Storing your Bike
Practical advice on taking care of your bike

By Stuart Kilburn

I remember the first time I took a motorcycle out of `storage. I was a dumb kid, and had merely pushed the bike into a shed at the end of a long busy day. I completely forgot about it for the winter. When springtime arrived, I dragged the poor little XL100 from underneath a rattling, banging and clanging of snow shovels. Without bothering to as much as dust the seat off before trying to start it I flailed away at the kickstarter until I was exhausted. The little Honda refused to start.

I removed the carburetor and float bowl cover. Where the heck did all this sediment and stuff come from?! The tank had been filled with gas but now it was clogged with solid mineral deposits. And why is my tank rusting inside? I wondered who had messed with my bike?! Like so many of my lessons in motorcycling, this one was learned the hard way. A motorcycle needs to be prepped for long periods of storage. Its only way to ensure your machine remains in serviceable condition.

Prepping your bike for a long slumber begins with proper cleaning. To avoid the formation of rust you should be sure to remove any mud or dirt from your bike. Apply a good coat of wax to protect the paint as well. Also, cleaning any traces of oil from the exterior of the engine will make it easier to see where the oil is seeping from should there be any leaks.

Speaking of oil, its time to change it. Used oil is full of nasty by-products of combustion like acids and moisture. The last thing you want is that stuff sitting in your crankcase all winter. Change the filter while youre at it.

As I found out with my XL, gas can cause quite a bit of damage when its left sitting in your tank and carbs. Fill the tank, allowing a little room for the fuel to expand if the temperature rises. Make sure youre cap vent is not clogged as well. Add a fuel stabilizer to the gas. This not only slows the breakdown of fuel, it helps to prevent moisture from accumulating as well.

Next, turn off the petcock and drain the carbs. There should be a drain bolt on the bottom of each carbs float chamber. Failing to turn off the petcock can have serious results if your carbs have even a tiny leak. Gas will slowly leak out and evaporate, leaving a stain of deposits behind while your open petcock allows a continuous re-supply of jet-clogging fuel.

After youve finished draining your carbs, remove the sparkplugs and pour about a tablespoon of oil in each cylinder. With the kill switch set to off, crank the engine for a couple of seconds to distribute the oil on the cylinder walls. Doing this ensures that your piston rings will have a coating of oil between them and the cylinder wall to prevent rusting. A cylinder with even a few rust spots can lead to accelerated piston and ring wear, and increased oil consumption.

Now that your battery has cranked the engine for the final time this season, its time to put it away. Remove it from the bike, being careful to keep it level to avoid spilling any acid. Top up any cells that are low with distilled water. Next, put the battery on a charger. A Battery Tender is a must for battery storage, because you simply attach it and forget about it. The battery will be trickle charged only when it needs more energy to stabilize it. If you only have a regular charger, plan on charging the battery once every two weeks. Without proper charging the battery will degrade to the point where it will no longer accept a charge and youll need to buy a new one.

While youre doing all these nice things for your bike, why not take the time to attend to some of those infrequently checked areas. Inspect your brake and (if applicable) clutch fluid. The fluid should be clear and the lever should have no sponginess to it. Brake fluid absorbs moisture, and should be changed every two years.

Anyone who has ever replaced a rusted water pump or radiator will tell you the importance of checking the coolant. Like brake fluid, coolant should be replaced every two years. Use a mixture of 50% coolant and 50% distilled water. Be sure to use a brand of coolant that is safe for aluminum. Be careful if you keep old coolant sitting around in drain pans too. This stuff is highly poisonous to animals, but they love its sweet taste.

Be sure to lube your cables, check steering head and wheel bearings. You might as well fix these things now, instead of delaying your first ride when spring arrives.

Now that your bike is finally ready for storage, you must now decide where you will store it. There are many factors to consider when selecting a storage site. First, choose an area that is out of direct sunlight, as UV rays can damage paint, plastic and leather. Also, pick an area that doesnt have large temperature fluctuations, and is cool and dry. Your storage area should be free of mice. If youre not sure that it is, put some traps or poison underneath the bike. Mice love airboxes and the taste of wiring harnesses. Also, select a low-traffic area where your bike isnt going to be bumped into by you or anyone else on a regular basis.

Next, throw a cover over your bike. Many people believe a plastic tarp is best, as it keeps moisture out. But the problem with these tarps is that they dont breathe. Moisture in the air gets trapped underneath and builds up until it falls on the bike, causing corrosion. Save the plastic tarp for underneath the bike, where it can be used to block out moisture that rises up from the ground - even through concrete.

When the calendar finally rolls around, and its time to get your bike out of hibernation, youll be glad that you took the time to do things right. I like to change the oil again in the spring, as it can absorb moisture over the winter. Put your battery in, turn on the gas and fire it up. As the bike warms, take the time to check the lights, turnsignals and horn. Check the air pressure in the tires too.

Theres one last check before its time to ride; Check yourself. Run through the lessons youve learned riding, as the winter layover may have caused you to forget these things. Be extra careful on that first ride too, because the roads may have some gravel on them from the winter.

Finally, its time to ride. Time to get out there and enjoy yourself! And maybe while youre riding you can swing by your local bike shop and eavesdrop on all the conversations taking place regarding folks who didnt store their bikes properly. You can bet they'll be the ones ordering new batteries and booking their bikes in for carb-cleaning!