9 - Preparing Your Motorcycle for Storage
Why let the motorcycle shops take your money every spring when you could prepare and store your motorcycle for winter all on your own. Motorcycle storage is very important during those cold winter months. Getting you bike ready for storage is just as important as the actual storing itself. Complete the
following items to get your motorcycle ready for storage and you will save a bundle come time to ride in the spring.
Luckily, you have plenty of options when it comes to storing your motorcycle through the winter, and with a bit of prep work, you can be sure that your bike will emerge in the spring as good as new and ready to hit the highway.
Your first decision will be where to store your bike. Ideally, you want to store your bike in a climate controlled environment. A heated garage or basement is one option, but you may also choose a commercial storage facility, as many of these now offer year-round climate control.
When considering a storage facility, your main concerns are that it has a stable temperature (preferably 65° or above), and that it is a dry environment. The worst possible storage situation is one where the temperature will vary greatly from day to night. Back and forth temperature extremes can wreak havoc on many parts of your bike, including leather seats, rubber gaskets, and plastic seals and fuel lines.
So even if your bike must be stored at a lower than optimum temperature, you are still better off keeping the temperature steady, rather than submitting your motorcycle to extreme climate ups and downs throughout the winter.
Once you have decided on a storage facility or found a suitable heated garage or basement in which to keep your motorcycle for the winter, it's time to start preparing your bike for storage. Your first concern will be the fuel tank and gas line.
Gasoline left in your fuel tank and fuel lines through the winter can become gunky and clog up your engine. An inexpensive but effective solution is to use "Sta-bil," or a similar gas treatment solution. These solutions will work best on a gas tank that is low, but not empty. Make sure your gas is above the reserve level before adding the gas treatment.
Your next big concern before storing your bike will be the battery. If left un-driven, a standard motorcycle battery will go flat in as little as two weeks. Obviously, you could simply try to remember to turn over the engine every week to keep your battery charged, or even apply a battery charger once every week or so.
Ride Safe … and remember never mind who’s right,
ride so you will be left
