{"id":8590,"date":"2022-05-17T03:59:12","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T03:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/notsealed.com\/?p=8590"},"modified":"2023-08-01T02:12:33","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T02:12:33","slug":"how-to-store-a-motorcycle-for-6-months-or-longer-the-correct-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/notsealed.com\/how-to-store-a-motorcycle-for-6-months-or-longer-the-correct-way.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Store a Motorcycle for 6 Months or Longer the Correct Way."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I love riding motorcycles, but just like most of you once that cold weather comes in the motorcycle gets packed away. In this post, we will go over how to store a motorcycle for 6 months or longer the correct way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for correct motorcycle storage during winter is so that no extra damage can occur while it is not in use. You will be surprised how many motorcycles need extra maintenance or repairs due to improper storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the steps mentioned below will vary depending on how long you need to park up your motorcycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to store a motorcycle for winter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Wash and dry your motorcycle.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to fully wash and dry your motorcycle to get all the excess road grime, oil, dirt, and bugs. Make sure to towel wipe it down and start it up to dry out the exhaust and engine. I like to run it for 5 minutes to get it up to a nice hot running temp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will dry any water that can find its way into small areas on the engine and exhaust system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wax your fuel tank and painted plastics to protect them from the elements. Just like waxing your car you should also wax your motorcycle plastics and painted metal parts. Don’t wax the engine or exhaust system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can clean tarnished stainless steel exhaust headers fast<\/a> with household products such as Harpic power plus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Full electrical check<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Full<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Check all of your electrical systems such as the lights, horn, brake light, and indicators. Replace any faulty light bulbs. Now may be a good time to upgrade the headlight to a LED system.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Lubricate all moving parts.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Lubricate<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I like to lubricate all pivot points like the brake and clutch levers. Clean the chain and lubricate it well ready for the next season. Make sure to check the chain tension<\/a> at the same time according to your workshop manual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some parts may require a dry lubricant such as graphite. So be sure to use the correct lubricant as recommended by your workshop manual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Motorcycle engine oil and coolant service.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Motorcycle<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now that the engine has cooled down a little it is a good time to change the engine oil and replace the oil filter. This procedure is easy and you can do it yourself with only a few tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get yourself a small oil filter wrench, a drain pan, and a socket set. Start by placing the oil pan under the motorcycle engine and opening the oil filler plug. Use a socket wrench to remove the oil drain plug and drain the engine oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remove the oil filter with the oil filter wrench. Sometimes there may be a little hex nut on the oil filter so you can use a socket wrench to remove it. Get hold of a new motorcycle oil filter and pre-fill it with a small amount of new engine oil to coat the internal filter. This will open up the pores of the oil filter fabric<\/a>. I like to place a small amount of oil on the filter o-ring and threads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can now install the new filter and tighten it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once all the old oil has drained out install the drain plug with a new washer and tighten it back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can now top up the engine with new motorcycle engine oil. You will be able to see the level by the small window on the side of the engine. The level should be 1\/2 way up the small window. Make sure to only use the oil that is recommended for your motorcycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start the engine for a few minutes to fully coat the internals with new oil. You can check out how I do a Yamaha MT-07 engine oil service in 5-minutes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motorcycle radiator coolant flush<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your engine radiator coolant has not been changed for a few years then now is a good time to change the coolant. Radiator fluid has special anti-rust properties that will protect the engine and radiator coils from corrosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"how<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Over time these anti-corrosion ingredients break down and you will need to do a radiator flush. Without new radiator coolant every few years your engine will start to corrode. Don’t forget this step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is often one drain plug on the lowest part of the coolant circuit that will drain all of the old coolant. Check out how I replace the coolant on my Yamaha MT-07<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Fuel tank preparation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Water<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to fully fill the tank with premium fuel and add a fuel stabilizer, this is important. A full fuel tank is essential for keeping moisture and condensation out of the tank walls. This will prevent your motorcycle tank from rusting inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shake the motorcycle to mix the fuel stabilizer in the tank and start the engine for a few minutes again. You could also ride it around the block to mix the stabilizer and make sure it is into the carburetor or fuel injection systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If storing your motorcycle for longer than 6 months it may be better to fully drain the fuel tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Battery tender<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some people like to fully remove the battery from the motorcycle and connect it to a battery tender. My battery is hard to access so I just connect up some battery tender fly leads so the trickle charger<\/a> is easy to connect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is my video on how to replace the Yamaha MT 07 battery.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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