papaseven
Member
I see alot of questions about winter bike storage so here's a few tips.
Wash and wax it first. Pay particular attention to the nooks and cranny's of the exhaust system. That's where rust really takes off.
The most important thing you can do before long term storage is change out the lubes just before you put it away. Acids form in lubricants as they are heat cycled that cause rust and corrosion and you need to get the old stuff out before putting it away.
Make sure you ride the bike at least ten miles before servicing to get it good and hot and everything suspended in the oils and then drain while hot. Refill and then run it a couple of miles to get everything coated with the fresh lubes and then put it away.
If you live in a humid climate then pull the plugs and shoot about a ten second spray of RemOil ( from walmart sporting goods section) in each cylinder. Spin the motor over for a couple of seconds and replace the plugs. RemOil is a very high quality gun lube and absolutely will not gum up or stick rings. Some fogging oils have been known to do this.
Stuff a couple of clean rags in the muffers and wrap the air cleaner with an old towel to keep moisture laden air from getting to the cylinders through open valves and place a post it note on the speedo to remind you to pull em out before starting.
If you keep it inside then that's all you need to do
Alot of people go out and start their bike and run it for a few minutes every week or so.
That's the worst thing you can do!
It causes condensation that never boils off unless you get everything up to normal operating temp and it takes at least ten miles to do that.
A simple bike cover made from breathable fabric will keep the dust off but:
Resist the temptation to try to seal it off with tarps. It actually encourages condensation to form. You want some airflow!
They make storage bags that do work well but they use a small blower with a heat element that keeps positive pressure warm air in the "bubble". Personally I think this is overkill unless you have a all out trailer queen.
Place a cheap 10 buck heating pad on the floor under the bike to encourage warm air flow to circulate around it. This will stop about 95% of condensation from forming. Even on high it only draws about 30 watts so your electric bill will never notice it.
Finally, charge and remove the battery and put it indoors if possible or at least put a maintainer float charger on it and leave it on. Your battery will live 2 or 3 times longer. This applies to AGM or sealed batteries.
Don't place a vented battery in your house. It can give off hydrogen gases that are explosive.
Or better yet:
Suit up and ride that dude at least one day a week. I've gotten to love winter riding as long as it's sunny.
Cheers
Geno
.
Wash and wax it first. Pay particular attention to the nooks and cranny's of the exhaust system. That's where rust really takes off.
The most important thing you can do before long term storage is change out the lubes just before you put it away. Acids form in lubricants as they are heat cycled that cause rust and corrosion and you need to get the old stuff out before putting it away.
Make sure you ride the bike at least ten miles before servicing to get it good and hot and everything suspended in the oils and then drain while hot. Refill and then run it a couple of miles to get everything coated with the fresh lubes and then put it away.
If you live in a humid climate then pull the plugs and shoot about a ten second spray of RemOil ( from walmart sporting goods section) in each cylinder. Spin the motor over for a couple of seconds and replace the plugs. RemOil is a very high quality gun lube and absolutely will not gum up or stick rings. Some fogging oils have been known to do this.
Stuff a couple of clean rags in the muffers and wrap the air cleaner with an old towel to keep moisture laden air from getting to the cylinders through open valves and place a post it note on the speedo to remind you to pull em out before starting.
If you keep it inside then that's all you need to do
Alot of people go out and start their bike and run it for a few minutes every week or so.
That's the worst thing you can do!
It causes condensation that never boils off unless you get everything up to normal operating temp and it takes at least ten miles to do that.
A simple bike cover made from breathable fabric will keep the dust off but:
Resist the temptation to try to seal it off with tarps. It actually encourages condensation to form. You want some airflow!
They make storage bags that do work well but they use a small blower with a heat element that keeps positive pressure warm air in the "bubble". Personally I think this is overkill unless you have a all out trailer queen.
Place a cheap 10 buck heating pad on the floor under the bike to encourage warm air flow to circulate around it. This will stop about 95% of condensation from forming. Even on high it only draws about 30 watts so your electric bill will never notice it.
Finally, charge and remove the battery and put it indoors if possible or at least put a maintainer float charger on it and leave it on. Your battery will live 2 or 3 times longer. This applies to AGM or sealed batteries.
Don't place a vented battery in your house. It can give off hydrogen gases that are explosive.
Or better yet:
Suit up and ride that dude at least one day a week. I've gotten to love winter riding as long as it's sunny.
Cheers
Geno
.
