Now that winter is upon us, many motorbike enthusiasts are preparing to put their bikes in storage until the snow and ice melt in the Spring. Whether you are winterizing your motorbike, or have another reason you have for storing your bike, here is a breakdown of everything you need to take care of before storing it.
Drain Your Gas Tank
Gas plus water equals bad; if you leave any gas in your tank while storing it for a long time, you risk condensation build-up which, in turn, can damage your bike. Ethanol-infused gas is even worse; ethanol attracts water and will clog every outlet of your carburetor with a funky mass if left unchecked.
- Use non-ethanol gas tweaked with some fuel stabilizer.
- Leave your cycle running until the carburetor is dry.
- If your cycle lacks a fuel shutoff feature, make sure that your stabilizer is trustworthy.
- Finally, make sure to completely drain your tank.
Get It Serviced
Now is a great time to get a total tune-up on your bike. This will minimize potential degradation of your motorbike’s components. Here are some things you should make sure to check off of the servicing list:
- Empty the oil: Draining the oil will maintain your components’ quality; oil is caustic enough to corrode soft metals over time. Remember, oil also cleans and taps dirt on its surface. Leaving dirty oil to idle means that all the dirt and captured particulates will be able to sink to the bottom and become harder to purge on your next oil change.
- Clean out your air filter: The last thing you want is rodents slipping in and making themselves at home while your bike is stored away.
- Make sure it will start again: Change your spark plugs and lube up your cabling and chain.
Extract the Battery
Leaving your battery in the bike is a great way to kill it. Plus, over time the battery can corrode and leak battery acid, which can damage the bike. Instead:
- Fully charge the battery.
- Remove it from the bike.
- Store it in a safe, secure place.
- Alternative: Leave the battery in your bike and connected to a battery tender.
Consider “Winterization”
Cold weather wreaks havoc with your tire air pressure. This can damage your tires by leaving your bike parked with the weight pressing down on sub-optimally filled tires. To counteract this issue, either buy or make your own service stand. This will suspend your bike, minimizing damage to your tires and suspension.
Tips for Long-Term Storage
If you need to put your cycle into storage for longer than just a few months over the winter, Imperial Self Storage recommends taking a few additional steps to prepare it for safe storage:
- Treat your gas, run the carburetor(s) dry, pull the gas tank and empty it out.
- Extract the spark plugs, pour in 4-6 tsp of oil and run the engine a few times to lubricate machinery.
- Fogging the engine is only worth doing if your bike will be stored within or near a damp, humid area; this won’t be necessary if you’re storing it in a dry, climate-controlled storage facility.
- Cover your bike. This keeps dust and moisture away.
- Grease the seal packs. Your biggest worry with long-term storage is the chance that your oil seals will dry out and crack.
- Make sure you have motorcycle insurance that covers the bike even when not in use
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best thing you can do is look after the bike every so often. You want to get the engine hot, not just warm; a warm engine encourages condensation, a hot engine evaporates potential condensation. If your engine has a fan, run until the fan starts. If you take the proper steps to prepare your bike for storage and check on it every so often, it will be ready to run when you take it out again.
