All about motorcycles
Every beginning of the season promises the bursting of motorcycle service pipes. Owners of two-wheeled vehicles indignantly ask: “Why does the motorcycle stall or not start at all?” The answer to such questions is a number of tips on how to properly prepare for the cold and rainy season.
To avoid serious consequences in the fall, you need to rationally approach the issue of storing vehicles. Limiting the purchase of a cover will bring global problems, and the owner will end up losing a huge part of the budget and will spend a lot of nerves during repairs (or will have to replace the usual motorcycle with a new one).
Necessary measures
- Pre-wash and dry. After the motorcycle is washed, it is necessary to thoroughly wipe it with a rag and blow out the electrical connectors and all connections with compressed air.
- An oil change is necessary to ensure that the internal metal surfaces of the engine are not damaged by acid emissions that appear during the combustion process.
- There should be some fresh fuel mixed with stabilizer in the tank.
- The cylinders also need to be lubricated to prevent rust. Gasoline is a solvent; before cranking the starter, turn off the fuel and distribute the oil evenly among the cylinders.
- Remove the battery.
- Spray the frame, engine and other metal surfaces with a protective preservative liquid. It protects transport from moisture and temperature influences.
- Tires must be properly inflated.
- Spray the ends of the muffler and drain holes with WD-40.
All these actions are necessary if you want to “sit down and go” in the spring, and not bother with repairs for another couple of months.
Warm motorcycle storage in winter is the best thing that can happen to your bike
Seasonal storage of motorcycles is almost a ritual that must be carried out according to all sacred biker canons. How your iron friend spends the winter will greatly affect how it rides in the summer. If you don’t change the oil in the engine, it will answer you with an unkind cough in the spring. If you miss an oxidized contact in the wiring, expect sparkling light music throughout the motorcycle, which is unlikely to want to go anywhere in this condition. And the most expensive price you will pay is your spoiled mood at the very beginning of the season, when you see that the motorcycle is “no longer the same.” In other words, every little detail matters. Prepare your bike for winter storage so that in spring you'll be blowing away with the wind as soon as you step on the throttle. Fair wind!
Preparing for the “preservation” of the bike
Winters always promise frost and dampness, which is the first step to corrosion of the coatings of your motorcycle. Aluminum surfaces will oxidize, iron will rust permanently, and chrome will swell. The opinion that if it just sits in the garage all winter, nothing will happen to it, is wrong. The room must be dry and, preferably, heated, and the equipment must be prepared in accordance with all the rules .
So that the transport sparkles with newness in the spring and does not “sneeze” when driving :
- fill the plugs and connectors with silicone grease;
- inflate the wheels to 3 atmospheres (if you are storing them);
- sprinkle a drop of silicone grease into the keyholes;
- Apply a thick layer of the usual polishing liquid used by motorists on the plastic. No need to rinse off.
The best option for your peace of mind is special warehouses for storing equipment for the winter. But the concern for the serviceability of the vehicle is still always the responsibility of its owner.
On the street
The service life of any equipment when stored outside in winter is reduced. Leaving your motorcycle in wet or frosty weather is not recommended, but is likely.
Preliminary:
Apply wax polish to all surfaces.
Spray more water repellent on the seat and tires.
The vehicle must be on the center step. It is best to hang it so as not to strain the shock absorbers for several months.
The tank should be almost full of fuel. When exposed to sub-zero temperatures, the metal will shrink.
The exhaust hole must be plugged with a special plug or improvised means. No moisture can get in there.
The cover should not completely envelop the motorcycle. Need ventilation.
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In a cold garage
When it is not possible to park your bike in a dry and warm room, a cold garage will do. Before leaving the vehicle to “winter,” you should complete all of the above steps. But, if in a warm room it is permissible to simply disconnect the battery, then in this case it must be removed and kept in any place with room temperature, or better on a glazed balcony. Charge periodically or fully charge before not using for a long period of time.
To avoid condensation, the tank must be full.
Although, gasoline loses its properties during prolonged stagnation. Modern touchless car wash will not work. It is best to wash the bike by hand with a special shampoo, rinse well and dry thoroughly.
If your motorcycle has a belt or driveshaft, there will be no problems. But the chain should be well lubricated. Rub chrome parts with a special paste after washing. This is not only beautiful, but also protects against the effects of chemical residues from shampoo.
If the garage is dry, then the leather coverings can be left as is. If not, spray with water-repellent liquid.
At the beginning of the new season, preparing transport for the first trip will not be difficult if all of the above has been taken into account.
Where is the best place to store a motorcycle?
Friends will say - a garage (yup, unheated), the mother-in-law will suggest a shed in the country, the wife will advise sending the bike to a paid parking lot, but all this is not the same. The best place to store a motorcycle in winter is a warm Attic storage area. Why are we so sure of this? Look at the benefits of winter motorcycle storage in a warm warehouse:
- constant temperature of +18 degrees Celsius at any time of the year;
- ventilation and cleaning consistently three times a week;
- complete security - 24-hour security and video surveillance around the entire perimeter of the warehouse without blind spots;
- delivery service.
Attic movers will come straight to your home and take your motorcycle to the warehouse, where it will be safely stored all winter. When the season comes, we will bring it back to anywhere in Moscow. All motorcycles in the Attic are stored in a separate area on pallets - we keep them warm, dry and happy.
Winter prices
The cost always varies. It all depends on the storage conditions, period and the company itself. When registering, an agreement is always drawn up and several documents and acts are required to be filled out. Basically, prices start from 1500 rubles. For large models the cost starts from 2800 rubles. for the entire season. Storage in a warm, protected box is better for the condition of the equipment and more reliable for the owner.
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10). Choosing storage space
A heated garage is best suited for storing such equipment (motorcycles). It is desirable that the temperature in it be uniform, around 10 -15 C. There should be no changes, much less sudden ones, in the bike storage room. They cause moisture to appear on the surface of the motorcycle, which can ultimately lead to rust.
Some bikers who do not have a garage store their motorcycles right at home. It is better not to resort to such extreme storage methods. Still, from the point of view of fire safety, storing a motorcycle in the house is not the best option, you never know what can be dropped on it, and lubricant or fuel flares up, as you know, instantly. Moreover, the motorcycle itself, even a motocross thing, is quite cumbersome, and do not doubt that it will definitely get in the way of the household.
Photo gallery
Preserving motorcycle equipment for the winter, although not a complicated procedure, still requires due attention. In our small photo selection, we will look at how this is done in different parts of the world.
House or apartment
Although it sounds like something from outer space, the Internet is full of photos posted by motorcyclists who proudly display their cars as part of their winter home decor. If the "iron horse" is quite young, without leaks, it should not emit any obvious odors. Of course, the low-key aroma of gasoline is something that motorcyclists really enjoy, but it can cause problems with other family members.
There may also be some difficulties in delivering the motorcycle to the upper floors if the elevator is not of sufficient size.
What problems are possible if conservation is neglected or carried out incorrectly?
If you do not protect motor parts (mirror, bearings, fingers) from contact with moist air, they will rust. This means a less smooth surface, difficult movement due to deformation, noisy engine operation and higher fuel consumption.
Corrosion also does not benefit other parts of the motorcycle. Rust that forms on the inside walls of a metal gas tank will flake off, contaminating the gasoline and damaging parts it comes into contact with.
Contaminants that are not removed in a timely manner create favorable conditions for the development of corrosion under their layer, and after wintering it is almost impossible to remove them.
Fractions contained in dirty oil can clog channels over the winter, and exhaust gas bubbles can cause corrosion. If the battery is completely discharged, it will no longer be usable.
In very severe frosts there is a risk that the housing will crack. Parts not treated with lubricant may become stuck to each other during a period of inactivity. If you do not unload the tires, they will become deformed, since the load is constantly placed on the same area.
Over the winter, paintwork can peel off, leatherette and rubber can crack. If you cover the motorcycle with polyethylene rather than a fabric cover, it will stick to the body and damage the paint, and if the cover completely covers the motorcycle, condensation will accumulate under it. If the rules of preservation after wintering are not followed, both the performance characteristics and the appearance of the motorcycle will suffer.
Lubrication of rubber elements
Now is the time to start lubricating the main rubber parts. We are primarily talking about oil seals, boots and cuffs of the fork and shock absorbers, which under the influence of frost can lose their silicone and crack. This threatens immediate failure of the fork and shock absorber, respectively. And if the output of the shock absorber may not be immediately noticed, then you will notice the consequences of leaked oil from the fork, which will inevitably end up on the brake discs and pads, the first time you try to stop. So, armed with silicone spray, you should carefully lubricate the above-mentioned parts, as well as the carburetor pipe, steering wheel vibration dampers, if any; brake hoses, rubber dampers of the driven star; cuffs of the main brake cylinders, as well as clutch cylinders. By and large, you have to lubricate everything rubber, except for tires, preparation for wintering of which can be limited to reducing the pressure to half the working pressure (usually up to 1 bar).
Silicone treatment
Silicone grease will help prevent premature aging and wear of parts.
Parts that can be treated with silicone lubricants include:
- Rubber bands and seals;
- Wiring;
- Swivel joints;
- Pipes, cables and rods;
Treating tires with a special compound is also important. Neutral lubricant will protect the rubber from hardening, cracking, and aging.
The now fashionable leather panniers and seats of Enduro motorcycles can be protected with your choice of silicone, tire foam, or a special composition for leather - the result will be of equal quality. The same goes for equipment. The skin will not dry out or crack. But to process chrome parts you will need a separate compound.
