Great Storage advice from Chicago Harley-Davidson/Buell

DON'T MAKE THESE MISTAKES STORING YOUR HARLEY

Properly storing your beloved Harley over the harsh winter months will ensure that when you fire it up for the first ride next spring it’ll be ready! Taking the time to do it right will pay off now, and later. So to help you avoid the pitfalls of improper storage problems, here’s a Top Ten list of the most common winter storage mistakes:


10. Starting your bike a couple of times a month draws your battery down more than it will charge in a short run cycle. Heating your engine in a cold climate will also cause condensation on the inside and outside of the motor.


9. Keeping your bike in a building that heats and cools with the outside temperature will cause condensation on your motorcycle, particularly in the late fall and early spring when outside temperatures fluctuate.


8. Parking your car in the same area as your bike carries salt and moisture in and out of your garage and can cause corrosion.


7. Storing your bike in an area accessible to rodents can cause extensive damage in a short period of time, as mice and squirrels love to nest under the seat and in the fairings of your motorcycle.


6. Keeping pool chemicals in the same building as your bike can cause damage. Pool chemicals and even their vapors can be very corrosive to your motorcycle finish.


5. Having electric motors running close to your motorcycle creates ozone that can cause dry rot on your tires.


4. Putting your bike away even slightly dirty can create corrosion. Brake dust is an irritant to metal and contains iron bits that trap moisture and cause rust.


3. Using a non-breathable cover over your bike can trap moisture and cause corrosion.


2. Storing your bike on some types of concrete floors can be a problem. Ground moisture penetrates floors poured without a vapor barrier under them. This produces a situation similar to parking your bike on a dirt floor.


1. By ignoring your battery, you’ll allow it to drain its charge. Batteries discharge naturally over time, and most newer bikes have a milliamp draw from the ECM, radio, regulator and security system that can drain a battery dead in a short period of time. Using a trickle charger will combat these drains and result in longer battery life.


Of course, if you don’t want to deal with all the hassles of preparing your bike for cold storage or don’t have the proper space to put it, contact us for Winter Storage. Our trained service staff will take care of all the details and store it safe and secure until you’re ready to ride!

 

How to store your motorcylce for the winter:

Ride it into your garage, turn it off, pop a beer and drink it (allowing time for the engine to cool sufficiently), throw a sheet over it, pop another beer and wait for Spring.

 

Amen!

 

Now I'm afraid to go into my garage!

 

A lot of the things here are not an issue at all.

-Salt in the air,been doing it for years never a problem
-Mice,never a problem there,you will never stop them little critters.
-Electric motors?thats a new one!
-Concrete floors? another new one.Everything I own has always been parked on concrete and no issues.
-Finally,we all live under different climate conditions,and have to learn by experience what is best for our toys.Eventually, realizing it is never the same year to year,all we can do is the best can,and don't develope an ulcer fretting about it.Spring is a great time to spit and polish,so many of us have to do it every single year.

 

Advice on winter storage from a guy in Louisiana.

 

Scare tactics so you will have them store it.

There is some validity to there arguments but overblown in my opinion.

 

Well at least you put it in the garage, some members here seem the believe its perfectly fine to just let it set in the parking lot covered in ice and snow for 5 month

 

I'm lucky enough to have a garage at this point in my life. There were times when that was not the case. I'd rather have a bike and have to store it outside than not have a bike at all. Just sayin'....

 

LOL Not for us down here that can ride year round but for you guys that have to suffer through the winter. I received it through an email from Chicago Harley and thought it may help you from the frozen north.