How Bad Is Keeping Bike Out In Winter

[es_class]

This Year I Have No Place To Store The Bike And Im Thinking About Moving To Florida So Ive Procrastinated...on Finding Storage. How Bad Is It If It Sees Some 30 Degree Night And A Few Snow Storms?

[knorwj]

well I haven't had the opportunity to leave mine out for a full winter yet but as of right now it is getting hit with some flurries since I'm still riding it a few days a week. I think by the end of the week though I'm gonna prep her for storage and put her in my cousins garage for a few months.


I had a friend in college who had an older bike (92ish). She ran great all year and for winter storage he parked her and covered her in about 4 layers of tarps and covers. In the spring it was slightly difficult to start and there was some small rust spots in places so it may not be ideal but after a good tune up and some tlc it was as good as new ( or at leasdt as good as pre winter)

edit: Also I don't know how true this is but the mechanic where I bought my bike said that for winter storage make sure the gas thats in there is high test. He said that gas loses roughly an octane point every month or so from sitting? anyway the point being if you put 87 in then store it it may be pretty shitty by spring, but if you put 93 in it will be about 87 or 89 by spring.

[es_class]

thanks. this would be her first winter but she has seen plenty of rain. i guess after a full inspection and some cleaning and wd40 she will be ok for this year.

[jeffcoslacker]

A few points...if you are covering it, be sure to park it on a dry surface that doesn't hold moisture.

This goes for sheds with earthen floors too...some of the rustiest bikes I've ever seen were covered in sheds with no floor...better to leave it uncovered if this is the only option...

Some people think it's a great idea to put it in the grass on the side of the house with a cover...actually a bad idea. The cover acts as a tent to prevent moisture from drying. Each day the air under the cover gets very saturated with humidity from the ground, every night when it cools off, the cold metal on the bike causes it to condense onto it's surface...this effect will pull moisture onto and into every possible metal surface that air has access to, including hidden places like swingarm pivots, steering head bearings and fuse boxes, etc...you will find everything has corroded.

You are really better off to let it rain directly on the bike and then dry up than let it baste in a moisture trap daily....bikes are designed to shed water from above, but not to be saturated from all angles...

If you cover it, use a breathable cover that can let moisture escape, plastic tarps and such are the worst possible cover....

If it were me I'd spray the coils, fusebox, relays, battery connections, etc with WD-40 or silicone spray prior to putting it away, and start it and run to full operating temp at least once a week, even if you don't ride it. This gets condensation out of the exhaust so it doesn't rust from the inside...work the brakes, pull the clutch and put it gear while running, keeps the clutch plates from sticking together, and make sure the fuel tank is as full as it can possibly be...this keeps the interior of the tank from rusting...

[jeffcoslacker]

PS best way to handle it is RIDE THE DAMN THING!

If you ride it, even if only once a week for for 15 minutes or so, that's only twelve times all winter you have to suffer for a few minutes. You can handle it. And your bike will be happy won't suffer any storage effects...

[es_class]

thanks alot jeffcoslacker, i appreciate the info. in fact i had heard something to that affect b4 and it just made sense so the bike has not been covered. i actually go out front and start her up almost everyday. sometimes just run her up and down the street. just made a mistake though... i purchased one of those rubber type nelson rigg fully waterproof types. but i keep her on the sidewalk so maybe this wont be too bad. i mainly got it for when i know its gonna snow heavy. i needed the confirmation that it would be ok with the rain though so, thanks. i will also take the advise of hitting up some key spots with wd40. i have little rust spots inside on the walls of the tank...very little speckled spots....nothing floating. is this bad? and is it ok to do that coating treatment in the tank? i will hopefully be in Florida by dec 1 so if thats the case i will beat about 3 to 5 months of messy cold weather. its been known to be capable of snowing in april in nyc. thanks again.

[jeffcoslacker]

Some small rust pits inside the tank aren't usually a big deal...when it gets scaly and starts fluffing off is when it's a problem...but you have a fuel filter that would catch it anyway, unlike old bikes that just had a basically worthless screen that let small stuff through, where it would plug jets and needle seats and stuff...just don't let it sit around low on fuel and it probably won't get any worse.

If I were going to use a water proof cover that doesn't breathe, I'd make sure there was a couple of places at the bottom where it was above the ground for some air exchange. Some of those covers even have small vents made in them...


I've seen some interesting shelters...one guy I know made a frame out of PVC pipe that is just a little taller and wider than the bike, and covered it with canvas tarp...shelters the bike without contacting it, the end at the rear is only covered halfway to the ground so there's no trapped air or humidity. He made tethers that hook to the bike so it can't blow over...it's pretty cool, I may make one like it...

[es_class]

that does sound cool and pretty easy too. im gonna run her today around the neighborhood for as long as it takes to empty the tank so i can refill it....that gas has been in there for over a month. is it really a pain in the u know what to use that carb sync tool? is it really called a manometer? lol.

[road_rascal]

If I had no choice but to leave a bike outside I would fill up the tank with non-oxy fuel (rare around MN but a few stations have it), put in fuel stabilizer, change the oil, wash/wax the bike and then hose it down with a wipe and shine (I like Honda's brand in a can) and leave it on (don't wipe off). WD-40 and Pledge works well too. I would use a decent weatherproof cover and park it on at least a wood plank to keep off of the cement/pavement. Oh- I would pull the battery. I leave my bikes covered in an unheated garage and never had a problem with rust.

[speediva]

Honda cleaner in some states is not the same as it used to be.... Also, I am too drunk to bother with research, but if your bike is not FI (aka carbed) you will be fine using Stabil, but if you do have FI (fuel injection) then you DO NOT want to use Stabil.

[road_rascal]

I didn't know the Honda spray wax formulation has changed. I suppose any spray type wax/detailing solution would work. 303 Aerospace Protectant is another one I use.

[aussieidiot]

Originally Posted by speediva

Also, I am too drunk to bother with research,

i've never known a math teacher to be an alcoholic....... hmmmmm

[speediva]

Originally Posted by aussieidiot

i've never known a math teacher to be an alcoholic....... hmmmmm

*ugh* Yeah... I had WAAAAAAY too much to drink on Thanksgiving. My cousin and I polished off a bottle and a half of red wine (the 1.5 liter bottles, nonetheless). Then we went to a bar. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night praying to porcelain gods.

Anyhoo, it wasn't an announced change for the Honda cleaner, but because of CFCs or something in the old propellant, the formula got changed. I've heard from some that they don't notice any difference, and I've heard from others that the new stuff sucks and that they go across state lines to order it from states where the law didn't change.

[YogsVR4]

Originally Posted by speediva

Honda cleaner in some states is not the same as it used to be.... Also, I am too drunk to bother with research, but if your bike is not FI (aka carbed) you will be fine using Stabil, but if you do have FI (fuel injection) then you DO NOT want to use Stabil.

Thats interesting.... Stabil for my VR4s for every winter since I've owned them (17 combined winters) and its never caused a problem. Or, are you saying its a problem with the bikes only?













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[speediva]

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

Thats interesting.... Stabil for my VR4s for every winter since I've owned them (17 combined winters) and its never caused a problem. Or, are you saying its a problem with the bikes only?

The only FI bike my family owned was an 02 VFR800 Interceptor... that thing coughed and sputtered and cried when we put in the gas with Stabil (while the other bikes just ran happily). Once we cycled that gas out and put in just regular gas it was just peachy keen.