Storing motorcycle outside requires care and attention to avoid your expensive vehicle from theft and other damages.
Unfortunately, not every rider owns a well-ventilated garage.
To store your motorcycle without any worries, there are useful tips for storing motorcycle outside.
If you want greater protection of your valuable vehicle, there are different ways to store your motorcycle outside.
Five Reasons to Store your Motorcycle in winter
There are certain reasons why riders store their motorcycles in winter. Storing the bike outside can affect different components during cold conditions. To prevent further problems, I am going to provide you with five reasons you need to store your motorcycle in winter.
These reasons will help you to know how to store motorcycle for winter.
Prevent rust
Storing a motorcycle outside during the snow would cause a buildup of rust. The rust forms when the salt from slow ploughs and long exposures of ice on a motorcycle rests on the chrome. This exposure to ice and salt forms rust. If you leave it in the cold for long durations, it will eat away such components like exhaust pipe, forks, mirrors and wheel spokes. To prevent this from happening, you need to store your bike indoors and shield it with a motorcycle cover to stop moisture buildup.
Risking a dead battery
When the bike stores outside in winter, the battery become low. This results in battery drainage. To prevent risking the dead battery is to store your bike indoors where you can charge your motorcycle battery. Keeping your battery charged will help to maintain your bike in its best condition.
Keeping your ride clean
When storing your motorcycle outside, the bike covers various residues such as snow, dirt, dust, mud, leaves and bugs. These residues can make your ride dirty. To keep your bike clean is to store your bike indoors from protecting vandalism and debris. City riders’ needs to be extra careful as thieves try to target for a specific spare part or just simply collapsing the vehicle and breaking off the components. Make sure you give your bike a good wash before storing indoors.
Depreciated value
If you have parked your bike outside in the cold, the bike loses its value quickly due to the conditions the bike has been through and so is the buildup of debris. To simply increase the value of your motorcycle is to store your bike indoors from the freezing weather.
Lowering insurance rates
The greatest reason you need to store your motorcycle in winter is for lowering insurance rates. If you tell your motorcycle insurance carrier that, you store your bike indoors. You will receive greater discounts on your insurance rates. This helps to save your money by providing a roof for your bike. Also, this benefits from spending extra money on repairing damages in the snow.
Ways to Store Motorcycle Outside
Storing motorcycle outside needs careful protection to prevent any sort of damage. To keep your bike secure, there are different ways to know how to store a motorcycle without a garage. If you want to store your bike outside without the fear of theft, there are useful tips to follow.
The useful tips mentioned below:
Park your motorcycle outside
Parking your motorcycle outside is the easiest solution if you do not have a well-ventilated garage. Cars and boats can expose well to the weather, but motorcycles need the extra protection that can cause damage. To store your motorcycle outside is to monitor the weather patterns in your area and protect your motorcycle by parking the area correctly. If you live in a city, you need to be careful where you park your bike outside. You should know how to park your motorcycle outside.
Use a motorcycle cover
A motorcycle cover is the easiest protection from any elements that would damage your valuable vehicle. When considering a cover, look for a cover that resists from all-weather conditions, UV light and provides full coverage to your bike. The cover must be windproof and ventilated to avoid further damage while covered to your bike. When using a cover for your motorcycle, do look for a heavy-duty shield.
Use a portable motorcycle garage
Using a portable motorcycle garage is a great way to shelter your vehicle from extreme elements. A portable motorcycle gear allows your bike to ‘breathe’ underneath the cover and does not touch the vehicle. If you are planning to use a portable motorcycle garage, you need to consider the space for your house and the size of your motorcycle.
Store your bike in a carport
If using a portable garage is inconvenient, you can go for a carport. A carport is a straightforward option if you are unable to store your bike in a portable garage. Using a carport may only expose three or four sides, which assume your house is on the fourth side. Due to the partial weather exposure, you need to think about whether you want to use a motorcycle cover or not.
Ask a friend or family member’s garage
If you have a friend or a family member that owns a garage, you should consider making a kind offering to rent some space for your bike. If money is an issue, then you need to make some form of trade to rent the space.
Use a garden shed
Storing motorcycle outside requires a few tools, sufficient space and some money to make a garden shed. Storing the bike in a garden shed is a good option if you have an open space to build outdoors. Garden sheds require several dollars but do not need the cost of renting a space. If you want to build a garden shed, you need to do some research by visiting a home retailer and take some pictures. Then look at different designs and build the shed yourself.
Store it in the house
Storing the bike in the house is another easiest solution which riders put their bikes through the doors. If your house has a room for the bike, this will give great protection to your house. The good thing about having a motorcycle inside house that it is safe and you can keep an eye for a vehicle anytime. To store the bike in your house is to consider the space and the size of your bike.
Put it in a storage unit
If storing motorcycle outside is inconvenient, using a storage unit is the best solution if you do not ride daily. A storage unit is a great place to keep your bike in until the next riding season. A storage unit only comes into consideration if you want to only either store your bike or storing the bike with other supplies in the unit. If you are planning to use a storage unit, you should go for 5 x 10 inches unit. This size considered to fit your bike and other tools.
Buy an old van
Buying a second-hand van is a straightforward and creative solution to store your bike outside and you can always tow where you need to sit. Once you purchase an old van, you can acquire some motorcycle ramps and there you have it! You can shed your motorcycle anytime and anywhere.
Tips for Long-Term Motorcycle Storage
Having long-term storage involves some additional steps to take for ensuring the long-lasting durability of your motorcycle. Whether you store your bike in the summer or winter, there are certain tips to take for ensuring long-term motorcycle storage. To last your motorcycle for months or a year, you should follow these important tips:
Wash your bike before storing
After the ride, your bike covers in grime and gunk. To keep your vehicle clean is to wash the entire chain gunk and any other hidden areas and wash thoroughly. Do make sure you dry your bike before storing.
Lubricate your bike
It is important to lubricate your chain and apply anti-corrosion oils to any components that are susceptible to rusts. Condition your bike seat with a vinyl conditioner helps to prevent from drying out while in the storage. Good lubrication prevents moisture penetration and corrosion.
Fill in the gas tank
During the first few months, gasoline will start to deteriorate causing the gunk to build up. Once the gunk hits the carburettor, your engine will run into problems. To ensure long-term storage is to fill in the tank as full as possible and use a fuel stabilizer. This helps to keep the fuel fresh and prevents corrosion.
Tender the battery
The battery needs careful attention when storing for another long period. To tender the battery is to remove the battery from the motorcycle and disconnect the terminals. Keep the battery plugged into a trickle charger to charge fully when not riding.
Drain the carbs
If you have a fuel switch, you can drain the carbs dry. To drain the carb is to turn off the fuel and run the bike until the engine runs out of gas. This helps to prevent rusts from building up over time.
Plug the exhaust pipe
To stop tiny animals from making a comfortable home, you need to use a plastic or a rubber object to insert into the pipes. Tape does not help as mice will tear off the tape and so will build the moisture.
Protect your wheels
Tyers can form flat spots if stored for long durations. To protect your wheels is to inflate the tyers and find a good quality cover to ensure long-term protection.
Conclusion
Storing motorcycle outside requires careful attention to prevent any damages to your bike. Not every rider owns a garage, the tips and guides help you to know how to store a motorcycle outdoors, without using a garage. These tips and guides will help riders to ensure long-term protection from extreme elements without any worries to the valuable vehicle. If you want long-lasting protection, refer to the tips above.
So store your motorcycle safely and enjoy the ride!
