Winter Storage - Pros/Cons
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 179
Likes: 10
From: Switzerland
What's your idea there? To alleviate/distribute the pressure on the tires? I don't know the mats you mentioned: How thick are they and how "rubbery"/soft are they? It's not like the stuff you can put under your, for instance, washing machine, right? Example: https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=...act=mrc&uact=8
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,726
Likes: 1,787
From: Toledo ohio
If you can, keep it in your garage on a tender. Get to know your bike, clean, repair, zip tie, and talk to it softly.. I mean,, ummm..
If you take it out on a nice day in the winter and your area puts salt on the road, you should spray the underside with a marine grade salt remover or an old biker friend that rides all winter, uses a cup of white vinegar to 2 gals of hot water to rinse with a sprayer. His bike still looks awsome. If you don't have the room
If you take it out on a nice day in the winter and your area puts salt on the road, you should spray the underside with a marine grade salt remover or an old biker friend that rides all winter, uses a cup of white vinegar to 2 gals of hot water to rinse with a sprayer. His bike still looks awsome. If you don't have the room
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 439
Likes: 91
From: 44.4 North
Fill 'er up with non oxygenated gas if available, add some stabilizer, put a battery tender on it. It'll be fine in the spring. That's all I've been doing for 45 years of biking and never had an issue. My shed isn't heated either. Gets down to -30 up here. Even if it kills the battery, the cost of winter storage at most dealers would get you a new one.
Thread Starter
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3rd Gear
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
Cover? Center Stand?
Wow. Thanks for all the responses. Seems like it's unanimous. Looks like I'll be keeping it at home where I really wanted anyway so I could hug it and rub it to let it know it's loved even when not ridden.
What about a cover? Indoor/Outdoor? Breathable? I'd kind of like one for when I ride to work and there's a chance of rain.
Also, I have a center stand. Is that enough to get the tires up?
What about a cover? Indoor/Outdoor? Breathable? I'd kind of like one for when I ride to work and there's a chance of rain.
Also, I have a center stand. Is that enough to get the tires up?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,306
Likes: 39
From: Everywhere
Originally Posted by T Man
A couple of times over the winter on a warmer day I will fire it up for 10 minutes just to get things moving.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 313
Likes: 8
From: Southern Nevada
Been storing bikes in non heated (Illinois) garage for years. I park bike on top of a sheet of plywood (plywood soaks up moister, put stabil in a full tank of gas, put on battery tender, cover it up and wont start it up until spring for first ride. Never a problem bikes have always started right up.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 6,088
Likes: 1,962
From: Somewhere on the Bourbon trail
Glad you're storing it in your garage. The CON in having it at the dealer would be you can't sneak into the garage in the middle of the night and bond with your new baby.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,613
Likes: 1,606
From: Eastern Ohio
I ride my bike into the garage, plug it into the tender, and go in the house. Nothing special.
Once the roads have salt on them and I know I'm not going to ride till spring, I don't start it, I don't cover it, and I don't lift it off the ground (well unless I'm going to work on something). I don't start it, because it won't get hot enough and create moisture in the engine. Covers will attract moisture to the painted surfaces, chrome, etc, and rodents. Tires are meant to be on the ground with the vehicle on it. I've never had flat sided tires, ever. Cat truck or bike. Oh, and no fuel additive bs either.
Once the roads have salt on them and I know I'm not going to ride till spring, I don't start it, I don't cover it, and I don't lift it off the ground (well unless I'm going to work on something). I don't start it, because it won't get hot enough and create moisture in the engine. Covers will attract moisture to the painted surfaces, chrome, etc, and rodents. Tires are meant to be on the ground with the vehicle on it. I've never had flat sided tires, ever. Cat truck or bike. Oh, and no fuel additive bs either.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 1,871
From: Minnesota
Wow. Thanks for all the responses. Seems like it's unanimous. Looks like I'll be keeping it at home where I really wanted anyway so I could hug it and rub it to let it know it's loved even when not ridden.
What about a cover? Indoor/Outdoor? Breathable? I'd kind of like one for when I ride to work and there's a chance of rain.
Also, I have a center stand. Is that enough to get the tires up?
What about a cover? Indoor/Outdoor? Breathable? I'd kind of like one for when I ride to work and there's a chance of rain.
Also, I have a center stand. Is that enough to get the tires up?