Do It Yourself Winter Motorcycle/Scooter Storage
By Dennis McCartney
CBXManMotorcycles.com
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So you want to "winterize" your motorcycle or scooter and store at your place. Great! We happen to offer Winter Storage Services at our facility, but for the Do-It-Yourself Types, here's what you need to do to do it right.
1. POR-15 Fuel Stabilizer
First add the correct amount of POR-15 to your fuel tank and then fill the tank up with fresh gasoline.
The correct amount is 1 ounce per 3 gallons but with POR-15 Fuel Stabilizer it's best to err on the high side because POR-15 has some great fuel system cleaning abilities too. If you have a 4-1/2 gallon tank 2 ounces is not too much. After you add POR-15 and have filled your tank, go a ride or if your bike is liquid cooled let it run for about 10-15 minutes. More fun and better to go for a ride. Gets the POR-15 mixed up well with the gas and gets the treated gas circulated thru the fuel system better.
Top the tank off again when you get home. That way there's less room in the tank for condensation to form when the temperature changes during storage time.
2. Wax Your Bike
We use, sell and recommend S-100 Detail + Wax
It sprays on and cuts thru any remaining road film, rain film and other contaminants. Wipe it off and it leaves a brilliant shine. S-100 Detail + Wax combines two natural waxes: Beeswax and Carnauba for a shine that lasts as long as paste waxes. Minimizes your cleaning time and waxes your bike at the same time! Comes in a 10 oz. aerosol can.
3. Spray All Exposed Metal & Vinyl Parts With Corrosion Protectant
S-100 Corrosion Protectant - This is our secret weapon for storage and in restorations.
It makes old painted metal look new. It also works great on vinyl (your seat and grips) and rubber (your brake, clutch and fuel lines. Ends corrosion and rust worries; simply spray it on rub it off to prevent rust and corrosion due to moisture, rain, salt air, etc.
We've used it on our bikes for over 15 years and there's nothing quite like it!
4. Plug It In
We like the Battery Tender Junior because you can get an optional 25' extension cord for it but the ACI Supercharger is the best buy and is what we wire up all our new bikes, scooters and atv's with.
The Kisan CX-10 chargeX is a cool unit because it mounts to the bike and goes with you wherever you go.
The Opimate 111 Charger is the big dog here though.
Extension cords from the Battery Tender work with it and it puts out more power than the other units.
Modern maintenance free batteries will last 8-10 years if they are maintained properly and the only maintenance they need is to be plugged into a battery charger when not in use.
The modern chargers we offer from ACI, Battery Tender, Kisan and Optimate all use microprocessors to monitor the state of the battery. If the battery charge begins to decline these chargers detect it and turn themselves on. When the battery has been charged up enough these chargers go back into monitoring mode until they are needed again.
Just plug one of these into your battery when you won't be riding for more than a week or two and you'll get many years more from your battery and your bike will always be ready to go when you are!
5. Get The Wheels Off The Ground
Motorcycle/scooter tires will tend to develop a "flat spot" if they are left in the same position for a long time.
These flat spots will usually disappear after 5-10 miles of riding but those 5-10 miles can be very disconcerting because the bike won't feel right.
Sometimes the flat spots are permanent and the tire will need to be replaced.
In addition, if a tire loses pressure, which it will in colder temps, the loss of pressure and the weight of the bike resting on the tire can do some real damage.
Why take a chance? If your bike doesn't have a center stand, we highly suggest that you order a rear & front tire center stand.
These stands may seem like a big investment but you'll have them forever and you'll find them to be a big help for holding the bike up for routine maintenance and wheel removal for tire replacement!
6. Cover It Up
If you didn't pop for a bike cover when you purchased your bike or scooter get one now right here.
Binetto covers come in 4 sizes and will fit most motorcycles or scooters.
If you're not sure what size to order send us an email and tell us what you're riding and we'll tell you what cover we recommend.
A cover might seem unnecessary if you are parking in your garage but trust it, it's worth it. While stored your bike will for sure get dusty and the cover will prevent that. It will also give your bike some protection from people rubbing up against it during storage.
A good cover like our Binetto covers will give you years of service!