The GECCO
November 4th, 2010, 12:53 PM
Well, it's that time of the year when some of us will put the bike away without any real plans to ride again until spring. If you're in that group, here are a few suggestions that will help your bike survive the long storage. Some may be seen as a little extreme, so take from it what you will.
- Drain the radiator and add anti-freeze. This is as much for corrosion protection as freeze protection, so do it even if you have a heated shop.
- FILL the fuel tank all the way with 91 pump gas, and run the engine long enough to get any remaining race fuel out of the lines, injectors, etc. Today's pump fuels will easily survive a few months of sitting. Some race fuels will, others specifically recommend against it. Be sure to fully top off your tank as well, this will limit the amount of air and exposed steel inside the tank, which will limit condensation and the resulting rust/corrosion.
- While you're running the engine to clear the fuel lines, go ahead and let it get to full temp. This will warm the oil so you can do an oil/filter change, it will mix in the anti-freeze you added earlier, and it will top off the charge on your battery.
- Take the spark plugs out and spray a bit of WD-40 in each cylinder to guard against condensation and corrosion. Put the spark plugs back in, but plan to replace them in the spring before firing the motor.
- Back off all of the rocker arm nuts until all the rocker arms are "loose". This does two things: 1) it closes all the valves and seals the cylinders off from the outside world. 2) it ensures that one or more of your valve springs doesn't spend the entire winter in the fully compressed position, which will arguably inhibit it's performance in the future.
- Now that your battery has a full charge, disconnect both leads, starting with the negative. Reconnect them in the opposite order in the spring.
- Get the weight off of the springs and tires. A front stand that lifts from under the triples works perfectly. A rear swingarm stand gets the weight off the tire, but not off the spring/shock. Jackstands or blocks under the foot pegs is best. The idea is that the spring spend the winter in it's fully extended state, not partially compressed. This is the same theory I apply for the valve springs - All metal has memory, if the spring spends enough time the same position, that position will eventually become it's "resting" position, where it is exerting no force, and it's characteristics have changed. Granted, this won't happen to a very large degree over a single winter, but every little bit counts. Getting the weight off the tire prevents flat spotting and ensures that the entire tire goes through the same temperature cycles. Concrete is a great heat sink, any part of the tire touching it will not temperature cycle at the same rate as the rest.
- If you're going to cover it, don't do it with anything plastic that will trap moisture. A cotton sheet or something that breathes is better, nothing is best.
- Lastly, tape a note to the gas tank detailing what you've done so that you don't forget to undo the necessary items before firing it up in the spring.
I'm sure others will have some tips, but I think this is a good place to start.
- Drain the radiator and add anti-freeze. This is as much for corrosion protection as freeze protection, so do it even if you have a heated shop.
- FILL the fuel tank all the way with 91 pump gas, and run the engine long enough to get any remaining race fuel out of the lines, injectors, etc. Today's pump fuels will easily survive a few months of sitting. Some race fuels will, others specifically recommend against it. Be sure to fully top off your tank as well, this will limit the amount of air and exposed steel inside the tank, which will limit condensation and the resulting rust/corrosion.
- While you're running the engine to clear the fuel lines, go ahead and let it get to full temp. This will warm the oil so you can do an oil/filter change, it will mix in the anti-freeze you added earlier, and it will top off the charge on your battery.
- Take the spark plugs out and spray a bit of WD-40 in each cylinder to guard against condensation and corrosion. Put the spark plugs back in, but plan to replace them in the spring before firing the motor.
- Back off all of the rocker arm nuts until all the rocker arms are "loose". This does two things: 1) it closes all the valves and seals the cylinders off from the outside world. 2) it ensures that one or more of your valve springs doesn't spend the entire winter in the fully compressed position, which will arguably inhibit it's performance in the future.
- Now that your battery has a full charge, disconnect both leads, starting with the negative. Reconnect them in the opposite order in the spring.
- Get the weight off of the springs and tires. A front stand that lifts from under the triples works perfectly. A rear swingarm stand gets the weight off the tire, but not off the spring/shock. Jackstands or blocks under the foot pegs is best. The idea is that the spring spend the winter in it's fully extended state, not partially compressed. This is the same theory I apply for the valve springs - All metal has memory, if the spring spends enough time the same position, that position will eventually become it's "resting" position, where it is exerting no force, and it's characteristics have changed. Granted, this won't happen to a very large degree over a single winter, but every little bit counts. Getting the weight off the tire prevents flat spotting and ensures that the entire tire goes through the same temperature cycles. Concrete is a great heat sink, any part of the tire touching it will not temperature cycle at the same rate as the rest.
- If you're going to cover it, don't do it with anything plastic that will trap moisture. A cotton sheet or something that breathes is better, nothing is best.
- Lastly, tape a note to the gas tank detailing what you've done so that you don't forget to undo the necessary items before firing it up in the spring.
I'm sure others will have some tips, but I think this is a good place to start.