winter storage

justscootin

Member
Most of us have stored a car or a motorcycle/scooter for the winter. One thing I do with my Z3 during the winter is I leave the doors and trunk ajar so the rubber does not get frozen in the crushed position and leak in the spring rain.

When I store the scooter a also leave the seat ajar also to prevent a crushed rubber seal. (just a tip)
 

Snowdog

New member
Not me!!

Most of us have stored a car or a motorcycle/scooter for the winter. One thing I do with my Z3 during the winter is I leave the doors and trunk ajar so the rubber does not get frozen in the crushed position and leak in the spring rain.

When I store the scooter a also leave the seat ajar also to prevent a crushed rubber seal. (just a tip)

The squirrels would move right in and do more damage then a flat spot on a gasket.

Actually, I have never had a bike or car develope a problem like that. Age deterioration always seemed like more of a problem to me.
 

JaimeC

New member
Never stored a motorcycle over the winter. Where I live, there are ALWAYS an occasional warm day (or more) to go for a ride. Last winter was the worst... went two months without a break... but was able to get out and head down to Daytona in March anyway. So far, this winter is working out a WHOLE lot better (but it is still to early to tell. Record warmth here, actually).
 

justscootin

Member
I don't store mine and do ride on occasion. I just leave the seat unlocked to reduce pressure on the gasket for the winter, then I lock it when I ride.
 
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seraphtan

New member
No winter here in Singapore. It's a tropical island. Therefore, we only get 2 seasons here. Hot and dry, and hot and wet. =/

However, the tropical heat here is cause for plenty of wear on all rubber parts. Radiator hoses, brake lines, and the like, tend to crack every 3-4 years and need to be replaced.
 

Lee

New member
Ok, well I am here at 4500 ft on the Eastern edge of the Sierra Nevadas, and the mountains already have snow on them, so I will be storing the C650GT in my garage. Any other words of wisdom for winter storage besides fuel additives, battery tender, and having the bike on the center stand?? TIA!
 

bicyclenut

Member
Winter storage?!?...haha, even living in the sometimes frozen Chicagoland area winter storage is just an extended nap for me. Parked in front of the car, battery tender plugged in, gas tank filled with premium and a lightweight cover or my half cover. Ready to be ridden at any time the roads are clear of snow and the temperatures are above freezing. Was able to ride at least every month here last year, between the snow and cold, sometimes multiple days in the months that would be considered the depths of winter.

If storing for an extended period of time, lets say 90 days, should use a gas stabilizer as ethanol gas will absorb water, so keeping the tank sealed and full will also help as will pure gas with no ethanol. A friend that used to work for BP used to tell us that Premium gas would store about 3x longer than regular gas without losing its stability. Many will say keeping weight off tires or moving the wheels maybe every couple weeks keeps a flat spot from developing for that first spring ride. Keep tires inflated - pressure will drop (or raise) about 1psi for every 10 degrees of temperature change. Depending on where stored, maybe some mouse traps around, at our shop we have seen many a car with a nest under the hood as these animals escape the cold in garages and sometimes do some considerable damage to wiring and other area of vehicles. Always best to store clean and free of grime, salt and other stuff that will damage paint and other surfaces. As with most vehicles, extended storage can sometimes be harder and create more problems than a vehicle that used more frequently...so get out and ride if you can!
 

wsteele

New member
I will ride into December the biggest problem here is the sand and salt on the roads they use a lot of both, we store our 4 bikes in a garage in the dead of winter with battery tenders on all of the bikes. I use Startron in the gas wipe down the bike and use spray cleaner, living above 2000 ft we get a lot of ice and freezing rain looks nice on the trees but that is about it when it does snow it stays around usually into March or April but I do get out towards late March still have to watch for the ice and the sand is quite plentiful you really have to keep you eye on the road but after a few good rain storms your good to go.
 
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