Preparing for winter and proper storage - Mopeds

Low temperatures and heavy rainfall are not conducive to riding a scooter or moped. It is extremely important to provide your two-wheeled friend with a decent rest during the forced “hibernation”, so that when spring comes, he will delight you again.

In our latitudes, a moped is a seasonal vehicle. It is enough for the temperature to drop to almost zero, and mopeds and scooters will begin to disappear en masse from the roads. There is nothing strange about this. At low positive temperatures and driving at a speed of about 60 km/h, the driver feels the air temperature a couple of degrees below zero. In addition, heavy rainfall and large amounts of fallen leaves on roads pose a significant threat to people riding two-wheelers. In this situation, owners of scooters, motorcycles and mopeds should think about preparing their devices for long periods of downtime. To avoid unnecessary expenses in the spring and start a new motorcycle season with the arrival of the first sunny days, you need to remember several rules.

Oil

If the moped is parked in an unheated garage, where the air temperature can drop below zero, you need to think about changing the oil. Old waste fluid may contain water, which will likely cause damage to the suspension. There are at least two differing opinions on the issue of optimal timing for changing engine oil. The first is a replacement on the eve of the autumn-winter downtime, the second is in the spring, immediately before the start of the season. Both options have their pros and cons, but in any case, you should remember to install a new filter, especially since it will cost a very small amount.

Conservation

Preserving a motorcycle for the winter is its complete maintenance, which includes changing the oil, flushing the gas tank, checking all the wires and much more, which will allow you to immediately get on the bike in the spring and start it halfway.

Don’t rush to the garage, first you should go to the store and buy everything you need to process the motorcycle. This:

Silicone Grease;
spray for metal surfaces, or more simply put, the well-known “Vedashka” WD-40;
chain lubricant;
wax polish or simple lubricant;
new motor oil;
rags;
a can of gasoline;
additive for cleaning the fuel system.

Let's start with the hottest thing - gasoline! Leaving a motorcycle with a half-empty tank for the winter means dooming it to inevitable corrosion, don’t do that. The motorcycle should be preserved with a filled tank so that condensation does not appear on its walls, causing corrosion.

Need I say that it is better to refuel with high-quality gasoline with the octane number for which the engine is designed? Take the time and money to find proven fuel. If you are not sure about the gasoline that is splashing around in the gas tank, then it is better to drain it completely and fill it with good, high-quality fuel. Since gasoline, like any other hydrocarbons, is unstable and decomposes after some time, and higher fractions quickly evaporate, the shelf life of gasoline at gas stations does not exceed 30 days. What to do? You can add a fuel stabilizer to gasoline or a special additive to clean the fuel system - this can be done right at the gas station, without leaving the cash register, as they say, or rather, from the motorcycle.

Then the motorcycle needs to be washed. Here you can go two ways: do everything yourself in the garage or go to a car wash. Just not contactless! In most cases, they use products with very aggressive alkaline compounds that do not provide a protective coating and do not wash away dirt and hard-to-reach places. This means that it is in them that corrosion will appear. Use products with protective wax for hand washing motorcycles - these shampoos are specially created to ensure that the bike's coating does not deteriorate, does not rust, and remains clean for as long as possible. After a refreshing shower, we wipe the bike dry - everything is like people do.

Now you need to process the main nodes. Lubricate all cables, hinges and handles with engine preservation spray or universal WD-40

Particular attention should be paid to the front fork and lubricate the chrome feathers

Next we protect the electrical wiring. The main enemies of wiring: sub-zero temperatures (terminals oxidize), humidity and dampness (materials wear out), rodents (gnaw and damage wires). A special spray for treating electrical wiring will protect you from all these problems: it lasts for just six months, and for every firefighter, we spray high-voltage wires with a spray against rodents - the smell will scare them away, not even allowing them to try the wires. Silicone lubricant will protect the rubber from hardening, cracking and aging.

Tires

Before putting a moped or scooter in the garage for long-term storage, you need to check the tire pressure and, if necessary, inflate them to the manufacturer’s recommended value. However, to avoid tire deformation, the device must be positioned so that the wheels do not touch the ground. To do this, you can use special racks or at least wooden blocks. Before heading out on the road for the first time in the new season, check the tire pressure again. It is advisable to do this on unheated tires.

General rules for storing gasoline equipment

There are several general rules for preparing gasoline equipment for winter storage, regardless of their performance and technical design, which may differ.

Common procedures include:

Unit operation cycle using a cleaning additive

This is necessary in order to clean the fuel system elements and the engine from deposits and carbon deposits that accumulate over the season of using the equipment. If you neglect this point, combustion products can become embedded and remain in the base of the fuel system forever.

Clean and shiny

Before preparing for conservation from the technical side, the equipment must be cleaned and washed. Organics and soil or sand destroy mechanisms and provoke oxidation.

Equipment with single-stroke engines. Preparation and canning

The first step in preparing the unit is draining the fuel. For this type of equipment, the fuel is an oil-fuel mixture. After two weeks of storage, it divides into layers and becomes unsuitable for engine operation.

To protect the internal walls of the cylinder, it is necessary to fill it with oil (the main thing is to remember to drain it before using the unit next season). This method will help protect the engine from corrosion. The cleaned carburetor should be coated with a special composition that resists corrosion.

Battery

If you want the engine to start without any problems in the spring, you will have to remove the battery. While at 25 degrees below zero a fully charged battery has 100% capacity, at 10 degrees below zero its power drops by 30%. Therefore, it is necessary to store the battery in a dry and well-ventilated area where the temperature does not drop below 5 degrees. Manufacturers recommend charging the battery once every 30 days at a charging current of 1/10 of the battery capacity. If using an 8 amp hour battery, you should set the charger to 0.8 amp and charge the battery for 10 hours. Although these days, automatic chargers designed for two-wheelers are widely available in the market, which themselves determine when and with what current to charge the battery.

Storing a scooter in a warm garage or outside in winter

When storing a moped for the winter in a warm, non-humid room, it is not necessary to carry out all of the above points for preparing and preserving the scooter for the winter. For example, you don’t have to remove the battery , but just disconnect the negative terminal from the scooter and recharge it once a month. We also recommend starting the engine 3-4 times during the winter period and letting it run for 10-20 minutes.

If you do not have the opportunity to leave your horse either in a warm room or in a cold garage, and you are going to store your scooter outside in the winter, then cover it tightly with a tarpaulin cover. Tarpaulin does not allow moisture to pass through, but air does. You should not cover the moped with a film or material that does not allow steam to pass through - condensation will form from the inside and will result in rusting of the metal parts. Of course, everything stated above regarding the proper preparation of the battery, engine and scooter in general for winter when storing the moped in this way must be carried out with double responsibility. But you must understand that it is still not recommended to store a moped in winter in this way.

Following these simple rules for preserving and preparing your scooter for winter will help you enjoy riding a moped during the first warm weather in the spring, rather than having to deal with scooter repairs. Good luck!

How to winterize your trimmer

The next important tool for every summer resident is a gas trimmer. Its proper storage is one of the main factors of long service to the owner.

The wintering place should be warm, with low humidity, insulated from temperature changes. The gas trimmer should not freeze; it should be wrapped in an unnecessary blanket or other desiccant.
All fuel from the tank must be removed and the trimmer should be run idle, waiting until it stalls.
Inspect the spark plug for carbon deposits. To do this, you need to unscrew it and take it out. If the electrodes are red or close to it, everything is in order, a different color indicates that they need to be cleaned or replaced.
The knife must be stored separately. Remove it, clean it from dirt, check for cracks or chips.
If you have a trimmer cord, you can extend its service life by storing it in water. Thanks to this, the fishing line will retain its elasticity.
For wintering, the trimmer should be suspended.

Shustrik: a unique snow scooter

This is a one-of-a-kind scooter designed specifically for winter use. The manufacturer has thought through the design of the vehicle down to the smallest detail, ensuring the highest functionality. The wide cast ski is stable and comfortable to stand on with both feet. At the back of the platform there is a grooved block for the foot, which allows you to put one foot on the ski and actively push off with the other without losing balance. The steering column is made in the form of a pyramid, this allows you to increase the speed of the scooter. The vehicle is easy to drive; just lean in the right direction when turning.

Do I need to prepare gasoline-powered garden equipment for winter?

This question is controversial in many aspects. A considerable number of gardeners are of the opinion that branded garden equipment, when using high-quality fuels and lubricants, does not require preparation for winter storage at all. And in the spring, after topping up and pumping up gasoline or the fuel mixture, it will continue to operate without any problems.

At the same time, the storage conditions for garden equipment are completely different for everyone. Some people can afford to store it in a warm room, while for others it will lie all winter in a damp and frosty barn. And the concept of “high-quality fuels and lubricants” is quite vague in our country.

My opinion is this: if you can avoid moisture (dew) when storing a gasoline engine, then preserving cylinders and elements of garden equipment for the winter is not necessary. It will be enough to simply drain and use up the remaining gasoline or fuel mixture. The appearance of moisture can be avoided in several ways: store the engine at room temperature, or ensure high-quality thermal insulation of the engine, for example, store it in a tight box lined with mineral wool on the inside.

Storing lawn mowers in winter – goals and objectives.

Proper storage of lawn mowers in winter consists of several preparatory stages. The main one: preparing the brush cutter engine for long-term storage in winter. It will prevent the rings from being pressed into the piston, and will eliminate the consequences of oil hardening and moisture condensation on the internal parts of the engine with subsequent corrosion.

Drain the gasoline or fuel mixture.

We clean the gasoline spit from dirt.
We drain the gasoline or fuel mixture from the garden equipment and screw on the gas tank cap. I do not recommend using the drained mixture as fuel for equipment in the future. Read how long you can store fuel mixture for two-stroke engines here.
We start the lawn mower and wait until the remaining gasoline in the carburetor, primer and fuel line is exhausted at idle speed. There are few residues and the garden equipment will not work for a long time. Before stopping, the engine will slightly increase speed due to the leanness of the fuel mixture.

Preservation of brush cutters - treatment of engine cylinders.

We remove the candle holder.
We unscrew the candle. We check the gap and its general condition.
Using a syringe, spray 2-2.5 ml of oil through the spark plug hole in the cylinder cavity, which is intended for making the fuel mixture for your garden equipment. You can use any anti-scale, anti-corrosion agent, ideally a specialized product for the internal preservation of motorcycle engines.
Using a manual starter with the ignition off, turn the piston several times.
We twist the candle.
We put on a candlestick.

Attention. If you accidentally overfilled the oil, and in the spring your garden equipment does not want to start

First of all, unscrew and degrease the spark plug.

Preservation of lawn mowers – treatment of the carburetor and cleaning of the air filter.

We remove the air filter cover and the filter itself with a metal mesh, if such is provided for in the design of the garden equipment.
Open the throttle valve.
Inject anti-corrosion agent into the carburetor.
We wash and dry the air filter. We install it in place.

Preparing the cutting knife of garden equipment for long-term storage.

We remove the knife.
We clean it of dirt.
We treat it and the seats with an anti-corrosion agent. To save money, you can use any inexpensive machine oil, incl. and working off.

Preparing the mowing reel with fishing line for winter storage.

Remove the mowing head from the garden equipment.
We disassemble and clean from remaining grass and dirt.
We unwind the line from the reel.
We store the fishing line in a damp place to prevent it from drying out and becoming brittle. For example, wrap it in a bag with added water.

Advice. If in the spring the mowing line still becomes rough and brittle, place it in water for several hours. It will partially restore its properties.

If you have time, do not put off lubricating the gearbox until the “future”.

Proper storage of the lawn mower during long periods of downtime, and even more so in winter, preservation of its engine and cutting tools will ensure its uninterrupted operation next season. In addition, they will save a lot of nerves and money, of which, as you know, there is never too much.

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Where can I park my moped?

Stopping and parking of vehicles is permitted on the right side of the road on the side of the road, and in its absence - on the roadway at its edge and in the cases established by paragraph 12.2 of the Rules - on the sidewalk.

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