Correctly protecting and storing your motorcycles is one of the biggest challenges facing anyone. How you store your vehicle can all depend on the time of year, and the age and value of your bike. If it’s a classic, you may want to go to extra lengths to ensure its safety. Let’s take a look at how best to store your motorcycle:
Before you get to storing it, first wash the bike well and scrub away any dirt from the bottom. Before preparing the bike for storage, make sure it has thoroughly dried.
Engine
If the bike will be stored for a prolonged period of time, think about adding a fuel stabiliser to the fuel. If the tank is fully empty, corrosion of its inside surfaces may happen if it is left exposed for an extended period of time. For this aim, a rust preventative can be applied to the tank. Alternatively, you could take the tank off and add half a litre of motor oil to it. Then you could put the filler cap on and shake the tank to coat the insides with oil before draining the extra. WD40 or another water-dispersant can be sprayed inside the tank using its flexible nozzle to get the same result.
Verify that the antifreeze in the cooling system is mixed properly. Moreover, antifreeze contains significant corrosion inhibitors
You can block off the air intakes and exhausts by covering or blocking the apertures. Make sure to avoid sealing in any humidity and run the engine until it is hot before turning it off and letting it cool. Over the silencer end(s), tape a piece of sturdy plastic. A tablespoon of motor oil should be added to the silencer(s) before they are sealed off, as some people advise.
Battery
Remove it from the bike - in extreme cases of cold the battery may freeze and crack its case
Clean the terminals.
Store the battery off the motorcycle and away from any sources of fire. Position a wooden block under the battery if it is to sit on the ground.
Give the battery a trickle charge for a few hours every month
Tires
Set the motorcycle up on its centerstand or another stand that will help it stand upright. Place wood blocks under the tyres to elevate them off the ground and to act as a moisture barrier. It is best for both tires to be elevated while storing a motorcycle for an extended period of time. This protects the tyres and prevents stress on the steering head and wheel bearings.
Deflate each tyre by 5 to 10 psi, but no more, as doing so risks the beads coming loose from the rim and making subsequent inflation of tubeless tyres challenging.
Lubricate the pivot points of every lever, pedal, stand, and footrest. Apply lubrication to the pivots if the rear suspension parts are equipped with grease nipples.
Grease every control cable.
Wax all painted and plastic components. Remove any extra material with a wipe; do not polish. Use soap and water to wash the screen where it is installed.
Vaseline-coat metal parts (petroleum jelly). Do not compress the forks when putting this to the fork tubes because if the seals come into contact with the Vaseline, they will rot.
Wipe the seat down with a vinyl cleaner.
Storage requirements
Try to keep the bike in a garage or shed that doesn't leak and isn't damp.
To shield the bike from dust and direct sunlight, drape it with an old blanket or bedspread (which will fade paint). Additionally, it conceals the bike from inquisitive eyes. Avoid using tight-fitting plastic coverings on your bike since they may cause humidity to build and collect there.
Back to the highway
Transmission and engine
Replace the oil filter and change the oil. Check to see if the oil hasn't emulsified, which creates a thick, yellowish substance by condensation, if this was done before storage.
Take off the ignition coils. Pour a few drops of oil into the cylinder using an oil can with a spout (s). In the event that the piston rings and bores come back into touch, this will offer initial lubrication. Installing new spark plugs in the engine or performing maintenance on the existing ones.
Make sure the clutch is not stuck in place. If the plates are left standing for a while, they may adhere to one another and prevent the clutch from working. Try shifting into a gear while holding the clutch lever against the handlebar and moving the bike back and forth. If this is unsuccessful with cable-operated clutches, hold the clutch lever back against the handlebar for a few hours using a sturdy elastic band or cable tie.
Remove the bung or cover if the air intakes or the end(s) of the silencer were shut off.
preventive measures include adding oil or a stabiliser to the fuel, draining and flushing the tank, and properly disposing of the fuel. It is advisable to dispose of the old fuel because it will eventually go bad if the fuel tank was not handled before storage. Add new fuel to the tank of petrol.
Frame and running gear
Oil all cables and pivot points.
Verify tyre pressure. If the pressures were lowered for storage, they will unquestionably need to be inflated.
Lubricate the drive chain at the end.
Take off any protective coating that has been applied to the fork tubes (stanchions), since this could damage the fork seals. If the fork tubes weren't protected and developed rust spots, clean them up with extremely fine abrasive paper and then polish the metal to restore it to its original condition.
Verify that both brakes are functioning properly. Apply each brake firmly and make sure it is impossible for the motorcycle to continue ahead before making sure the brake releases easily after application. The corrosion around the piston head or, in the case of sliding callipers, the corrosion of the slider pins can cause brake calliper pistons to stick. After several attempts to release the brake, remove the calliper for inspection. Drum brakes can also jam if the operating cam, cable, or rod linkage seizes.
If the motorcycle has been in storage for a while, replace the brake and clutch fluid
Depending on where the bike was kept, mice may have chewed on the wiring, cables, and hoses. Perform a visual inspection and look into the messed-up wiring loom tape.
Battery
The battery can be quickly reconnected if it has already been removed and recharged. Do not forget to connect the positive cable first, followed by the negative cable.
If a sealed battery has not been maintained, remove it from the motorbike and charge it in accordance with the instructions on the battery case; if the battery cannot maintain a charge, a new battery must be purchased.
Starting process
If a kickstarter is installed, turn the ignition OFF and crank the engine over a few times to spread oil throughout the engine. If a kickstarter is not installed, turn the ignition on and off while turning the engine over a few times to circulate oil around the top cylinder components. Remove the spark plugs, reinstall them in their caps, then earth (ground) the bodies of the spark plugs on the cylinder head if the ignition system's design prevents the starter from turning over with the kill switch off. After that, reinstall the spark plugs.
Start the engine, open the choke, and turn the kill switch to RUN. Continue not to crank the engine if it won't start.
This will overheat the starter motor in addition to flattening the battery. Turn off the ignition and try once more later. Follow the troubleshooting steps in this manual if the engine won't start. Note: If the bike has been in storage for a long period, the issue can be old fuel or a carburetor clog. Gum buildup in carburettors can obstruct jets; if a cleaner for carburettors is ineffective, the carburettors must be disassembled for cleaning.
After starting the engine, make sure the lights, turn signals, and horn function properly.
Be gentle with the bike on the first ride, and thereafter, check the fluid levels. Re-establish the bike's maintenance regimen.
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