Why do people store their bikes on a lift?
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You mean like on a jack with the suspension hanging? They usually do this to keep the tires from getting flat spots. But, personally, I've never had a trouble with flat spots on my tires if the tires are inflated and I'd rather not let me suspension hang all winter.
Water vapor??? what water vapor??? keep in mind im a newbie here..hahahhaKeeps them up above the water vapor near the floor on an unsealed garage floor.
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In a cold garage in the winter, mosture tendss to hover or collect near the floor or cement. I have also heard warnings of cold cement and rubber that is in contact with it turning hard. Not sure if the hardened rubber thing is true. The water vapour in the cold is true.
Here in New England we store our bikes for 6 months out of the year. If you store it in a moist atmosphere it will pit the chrome and rust the painted parts. Thats why some dealers offer winter storage in a climate controlled space.I'm not sure the water vapor would effect much. I mean I know guys that ride their bikes every day rain or sun and the rain does not effect it. Water or coldness has never effected my car tires either.
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I was always told to store your bike over the winder on a lift to keep the chrome away from the moisture on the ground/ concrete to keep the chrome from rusting or pitting while it sits all winter. I didn't lift mine this year and when I went to get out of storage there was a thin mist of moisture on it..wont ever do it again. I even put carpeting down to park the bike on and it still got moisture on it.
My best friend did that this year... we had such a carppy winter that we couldn't ride as much. He kept his up on a lift and cleaned/tinkered/fluid changed it over a few weeks or so. On the lift, he could move it out of the way if needed and it was at a goof level to work on it when he had some time
All that moisture stuff sounds like an old wive's tale. The worst thing on chrome and stuff is condensation and it is around the entire garage at all elevations due to temperature changes causing it. Warm air holds more moisture, temperature drops and the extra moisture will condense on most any surface from floor to rafters per my own experience. A garage with a relatively constant temperature around 50-60 degrees will cut down on condensation and corrosion.
The more likely reason is that if you have a lift it takes up room, if you have a bike it takes up room, if you have a bike and a lift separate on the floor it takes up about twice as much room as a lift with a bike on it. In other words. for efficient use of space they put the bike on the lift. Plus they can raise it up at any time to goof around cleaning or working on it - or just plain look at it - during the winter. For me that seems much more likely.
The more likely reason is that if you have a lift it takes up room, if you have a bike it takes up room, if you have a bike and a lift separate on the floor it takes up about twice as much room as a lift with a bike on it. In other words. for efficient use of space they put the bike on the lift. Plus they can raise it up at any time to goof around cleaning or working on it - or just plain look at it - during the winter. For me that seems much more likely.
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I store mine in a shed, wood floor and spray wd40 over the chrome to keep from rusting. Come spring I wash it down and ride. Been doing it that way for years and no flat spots on tires. I've heard that concrete will create flat spots.But that would have to be parked for quite some time i believe .Really don't know if that's true or not.
So I live in So Cali....this basically means GREAT weather all year round with a few crappy rainy days sprinkled here and there.....no need for a lift then huh guys???
Awe come on, you're sharper than that - the primary reason for buying a lift...
To get the bike up in the air to work on it. Not for storage!
Condensation occurs because the ambient air falls below the dewpoint. Dewpoint is the temperature at which the moisture in the air condenses on surfaces that are at or below the dewpoint. This dewpoint temperature is determined by the amount of water vapor or vapor pressure contained in 1 pound of air. The closer you are to a colder surface (the concrete floor) moisture tends to condense there. The floor in my garage gets literally wet in the early spring because it remains cold (below the dewpoint) and condenses moisture. This is what I do for a living. I create these types of conditions artificially inside environmental chambers to age products before they are released to the market. Do what you want but I have a lift and I will continue to use it to keep my bike out of the vapor zone. It works great for doing winter maintenance too. Good luckAll that moisture stuff sounds like an old wive's tale. The worst thing on chrome and stuff is condensation and it is around the entire garage at all elevations due to temperature changes causing it. Warm air holds more moisture, temperature drops and the extra moisture will condense on most any surface from floor to rafters per my own experience. A garage with a relatively constant temperature around 50-60 degrees will cut down on condensation and corrosion.
The more likely reason is that if you have a lift it takes up room, if you have a bike it takes up room, if you have a bike and a lift separate on the floor it takes up about twice as much room as a lift with a bike on it. In other words. for efficient use of space they put the bike on the lift. Plus they can raise it up at any time to goof around cleaning or working on it - or just plain look at it - during the winter. For me that seems much more likely.
Yeah but the water and cold would not effect the rubber tires.Here in New England we store our bikes for 6 months out of the year. If you store it in a moist atmosphere it will pit the chrome and rust the painted parts. Thats why some dealers offer winter storage in a climate controlled space.
The moisture is not from sitting on the ground. It's caused when the warmer temps touch the cold steel. Only thing you could do is keep it in a climate controlled area.I was always told to store your bike over the winder on a lift to keep the chrome away from the moisture on the ground/ concrete to keep the chrome from rusting or pitting while it sits all winter. I didn't lift mine this year and when I went to get out of storage there was a thin mist of moisture on it..wont ever do it again. I even put carpeting down to park the bike on and it still got moisture on it.
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LOL @ the comment about keeping it on the lift to protect the chrome. That is funny right there.
The lift or wood blocks, or even a center stand are used for two things. One to keep the tires off the ground / concrete if it has a possibility of freezing. Two, to help relieve some of the stress on the suspension to give it a break and let it rest in a more neutral position. Leaving it sit daily puts stress on the componets, eventually these things do wear out but not any time soon.
If you fill your tires to the maximum PSI of the tire it will help the tire hold its shape even with the expanding and contracting of the air molecules because of temperature, and you more than likely won't end up with flat spots. Some guys will just push their bike forward and leave it for a couple weeks then move it back for a couple weeks. This prevents it from sitting on the same exact area of the tire for the whole storage time.
Again when lifting you aren't jacking this thing way into the air. A center stand is fine (Or rear stand for a sport bike) and just put a block of wood under the front tire to keep it off the concrete. You can use a 2 x 10 board.
If you are going to store it where it is inside but not climate controlled like most garages, use a breathable cover to keep dust off of it, yet allow moisture to escape. If the moisture gets trapped under the cover this is when you end up with rusting and pitting.
I store my bike and have always, buy covering and leave it sit with 41PSI of air in both tires. Unless there is a slow leak in the tire even with all the expanding and contracting of the air over the winter in the tires, I have never had a flat spot, and I usually still have 40PSI in both tires when I pull it out in the spring. My bike is usually in storage from November some time till April and doesn't move.
The lift or wood blocks, or even a center stand are used for two things. One to keep the tires off the ground / concrete if it has a possibility of freezing. Two, to help relieve some of the stress on the suspension to give it a break and let it rest in a more neutral position. Leaving it sit daily puts stress on the componets, eventually these things do wear out but not any time soon.
If you fill your tires to the maximum PSI of the tire it will help the tire hold its shape even with the expanding and contracting of the air molecules because of temperature, and you more than likely won't end up with flat spots. Some guys will just push their bike forward and leave it for a couple weeks then move it back for a couple weeks. This prevents it from sitting on the same exact area of the tire for the whole storage time.
Again when lifting you aren't jacking this thing way into the air. A center stand is fine (Or rear stand for a sport bike) and just put a block of wood under the front tire to keep it off the concrete. You can use a 2 x 10 board.
If you are going to store it where it is inside but not climate controlled like most garages, use a breathable cover to keep dust off of it, yet allow moisture to escape. If the moisture gets trapped under the cover this is when you end up with rusting and pitting.
I store my bike and have always, buy covering and leave it sit with 41PSI of air in both tires. Unless there is a slow leak in the tire even with all the expanding and contracting of the air over the winter in the tires, I have never had a flat spot, and I usually still have 40PSI in both tires when I pull it out in the spring. My bike is usually in storage from November some time till April and doesn't move.
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Well I am just speaking from experience. I have a buddy that has 2 HD. 1 is a Deuce that he has decked out in chrome so much there is nothing else he can to to it in chrome. He has about 60G wrapped up in this thing. He keeps them in his garage up on lift platforms with just sheets thrown over them and its NOT a climate controlled garage and he has no problems ever with it. Trust me if there was even a speck of moisture on it he WOULD NOT do it that way. So all you experts that are entitled to ur opinions show me that this is not true...till then I will not believe you..sorry..MY opinion.The moisture is not from sitting on the ground. It's caused when the warmer temps touch the cold steel. Only thing you could do is keep it in a climate controlled area.
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