A brother, contributor, official Bikernet certified welder, VP of Bikernet Manufacturing, Dr. Feng, lives on a rusting steel ketch in the Wilmington marina. He recently agreed to a long-term road test of a 650 ATK cruiser. The notion of living on a boat is a romantic, solitary existence, rocking to sleep each night by splashing seawater against the drifting hull of a yacht. It’s a dreamy lifestyle, containing just a couple of drawbacks.
First, it’s fraught with all the bullshit regs of a condo complex, and perhaps even more with new environmental and terrorism agencies springing up around the country like ObamaCare clinics administering your right to health care, then maybe the right to food, shelter, transportation, and a job. Why not, but that one might be the line- in- the- sand for many recipients. I’m sure they want all their rights except for that last one, the right to a job.
There’s one more drawback for most marina dwellers, no garage. Some have storage lockers, or small shelters, and there’s a business model huddled under a flimsy cover right there, a new marina design with garages for some slip renters. There are more and more stifling regulations against working on your own boat, so this scenario will perhaps never come to pass, to afford boat owners a place to store tools and boat restoration supplies.
There you have it, a brother with a new ATK motorcycle slipping down narrow winding roads to his floating clubhouse. He desperately needed shelter and security for his freedom ride and Speed-way Shelters offered to “Gimme Shelter.”
Here’s the official company description:
Speed-Way Motorsport Shelters are custom, secure, and private, miniature motorsport garages with a retractable “roll top” feature allowing for fast, immediate, easy access to your cycle! The main features and benefits of Speed-Way Shelters are weather proofing, ease of assembly and use, strong and durable long lasting materials and construction, custom designs with high functionality … all this affordably priced with two models to choose from.
Simply pull your cycle right into a Speed-Way motorcycle shelter, lower the retractable cover over your bike and you are done! With our motorcycle covers there is no wait time for pipes to cool. Rest assured with Speed-Way covers knowing your bike is fully protected from all outdoor elements, in all seasons, from winter to summer. Our motorcycle covers were designed with you in mind … the professional motorcyclist, the motorcycle commuter, and the weekend rider. They’ve got you covered!
Speed-Way Motorsport Shelters come in two sizes…the Standard-Sport Model and the Specialized Touring Model. Use the motorcycle-sizing guide to help identify the Speed-Way motorcycle cover that best fits your specific bike, such as Honda, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson and more. If there are ever any questions about the make or model of your motorcycle, or any other questions about our motorcycle covers, the Speed-Way staff is available for immediate assistance. Call their customer service department at 831-477-9600. 
Dr. Feng’s first project was to find the perfect parking spot to attach his Speed-Way cover. He found one close to the entry gate and readily visible to anyone coming or going in the Marina. He also chose to position it back almost 5 feet from the wheel stop, to prevent a drunk or distracted motorist from thinking he found an empty spot and whipping into the space only to rear end his unsuspecting 650 ATK.
The sun was beginning to set as we attempted to install the Speed-Way, and with any experience this task would take less than 10 minutes. The entire kit is carefully packed in a crate, then in a Speedway box, and in a tough canvas-like Speed-Way carry-on bag.
It comes with a one-year manufacturer’s defects warranty and complete instructions. Get this:
NO TOOLS ARE REQUIRED FOR ASSEMBLY OF YOUR SPEED-WAY SHELTER!
That’s sort of true. If you decide to install the supplied cement anchors, you need a concrete drill and wrenches, but we will get there. And you better have a sharp knife to cut through packing straps, shipping tape, bubble-wrap and cardboard containers.
Otherwise, we spread out the components as suggested and went to work slipping pieces together like an erector- set puzzle. The instructions show one young individual erecting the Gimme Shelter, but it was handy to have one drunk hold some pieces while the smoker lit a cigarette and picked through the carefully marked pieces.
Dr. Feng laid down the anchor plate with the deck mounting holes for concrete fasteners first, and then the crossbar with its web of moveable rails like a series of roll bars. The instructions indicated for the concrete fastening holes to be faced to the outside. Everything just slipped and snapped together.
They even color-coded components to keep the process on the proper track. Next, we grabbed the two vertical support rails with wing-nut fasteners attached. We installed one then discovered its distinct design element. One end was pinched in a specific direction for a tight fit to the top rail. We took advantage of this design element and reversed the leg position.
Then we started to install the top cross bar poles, and they were all the same and clicked right into place. One more cross member attached the remaining frame element on the deck.
With the frame completed, the sun dropped out of sight and semi-darkness engulfed the parking area. We kept going and draped the strong, thick, coated cover over the frame and Dr. Feng crawled inside, peeled long Velcro flaps and positioned them over the floor bars, then over the cross members. There were more than enough Velcro straps to hold the cover securely.
It also contains screens and flap covered windows to afford ventilation. The flaps can be toggled to allow open vents. About that time, we made a call to Jeremiah, our construction expert, who made a mad dash into the highly fortified Port of Los Angeles, with a generator and concrete drills to install the provided anchor bolts. Since our deck surface was made of heavy pebble asphalt, he went with plastic-coated concrete screws.
We could have bought a chunk of plywood and bolted the Speed-Way to the wood platform. That’s a popular way to create a strong base, and Speed-Way shelters come with two sewn-in tie-down contact points for more heavy wind conditions. Guy ropes and stakes are available at any hardware store.
With any padlock, the Speed-Way can be locked, and inside the Speed-Way team supplied us with a LED light. We just needed a couple of AA batteries.
There you have it, and it’s been a week of test parking, chasing women and parking again. Here’s the final word from Dr. Feng:
Much as the Bob Dylan song lyric, “Come in she said, I’ll give you shelter from the storm,” puts a smile on my face… I’m always happy to see the Speed-Way Motorsports Shelter waiting in the marina parking lot as I roll in. It swallows up the ATK 650 cruiser nicely and keeps it out of sight and out of the weather until my next ride. (Also seems to keep that cold wet morning dew off the seat, which is a nice bonus.) 
Bandit and I set it up with relative ease. Instructions seem quite straight-forward and easy to follow. Even has color coding on some parts for easier assembly match up. Some nice features as well, such as interior LED light, and tabs with matching holes to receive a padlock on the frame. Also vent flaps for hot humid weather. All- in- all, a great little mini garage away from home. (Marina neighbors think it’s cool as well.) So there you have it … Great product.
Dr. Feng tested and recommended.
Speed-Way Shelters are available at Biker’s Choice Dealers
Your Speed-way Shelter will provide you years of use, if cared for correctly.
1. Hand-clean your Speedway Shelter using light pressure with warm water and mild soap.
2. Always secure your Speedway Shelter to a solid surface to protect it from high wind,
falling or moving objects and unwelcome quests!
3. We highly recommend that you find an elevated area or an area that allows for fast run-off of water to keep your vehicle and shelter area as dry as possible. A slightly elevated platform is a great solution for both anchoring your shelter and keeping it free of water run-off.
4.If possible, find a location for your Speed-way Shelter that is protected by a building or some other solid barrier.
5. Some water repellents are acceptable for use to extend the life of your fabric cover. Use repellents that are normally used on outdoor equipment — such as tents, backpacks and apparel.
6 . It is always good to keep the windows opened a little for ventilation when the bike is hot or the weather is humid and warm. Please adjust the window opening for your own conditions. In the event of rain or snow fall, close your windows.
7. The fabric cover is treated with UV protection. However, for long-term storage of your vehicle, you can extend the life of your shelter with shade or a secondary tarp or cover.
8. To minimize dust and moisture, consider purchasing the Speed-way Shelter Diamond- Tough Floor, which is a high density, durable rubber material that fits beneath your Shelter space perfectly! It looks great, too!
