate considerations are unknown.

The suggestion of a breathable cover is right on the mark. The sun will probably do more damage than rain or birds. It will kill the faces on your speedo, make the lenses cloud or yellow, will fade the paint, destroy your upholstery and make your tires age faster.

The problem with gravel is moisture is always under the bike unless you life in New Mexico or Arizona. So, if you decide to put down concrete pavers (Home Depot, Lowes and other building supply houses sell them) I would suggest that you do as follows.

Excavate the are so the pavers will be flush or just slightly raised about the gravel surface. Put a layer or two of polyethylene sheeting down and crown it in the middle so that any rain water will run to the outside. You can then put a light layer of sand over it into which you'll set your pavers. You could also use stone dust or your existing gravel. With this method, the moisture in the ground will not rise up and keep your covered bike in a constant atmosphere of very high humidity. If you have large climate swings (cold nights, warm days) the ground moisture could condense on the bike and it will never be truly dry under the cover.

If it were me, I'd buy a small shed and put it in the shed rather than leave it outside with a cover. If you do that, then put poly under the shed as well. I know of two cars, a Triumph GT6 and a DeTomaso Pantera that were both destroyed by covering them while parked on bare ground. The Pantera all but dissolved over the course of a few years. For what you will pay for a good, breathable cover, you could probably buy a cheap metal shed.

regards,
Rob