winter motorcycle storage guide

[bikeaholic]

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/winter-storage.html


ride safe

[darkRam]

I hope you don't mind me posting in this thread, but since it is on topic... I just bought my bike (new rider, first owner) and I plan on riding it more after my safety course this weekend. I am sure I will be able to ride it with my jacket on until about the end of November. My question is that I was wondering if I would be ok if I didn't actually store it for Dec/Jan and just start it up multiple times during the week?

[Tod]

Just starting it isn't really enough. It should be ridden at least once a week or so.

Even if it's just for 10 miles or so, that might be enough if there's some seafoam or fuel stabilizer in your gas.

[darkRam]

Originally Posted by Tod

Just starting it isn't really enough. It should be ridden at least once a week or so.

Even if it's just for 10 miles or so, that might be enough if there's some seafoam or fuel stabilizer in your gas.

Thank you

[darkwolf29a]

Very good information.

I'll be storing my bike for the first time this year, so...I wwas wondering what stuff I was supposed to do.

Much thanks.

[darkRam]

One more question.... my friend told me to get some thick carpet and put it under the tires. Is that good enough?

[rbentnail]

Are you storing it on dirt? Or in an unheated area? I don't know where in NC you are, but as mild and short as winter generally is here in A'boro, you don't need to do a lot to park it for 2 or 3 months. I use Stabil fuel stablizer in the gas tank & fill it up & run it about 10 miles to work the Stabil down into the carb. Then park it. I have a heated area for my outdoor plants that I keep at about 45-50*F, so I just park it. When we get a nice day, I ride it. If not, it might sit for 2 or 3 weeks at a stretch, but trust me, it's fine. When I get down to 1/2 tank of fuel, I fill up again.

[darkRam]

Originally Posted by rbentnail

Are you storing it on dirt? Or in an unheated area? I don't know where in NC you are, but as mild and short as winter generally is here in A'boro, you don't need to do a lot to park it for 2 or 3 months. I use Stabil fuel stablizer in the gas tank & fill it up & run it about 10 miles to work the Stabil down into the carb. Then park it. I have a heated area for my outdoor plants that I keep at about 45-50*F, so I just park it. When we get a nice day, I ride it. If not, it might sit for 2 or 3 weeks at a stretch, but trust me, it's fine. When I get down to 1/2 tank of fuel, I fill up again.

Nice. I am actually up in Winston-Salem, my bike is in a storage unit. I am glad I found this forum! lol.

[elr658]

Frequently starting a bike and letting it idle in place is MUCH worse than properly storing it.

[rbentnail]

Originally Posted by darkRam

Nice. I am actually up in Winston-Salem, my bike is in a storage unit. I am glad I found this forum! lol.

You got it made then. You don't need to do more than I do. But years ago, been there done that, so while your bike is parked:

- be sure to carry your helmet and gear wherever you go. If you've been in W-S for any length of time, you've seen that you never know when the perfect riding day is gonna suddenly pop up, and you'll want to jump on the bike just to get your fix. We're all such addicts.....

- if you're talking like a self-storage place, most are not heated. Check into these:
- - get duct tape and plastic and seal off the open area between the walls and the ceiling
- - get an adapter for the light bulb socket to put between the bulb and the original socket so you can plug stuff in.
- - get a small electric heater (I like the oil-filled kind that look like a radiator). Be sure in has a thermostat adjustment on it.
- - plug it in, adjust the t'stat to 40-45*F, turn it on. You have to turn the light on! I also unscrewed the bulb but left the light turned on.
- - make sure the unit you use is large enough to double as a workshop b/c storage time = bling addition time!

[darkRam]

Originally Posted by rbentnail

You got it made then. You don't need to do more than I do. But years ago, been there done that, so while your bike is parked:

- be sure to carry your helmet and gear wherever you go. If you've been in W-S for any length of time, you've seen that you never know when the perfect riding day is gonna suddenly pop up, and you'll want to jump on the bike just to get your fix. We're all such addicts.....

- if you're talking like a self-storage place, most are not heated. Check into these:
- - get duct tape and plastic and seal off the open area between the walls and the ceiling
- - get an adapter for the light bulb socket to put between the bulb and the original socket so you can plug stuff in.
- - get a small electric heater (I like the oil-filled kind that look like a radiator). Be sure in has a thermostat adjustment on it.
- - plug it in, adjust the t'stat to 40-45*F, turn it on. You have to turn the light on! I also unscrewed the bulb but left the light turned on.
- - make sure the unit you use is large enough to double as a workshop b/c storage time = bling addition time!

Thanks for the tips bro!

[Honk1303]

alright... the question is... what happens to a bike if you do not have it in a storage place from 45-50 degrees... I live in South Dakota and and it is really hard to find a place like that. Next question is what happens to gas without the stabilizer in it? How bad does it hurt the bike? Thanks
Dustin

[MN_Smurf]

Honk, unstablized gas will turn to a varnish as it evaporates and clog up your carb passages. Follow the winterization instructions in the link at the top of the page and you should be good to go, no matter where you find to store your bike. I can assure you that my garage stays no more that 10-20* above the temperature outside in the winter....my bike fired right up this spring after following those instructions.

[bross]

There's nothing wrong with storing your bike in the cold. We don't have much choice here either, it will regularly get down to -35C in the winter, sometimes for weeks at a time. The main thing is stabilizer in the full tank of gas, and a good breathable cover. My main bikes sit in the garage (unheated) which still gets cold enough to freeze, but our quads and dirt bikes sit in our unheated shed which basically gets as cold as it gets outside. No problems with proper winterizing. The dirt bikes don't even get covers put over them in the shed.

[GseaZ1100]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if it's OK to reply to a "Sticky" or not so let me know if not.

There's no excuse for it, but it happened this year. The bike sat in the garage for 4 months without fuel stabilizer. I trickle charged the battery a few days ago and it's fine (new last spring). Today I started the engine. It took about 10 cranks of 3-5 seconds per before it fired. Before the first crank I set the petcock to "Prime" for a few seconds and opened the cap thinking it might help.

It started 3 or 4 times before it would idle (full choke to start, then 1/2 choke to idle at 2000). But it ran rough. I let it warm up and replenished the battery charge a bit. Then I put in 3-4 gallons of 92 mixed with the fuel stabilizer and restarted - normal starting now. I ran it at a high idle (2000) with no choke (already warm) for about 4-5 minutes and went for a 5 minute ride. It idles perfectly smooth, but at 1500 or higher RPM it still runs rough.

I'm guessing the old gas made a mess in the carbs. What do you think? If so, do they need to come apart or will a fuel system cleaner like BG 44K (fantastic for car fuel systems - lots of techron in it) mixed in the tank sort things out?

Thanks in advance,
Glenn

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