long term storage suggestions...

hexacat

hexacat

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Int'l work assignment will require 18 mos. storage of my vehicles. besides pulling the battery and draining the fuel (i think 18mos is too long for fuel stabilizer), putting her on the center stand and a front paddock stand is there anything with the oil and/or chain that i should do?
thanks in advance.
 
Well it goes without saying that you should put fresh oil before putting it in storage. As for the chain I would over lube it to keep rust away and the o-rings nice n lubed.
 
thanks for the suggestions. after further reading I am having second thoughts on topping the tank an adding fuel stabilizer vs. draining it completely. the reasoning is moisture in the fuel tank and also the possibility of the fuel lines developing dry rot.

i found this info on the net and am wondering how much of this information can be applied to motorcycles, snowmobiles, PWC, etc...
http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-to-prep-your-car-for-long-term-storage.html

also... feel free to move this post to another place on the forum if it is miscategorized. i selected general discussion without looking at all the options.
 
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I would not drain the tank, I would top it off and add the stabilizer to it. Make sure to run that gas through the bike for a while so the stabilizer gets into the injectors. When you bring it to the storage place, do an oil change so the new fresh oil is not used. Used oil is acidic. Not an issue when you are driving the thing normally, but when they sit it can be. Keep the battery on a battery tender/trickle charger and you should be good to go.
 
Agree that I would use StaBil in the tank......it would be ok for ~18 months. Change the oil, inflate the tires to recommended pressure, get both wheels off the ground and use a good cover. As long as you have the battery on a Tender it doesn't really matter if you remove it or leave it in the bike. I've left bikes for up to 9 months with these methods and have suffered no issues.
 
Dry heated storage? Mine is usually left in a barn all winter so I coat all parts prone to corrosion with silicone lube.

It cleans off very easily when I pull it out, no need to worry about fork tube pitting.

Definitely keep the tank full of stabilized fuel.

Pull the battery, fresh oil, coolant, and brake fluid. Brake fluid retains moisture remember, which will lead to corrosion if its left for long periods. Cable lube cant hurt either.

18 months isn't a ridiculous amount of time though, you should be fine.
 
For me even 3 months without the bike is a HELL LOT OF TIME!!! Fortunately each time I leave for work i have my father looking after it, so when I come back home it's ready to be ridden!!!
 
+1 what the others have said. Especially the battery tender. When a battery gets killed off one too many times the charging system is working harder to keep it charged. This can lead to burning up your regulator recitifier or issues with the stator windings, not to mention the grief being stranded somewhere and all the troubleshooting you get to do.
Good post.
 
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