Scooter Storage

[ozarkman]

Not everyone rides during the winter so here's a few tips to follow in the cold months.

Preserve the engine:

Regardless of the length of inactivity, you need to make sure that your bike is ready for use in the future after however many weeks or months of storage. Change the engine oil and the filter to help preserve your engine. Fill the gas up to full (do not overfill! The correct amount is usually when the liquid hits the bottom of the filler neck) and use a fuel-stabilizer to prevent moisture from building
up in half-empty tanks.

Prevent rusting and corrosion:

Keep water out of the pipes! Spray some WD40 into the exhaust pipes, muffler ends, and drain holes, as well as all other metal surfaces to prevent rusting. Keep additional moisture out by stuffing plastic bags into muffler holes and covering them with another plastic bag. Waxing is also recommended, since it acts as a barrier against potential moisture.

Protect the battery:

Remove the battery from your motorcycle before putting it into storage. Charge your battery at least every two weeks to make sure that it doesn’t sulfate.

Check fluids and tires:

Change the brake and hydraulic clutch fluid if you haven’t done so in a while. These fluids absorb moisture and may cause corrosion in the long run. Also check the tire pressure and make sure your front and rear tires are filled to the maximum recommended pressure. Pump them up throughout the winter to keep your tires healthy and to prevent the rubber from freezing (if it freezes, it cracks!). If you’re worried about the ground freezing, use wood blocks to keep the tires elevated and away. Finally, cover your bike to keep dust off, but make sure there’s no moisture trapped underneath, as this will lead to corrosion.

Inspect everything before your first spring ride:

Congratulations, you’ve braved the winter months and so has your motorcycle! Before you go speeding off into the warm sunset with the light of your life, make sure you do a thorough check of all the fluid levels and assess anything potentially wrong with the bike. Fill the tire pressures back to normal as well, and be careful—your bike won’t be rusty after the long winter, but your riding skills
might be.

Guide Written by Jenny Zhang, SpareFoot


more tips!

[Admin]

Great post!

[Bvance554]

Doesn't look like you store yours for the winter

[ozarkman]

It's 10 degrees outside with ice, snow and salt on the roadways.



Mine are safely parked in the garage with treated gas in the tanks and tenders on the batteries.
I'll try and get them out next week if the streets clear.

[gebe]

Originally Posted by ozarkman

Protect the battery:

Remove the battery from your motorcycle before putting it into storage. Charge your battery at least every two weeks to make sure that it doesn’t sulfate.

Good thread. I agree with most of what you say but with the tiny little sealed batteries that come in some scooters nowadays you have to be very careful about overcharging.

I bought a new battery for my scooter summer before last and during the winter I charged it with my Battery Tender every 2 weeks. When Spring arrived the battery was fried from overcharging. The same thing happened to my friend's Honda Ruckus when he hooked up his Battery Tender to keep his new battery charged during the winter.

I'm no expert but I also don't recommend keeping a Battery Tender on your battery all the time all winter as I've seen many a battery ruined by doing so and it's happened to me with other motorcycles. Battery Tenders and other smart chargers are great but they're not magic and can fry tiny sealed or lead acid batteries.

Anyway, good thread!

[qwertydude]

Also you should add drain the carb bowl.

And as far as protecting the piston and cylinder it's also a good idea to spray WD-40 down the spark plug hole and kick the engine over a few times or let it crank with the kill switch off and replace the spark plug Then to prevent any possible rust from forming inside the piston cylinder area slowly kick or turn the crank so that the piston starts it's compression cycle. This ensures both valves are closed so the engine is completely sealed.

[yayforscooters]

I don't even bring my scooter out on the road when there is snow and ice on the ground. It stays in my garage. Those are some really good tips that you shared.