I suggest reading this article from the October 1999 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser magazine. It deals with winter storage but I'm sure much of the advice will apply to your son's situation as well.
Posted on 07/10/2006 5:44:06 PM PDT by american_ranger
LOL!!
No clue on the storage but thank your son for me and tell him the whole FReeper community will be standing behind him (a bold assumption but I sure do feel safe in making it). Please, please let us all know if he needs anything and that we would treasure his first-hand reports. God Bless him!
Isn't it frustrating that the same military that prepositions Corps of mechanized equipment and annually rehearses rotating the petroleum preservatives and greases used to protect the engines in storage, promulagates policies for its manpower and their personal effects completely void of that same wherewithal?
Put Marvel Mystery oil down the spark plug holes an ounce or so per cylinder. Place powermadd stortec plugs in the holes see http://www.powermadd.com/products/stortech.html
empty the gas tank and float bowls. Change the oil with a heavy type SAE 40 racing type
use stetch wrap available from home depot with a desicant also available from home depot
Make sure the crank case is lubricated and that it's in working order before turns it in.
For the gas tank, he needs to drain it and allow it to air out throughly.
Then he needs to allow for a way to absorb any moisture that is in the area.
Mothballs or charcoal or something in the area that absore moisture would do the trick probably.
If it's going to be parked near operating machinery or heavy equipment/truck traffic passing nearby, get a thick rubber mat (truck mudflap material, etc) under the centerstand. Stationary ball and roller bearings subjected to vibration long term will start to "bounce" the unloaded balls or rollers between the inner and outer races. Eventually this will hammer the lubricant out from between the surfaces and then the proceed to flat spot the balls/needles and dimple the races. I know it sounds weird, but a bearing can wear itself out "sitting still".
If anyone comes up with what to do with
somebody else's bike,
protected nicely for the agreed upon period of time, plus almost a year,
moved out behind the shop when the little B&#*^%# failed to collect it.
now subject to decision as to (a) dig hole and bury, (b) sell for parts ('60s trumpet), (c) restore and ride 'till the hard tail dumps my kidneys...
Please let me know.
Chain
Coat heavily with chain lube.
Deliver bike, rest easy.
But NOT THE SEAT!!!!!Trust me on this one... Your "yarblonkas" will thank me the first time you hit the brakes!
Mark
I suggest reading this article from the October 1999 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser magazine. It deals with winter storage but I'm sure much of the advice will apply to your son's situation as well.
The best answers you will find will be on www.fjrforum.com go on there, sign up and ask your question under "Off Topic Questions". Search on there too--you will find great info!
There are a lot of military guys on there and they really know their bikes.
From hubby:
IF you are keeping the bike in a garage: Buy Stabil at an auto parts store or cycle shop. Follow the label directions. You can tank mix it -- pour indicated amount of Stabil into the tank and then fill to the brim with fuel -- filling to the brim is the important step which allows no water vapor to collect in the tank. (This is an aviation rule for small planes -- it's written into their literature for the planes.) The stabilizer will keep the fuel for one year -- no problem.
ALSO: Go to competitionaccessories.com, buy a Battery Tender for under $40 to keep your battery charged. (Float charger)
That's what he'd do. If you do all those things, the bike will think it ran yesterday. If it's not kept inside, it will have rust all over -- the brake rotors will rust, the electric terminals will rust. If it absolutely HAD to be outside, get some kind of air tight stretch plastic cover. Indoor storage is optimal.
Hope that helps!
US Army will store his motorcycle but he must drain gas tank and crankcase. .
Can't use stabil on an empty tank.
Can't plug in a battery tender for a full year.
I know, I'm an evil meanie.... :-)
LOL -- OK OK -- I didn't read it ALL before I asked hubby what HE would do!
If I know him, he'd take all those steps and then pay for a temperature controlled storage area out of his own pocket. This from the woman who put up with an R-1 in her (finished) basement for the winter. Heh.
The biggest problem this young soldier's motorcycle has is the duration of storage. 1 full year.
Sealing the tank and crank will lock out the humidity, but preventing the deterioration of the materials used to seal it is the problem. With a few tricks and they right long term lube, it'll survive. :-)
Of course, my advice previously posted is the best. (wink) OOhhhRRaaaHHH!!
LOL!
You'll notice this guy didn't have the courtesy to even acknowledge ONE SINGLE response, nothing.
That's rude.
Never again.
Yeah! What you said! :-)
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