questions on storage
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 271
Likes: 0
From: Cuyahoga Falls, OH
questions on storage
My bike has now been parked for just shy of a month without riding it. The weather just hasn't cooperated lately. It has been on the battery tender round the clock. My question is willI doany harm firing her up without riding or is it better to just wait the weather out when I can start it up and go??? I just want to hear her run again.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 25,962
Likes: 9,761
From: Montana & Arkansas
RE: questions on storage
The Owner's Manual and other threads on this subject have it right. If you start her up, you need to ride her and get up to and sustain full cooking temperature for awhile to evap and burn off the moisture/by-products/evil grey crap in the crank that a mere short term start-up actually create.[&o]
Wish you could go on a real ride!!!
Wish you could go on a real ride!!!
ORIGINAL: Huebie
My bike has now been parked for just shy of a month without riding it. The weather just hasn't cooperated lately. It has been on the battery tender round the clock. My question is willI doany harm firing her up without riding or is it better to just wait the weather out when I can start it up and go??? I just want to hear her run again.
My bike has now been parked for just shy of a month without riding it. The weather just hasn't cooperated lately. It has been on the battery tender round the clock. My question is willI doany harm firing her up without riding or is it better to just wait the weather out when I can start it up and go??? I just want to hear her run again.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From:
RE: questions on storage
Every HD dealership I have been to, first thing in the morning they start the motorcyclesengines, ride them to the outside display area, maybe just a few yards and turn off the engines..then ride them back in as the store closes..all weathers. There is no way these motorcycles have the opportunity to run up to full operating temperature.....so are they damaging the engines?.. ..Not disputing your knowledge, just curious.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 25,962
Likes: 9,761
From: Montana & Arkansas
RE: questions on storage
Dealers are caught between a rock and a hard place: Moco wants new bikes to have 15 or so miles of prove-out miles on them. And a buyer wants almost no miles on them. The manual says "no" to mere start-ups, but the dealer wants that bike constantly fresh and perky and ready to start at the touch of the button if a customer wants to hear it. And, a proper engine warm upridetakes 15 minutes or more! So... the dealer just opts to keep em charged and proven ready to start and the long term durability is the owners issue to deal with.
Realistically, new bikes are a bit more forgiving of that kind of abuse than an older one that is kept in a home garage. Somedealers do not have the bikes started daily and instead usea 3-man gang to move em in and out each day.. one in the saddle and two pushing. Three can do it in a jiffy.
Realistically, new bikes are a bit more forgiving of that kind of abuse than an older one that is kept in a home garage. Somedealers do not have the bikes started daily and instead usea 3-man gang to move em in and out each day.. one in the saddle and two pushing. Three can do it in a jiffy.
ORIGINAL: bladesmith
Every HD dealership I have been to, first thing in the morning they start the motorcyclesengines, ride them to the outside display area, maybe just a few yards and turn off the engines..then ride them back in as the store closes..all weathers. There is no way these motorcycles have the opportunity to run up to full operating temperature.....so are they damaging the engines?.. ..Not disputing your knowledge, just curious.
Every HD dealership I have been to, first thing in the morning they start the motorcyclesengines, ride them to the outside display area, maybe just a few yards and turn off the engines..then ride them back in as the store closes..all weathers. There is no way these motorcycles have the opportunity to run up to full operating temperature.....so are they damaging the engines?.. ..Not disputing your knowledge, just curious.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,389
Likes: 26
From: Windham,Maine
RE: questions on storage
Fire her up,it will not hurt it that much if at all.If you did it all the time without a full warm up once in a while then I would be concerned.I have been doing stuff like that for over 35 yrs and my Harleys are always in top shape.A man just needs a taste of that beautiful sound once in a while!!!!!!!!!!!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,925
Likes: 5
From:
RE: questions on storage
ORIGINAL: bladesmith
Every HD dealership I have been to, first thing in the morning they start the motorcyclesengines, ride them to the outside display area, maybe just a few yards and turn off the engines..then ride them back in as the store closes..all weathers. There is no way these motorcycles have the opportunity to run up to full operating temperature.....so are they damaging the engines?.. ..Not disputing your knowledge, just curious.
Every HD dealership I have been to, first thing in the morning they start the motorcyclesengines, ride them to the outside display area, maybe just a few yards and turn off the engines..then ride them back in as the store closes..all weathers. There is no way these motorcycles have the opportunity to run up to full operating temperature.....so are they damaging the engines?.. ..Not disputing your knowledge, just curious.
In other words, LET IT SIT!
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,270
Likes: 0
RE: questions on storage
I dont think your gonna hurt it any measureable amount if you start it 3 or four times during the winter months.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,029
Likes: 449
From: Michigan
RE: questions on storage
Mines parked in a semi heated garage. I try to start and let it run for 10 minutes or so every three weeks to get some fresh fuel thru the injectors and fuel lines to prevent anything from gumming up. Haven't had a problem with this one or any of my other bikes.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,480
Likes: 1
From: Ocean Springs, MS
RE: questions on storage
ORIGINAL: skipit
I dont think your gonna hurt it any measureable amount if you start it 3 or four times during the winter months.
I dont think your gonna hurt it any measureable amount if you start it 3 or four times during the winter months.