storing motorcycle in unheated garage (attached to house)

[kjonesversa]

A couple of quick questions, I've changed my oil filter and a good clean, wax and full tank of fuel with stabilizer, is it an absolute necessity to fog the motor? alot of work to get at the pulgs ( tracer 9gt). Also since ive changed the oil. I was wondering how many miles can i put on the bike before it negates the benifets of fresh oil for storage ? any tips in winter storage would be appreciated Cheeers .

 

[POWERMAN]

is it an absolute necessity to fog the motor?

No.

Do not start the bike until spring and keep the battery tendered at all times.

 

[LBV]

I think you're over-thinking all of it ... definitely no need to fog the engine. Heck IMO you don't even need to add fuel stabilizer. I got sucked into that as a new rider but all gas these days is top quality and never had an issue since I've stopped using it.

 

[GreyGhost]

If you want to fog, how hard is it to get at the air filter with the bike running? When I fog, 99% of the time it's through the air intake and kill it while spraying. I rarely pull plugs and directly inject. Now, especially for a few months of storage, I don't think fog is necessary, just added safety that I don't see a major downside to.

 

[kjonesversa]

If you want to fog, how hard is it to get at the air filter with the bike running? When I fog, 99% of the time it's through the air intake and kill it while spraying. I rarely pull plugs and directly inject. Now, especially for a few months of storage, I don't think fog is necessary, just added safety that I don't see a major downside to.

That would be easier than fogging via the plugs but you still need to lift move/the tank and that would be a lot easier if the tank was empty .Im happy to put on another 375km to help with that but was wondering about putting that many miles on the fresh oil or does it realy matter.

 

[GreyGhost]

That would be easier than fogging via the plugs but you still need to lift move/the tank and that would be a lot easier if the tank was empty .Im happy to put on another 375km to help with that but was wondering about putting that many miles on the fresh oil or does it realy matter.

I wouldn't bother with fog then.

 

[timtune]

No need to fog. I used to roll my 750 into the shed, pull the battery and close the door.
I havn't used Stabilizer for a very long time.

 

[sburns]

Just change the oil, park it, battery tender, like everyone else said.

I don't understand what perceived benefit you see in fresh oil when stored, vrs running it. As long as it's done within the correct intervals it should be good.

 

[GreyGhost]

Just change the oil, park it, battery tender, like everyone else said.

I don't understand what perceived benefit you see in fresh oil when stored, vrs running it. As long as it's done within the correct intervals it should be good.

Oil becomes acidic as it's used. Storing with fresh oil keeps the acid from sitting on surfaces that may become etched by the acid. When you run it often, things are moving around and getting hot to drive out some contaminants (like water). I try to park with fresh oil (with the added bonus of turn key and go when the weather is nice).

 

[sburns]

Oil becomes acidic as it's used. Storing with fresh oil keeps the acid from sitting on surfaces that may become etched by the acid. When you run it often, things are moving around and getting hot to drive out some contaminants (like water). I try to park with fresh oil (with the added bonus of turn key and go when the weather is nice).

Meh sounds like hocus pocus.

 

[Wind Shear]

Winter:
Oil change
Stabil
Clean chain
Pull the battery and bring it inside
No cover (condensation from that mid January thaw)
Every few weeks exercise the clutch and roll it back and forth (it’s therapeutic if nothing else)

Spring:
Install battery
Check tire pressures
Ride!

 

[LBV]

It'd be nice to see how much on the PH level oil acidity changes from new to a year later ... maybe someone's done that test somewhere.

 

[GreyGhost]

It'd be nice to see how much on the PH level oil acidity changes from new to a year later ... maybe someone's done that test somewhere.

Time alone I would expect zero change. Mileage is what should increase TAN. Now, is there a great study on TAN vs engine life? Not that I know of. Too many variables to do it in the wild but some university student probably killed a few Briggs on dynos in the quest for answers.

Relevent thread.

Age versus distance oil testing

Too soon for another oil thread? I'm interested to know whether people have taken oil samples to be tested for deterioration of the additive package,...

www.advrider.com

 

[AFJ]

In the late autumn, I do a full service on each bike - oil change of engine, gearbox, primary chain case, rear chain service grease or oil, oil cables and controls, etc. Oil upper engine combustion chambers, check and gap spark plugs to specs. Check magneto gap and pickups. Remove battery, charge and store indoors (charging periodically over the winter if needed). Check tires and pressure, oil or grease hubs, clean bike, polish plating & paint work. Store on its stands with loose cover in the dry (cement floored) garage.
In spring, I do a full service and fluids, greasing and wash, polish and autumn checks. Change all fluids again including new gasoline. Check with a test ride on a nice warm and dry spring day. Bikes are "Old Crocks" - 94, 91, 87 and 57 years of age and deserve to be "looked after".
AFJ

 

[GreyGhost]

In the late autumn, I do a full service on each bike - oil change of engine, gearbox, primary chain case, rear chain service grease or oil, oil cables and controls, etc. Oil upper engine combustion chambers, check and gap spark plugs to specs. Check magneto gap and pickups. Remove battery, charge and store indoors (charging periodically over the winter if needed). Check tires and pressure, oil or grease hubs, clean bike, polish plating & paint work. Store on its stands with loose cover in the dry (cement floored) garage.
In spring, I do a full service and fluids, greasing and wash, polish and autumn checks. Change all fluids again including new gasoline. Check with a test ride on a nice warm and dry spring day. Bikes are "Old Crocks" - 94, 91, 87 and 57 years of age and deserve to be "looked after".
AFJ

Huh? You have storage oil and gas that never gets run, just dumped? I don't see the upside to that (although it's not my money or time so have at it).

 

[AFJ]

Huh? You have storage oil and gas that never gets run, just dumped? I don't see the upside to that (although it's not my money or time so have at it).

The "overwintering in the engine" petrol goes into my car and the oil goes to the Region's recycling depot. The concern of using it after overwintering is the considerable variability of temperature and humidity in the 80+ year old wood frame and unheated garage over the winter since it also houses a "daily use" car.

 

[bitzz]

Uh OH... incoming diatribe.....
Start with: OP don't bother "fogging" the motor if you've recently been riding the bike. the motor fogs itself... if you don't believe me: get your motor up to temp and remove the oil fill cap. See all that oil rich mist floating out? Engine fog. "Fogging" and engine is for long long term storage and you'd use some real high viscosity glue... yeah don't do that.

Meh sounds like hocus pocus.

Nope. Not something you will notice, but it WILL lose oil pressure sooner. The change is so gradual you won't notice, BUT in the long run your bearings won't last as long. Most people trade on their bikes fast enough it's not an issue, but long term it is. I'm into "old" bikes, so it is very much an issue with ME.
If you did regular oil analysis you'd see it as elevated levels of lead.

It'd be nice to see how much on the PH level oil acidity changes from new to a year later

It is dependent on a bunch of different factors: condition of the rings, the ambient humidity the motor operates in, the ambient temps... blah blah blah... it gets down to blow by and how much water is in the oil... which changes motor to motor, rider to rider. There is only one way to find out: YOU do oil analysis on YOUR oil.
When you change the oil in your motor, you don't get all the old oil out, so after an oil change you end up with a mixture of neutral PH oil and high acid oil... so with NEW oil oil after a year, the acidity would depend on the acidity of the oil you changed out a year ago.

Now here's the kicker: you're supposed to change the oil before storage, so you have low acid oil in the crankcase... OK. Problem being: when you drain the crankcase, you don't drain the oil in the oil passages and on the bearing faces... the oil that is gonna eat the bearing surfaces, so you're NOT really doing it any good UNLESS you turn over the motor, without firing it, to replace the dirty oil on the bearing surfaces with nice clean, neutral PH oil.
Nobody ever mentions THAT part.

I rarely pull plugs and directly inject.

The idea is you want the rings sitting in an excess of clean high detergent oil, hopefully cleaning the ring groove of carbon. Rings usually don't get bathed in oil, they like that

 

[GreyGhost]

The "overwintering in the engine" petrol goes into my car and the oil goes to the Region's recycling depot. The concern of using it after overwintering is the considerable variability of temperature and humidity in the 80+ year old wood frame and unheated garage over the winter since it also houses a "daily use" car.

How much does oil cost? How much would it cost to run pan heaters on the bikes? Keep their engines at a reasonable constant temp (I'm thinking 10C not 50C). Like oil analysis, the oil change may be cheaper than the alternative.

As for the cars in the garage, I run a dehumidifier at times during the winter. The snow that comes in on the cars makes the humidity far higher than I like. Most weekends I run the dehumidifier to take a bucket or two of water out. Side benefit of slightly warming garage and incremental cost to run dehumidifier instead of heater is zero with a definite benefit of getting water out.

 

[bitzz]

Your biggest worry storing in a unheated space is condensation. Be sure you have good ventilation and you'll be fine

 

[ReSTored]

You don't need to fog the engine. Getting to the airbox is a nightmare on the Tracer. Not worth the effort IMO With my other small engines (lawn mower / snowblower etc....) it's easy to pull the plug and squirt in some oil, have been doing this for years and it works well.

Don't ride the bike after changing the oil. Use stabilizer, dirt cheap insurance vs, the immense hassle of dealing with an injector / throttle body issues in the spring.

My garage is unheated, but attached to the house. I put a properly vented cover on it. Been storing bikes in this garage for over 20 years with no zero spring or corrosion issues.