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How to Protect Your Motorcycle From Falling Branches and Trees

Wind, heavy snow, and ice bring down branches every year. Here's how to pick a safe spot, get ready for storms, and what a storage shelter can and can't do, with real photos and video from Speedway Shelter customers.

Fallen tree across a backyard shed and a Speedway Shelter after a storm

Caught on camera

A Branch Comes Down on a Touring Shelter

Customer security-camera footage from a snowy backyard. The Touring Speedway Shelter sits at the right edge of the frame.

A customer's storm

When a Tree Comes Down

During a storm, a tree came down in this customer's backyard. It crushed the wooden shed next to their Speedway Shelter and landed on the shelter, tearing the cover.

No portable shelter, carport, or cover is built to stop a falling tree. That's why where you set up matters as much as what you store.

If a storm damages your shelter, you don't have to start over: replacement covers are sold for every size, and we can help with frame parts. Email us photos and we'll tell you what you need.

Speedway Shelter with a torn cover after a tree fell on it in a storm Fallen tree trunk lying across a backyard after a storm

Prevention

6 Ways to Protect Your Bike From Falling Branches

Most branch damage is preventable. A few minutes of planning before storm season does more than any cover.

01

Pick a Spot With Open Sky

Set up away from overhanging limbs and dead or leaning trees. A driveway, patio, or level wooden base in the open is ideal.

02

Trim Before Storm Season

Have dead and overhanging branches cut back before winter and storm season, ideally by a tree professional. Then work through our motorcycle winterization checklist.

03

Watch for Ice and Heavy Snow

Ice-coated branches are the ones that snap. Brush heavy snow off the shelter: the steel frame holds 150+ lbs of snow, but clearing it keeps the cover in top shape.

04

Anchor It Down

Bolt the shelter to concrete or asphalt with the included anchor bolts (6 for Sport and Touring, 8 for Deluxe) or to a wooden base, so wind can't shift it.

05

Use a Shelter, Not Just a Cover

A bike cover drapes right on the bike, so anything that falls lands on the bike. A shelter's steel frame stands over the bike, and its cover never touches it. Shelters vs. covers vs. pods.

06

Check After Every Storm

Clear debris, look for tears in the cover and bent frame tubes, and replace a torn cover before water gets in. Photos and receipts of your bike make an insurance claim easier.

Storm safety FAQ

Falling Branch & Storm Questions

Will a motorcycle shelter protect my bike from falling branches?

A shelter puts a powder-coated steel frame and a heavy-duty cover between your bike and falling branches, pine cones, and debris, and the cover never touches the bike. No portable shelter is built to stop a falling tree or a large limb, so the safest plan is to set up away from overhanging branches.

Where should I put a motorcycle shelter if my yard has trees?

Choose a level spot with open sky above, away from dead, leaning, or overhanging trees. Measure for the outside footprint: about 110" × 45" for the Sport, 138" × 56" for the Touring, and 140" × 80" for the Deluxe, plus room to walk around it.

What should I do after a storm?

Clear snow, ice, and debris; check the cover for tears and the frame for bent tubes; and email us photos if anything is damaged. We'll help you find the right replacement cover or parts.

Can I replace just the cover if a branch tears it?

Yes. Replacement covers are sold by size (SS-1 Sport, TS-1 Touring, DS-1 Deluxe), so you keep your frame and replace only the cover.

Shelter Damaged in a Storm?

Email us photos (preferred) and we'll help you find the right replacement cover or parts. You can also call 831-477-9600, Mon–Fri, 9am–4pm PT.