Anyone who knows Eric knows that he is pretty particular about the motorcycles we transport.
We regularly have some beautiful bikes in the back of Darcy, from brand new motorcycles and sports bikes to classics, restorations and some very special high value machines. Whatever we're carrying, once a motorcycle is handed over to us, we want to look after it properly.
There was one thing that kept irritating us though and it's the British weather.
The problem isn't inside the van
All of our motorcycles are transported inside our fully enclosed van which is a Mercedes Sprinter LWB, so once they're safely loaded they're protected from the elements.
The problem is the bit before and after.
You can arrive to collect a beautifully clean motorcycle and just as you're ready to load it, the heavens open. The same can happen at the other end when we're unloading ready to hand the bike over to its owner.
We can't do much about the British weather.
Until now, if a customer's motorcycle got wet during loading or unloading, Eric would spend time carefully drying it off before handover.
We decided it would be much better to try to stop it getting wet in the first place.
Meet the Bike Blanket
We've now invested in a specialist waterproof Bike Blanket to give suitable motorcycles some extra protection during wet weather collections and deliveries.
Unlike an ordinary motorcycle cover, it's designed so the bike can still be manoeuvred while it's fitted.
The Bike Blanket is 100% waterproof with a multi layer protective construction. It has access to the controls and foot pegs, an adjustable Velcro belly strap plus a side-stand cut-out.
In other words, we can get the blanket onto the bike before moving it out into the rain, rather than trying to cover it once it's already wet.
Simple idea, but a very useful one.
Will we use it on every motorcycle?
No.
We transport a huge variety of motorcycles, from sports bikes and classics to Harleys, adventure bikes and electric motorcycles. One cover isn't going to fit everything.
The motorcycle also needs to be clean before we fit the Bike Blanket. We won't put a close fitting cover over a dirty or gritty bike as there's a risk of dirt being trapped between the blanket and the paintwork.
Where the Bike Blanket is suitable and the motorcycle is clean before we arrive, we'll use it when the weather calls for it.
It's simply another option we now have available to help protect a customer's bike.
It's the little things that matter
There isn't anything particularly exciting about a motorcycle transport company buying a waterproof cover.
For us though, it's part of something bigger.
Over the last few years we've continued to invest in our vans, security and specialist motorcycle transport equipment. Not because everything is absolutely necessary to get a motorcycle from A to B, but because we think the way it gets there matters too.
Some of the motorcycles we're trusted with are worth a considerable amount of money. Others might not have an enormous financial value, but they're completely irreplaceable to their owners.
A bike might have been painstakingly restored over several years. It could be someone's pride and joy, a motorcycle they've just bought after wanting one for years or simply a bike they've owned for decades.
We don't decide how important a motorcycle is based on its price tag.
We just look after it.
So if buying another piece of specialist equipment helps us hand a motorcycle back to its owner clean and dry, it's money well spent.
It also means Eric shouldn't have to stand there drying motorcycles with a cloth quite so often.
Although knowing Eric, he'll probably check them anyway.
Professional Motorcycle Transport from Bury St Edmunds
ETS Motorbike Transport is based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, providing professional, fully enclosed motorcycle transport throughout Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex and across England & Wales.
We transport motorcycles for private customers, motorcycle dealerships and businesses, with both Standard and Premium motorcycle transport services available.
Whether we're collecting a classic motorcycle, sports bike, restoration, new purchase or something particularly special, we'll give it the same care we'd expect someone to give our own bikes.
Rain included.