Ducati Monster Forum

I'm trying to decide if I want to sell my bike, or put it into long term storage.

While I can't ride, I have this deep affection for the bike...It's like a best friend. I know the right thing to do is to pass it along to another rider, who will use it for what it was made for...but I'm having trouble with the thoughts of doing that. It's my first motorcycle. I love it. I want to keep it forever  [laugh]

I'm toying with the thoughts of packing it away for now. Until such day that I can ride again (maybe 2-3 years...maybe 15...not sure). I obviously don't want to keep it parked on my patio as I have it now, so that'll require making some room in the storage building, but there are some things that go along with that...which is where I run into the question:

Cover or Tarp?

Obviously, I'll drain the tank, Change the oil, and pull the battery (missing anything?). I've heard people also say drain the oil, but I think it's better to leave it. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'd like to up it up on stands, but I don't have stands, so she'll have to stand on her own  [cheeky]

Now to the cover. I can go buy an expensive moto cover, but I think it'd probably be okay just to throw a tarp over, and tie it down, since it'll be inside anyways. This is mostly just dust protection. I know some will say, "won't a tarp scratch the paint?" Well, I guess it could, but I'm overly worried about that. I'm planning on repainting the tank at some point anyways (along with pulling the dent out). So what would you do?

Also, feel free to comment on if I'm being overly sentimental about an inanimate object  [laugh]

Would you sell, or store?

if you are just storing it inside, I'd just use an extra mattress fitted sheet and call it a day!....probably queen size for to have it cover as much as possible...

yup, if it's indoors and it's just dust, then pick up a cheapo full size fitted sheet.  That's all I use in the garage.

Or a cheap cover?  You can find nelson rigg all weather covers for $35ish.

I would store it.

Several years ago, I had a lower back problem that made me stop riding. I thought about selling my bike cause I thought i would never ride again... but I decided against selling it and just kept the bike. Glad that I did, cause after about a year I was ridding again.
During the time I kept my bike in my garage but didn't cover it with anything though, so that I could always see it and reminded me that one day I would ride again.

bob

first, clean the hell out of the bike. the cleaner the better. clean it more than its ever been cleaned.

second dont drain the tank! top the tank up completely and use a fuel stabalizer. change the oil and use this on the pistons and cylinders
http://www.amazon.com/STA-BIL-22001-Fogging-Oil-av/dp/B000H7CKAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339220177&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.com/STA-BIL-22001-Fogging-Oil-av/dp/B000H7CKAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339220177&sr=8-1)

just remove the spark plugs and spray it into the hole, cycle the motor a few times so that everything gets coated
(dont run the engine, either ground the ignition and crank the motor or put the bike in gear on a rear stand and spin the rear wheel)

put a tennis ball in the exhaust  (after sparaying some WD-40 in there to prevent rust) and in the intakes inside the airbox to keep any rodents from doing too much damage should they decide to make a home.  remove the battery and put it on a trickle charger (be aware that even a maintained battery has a life span)

put any kind of cover on it and have some kind of record about when you put it in storage so that you can have a better handle on what you will need to do when it comes time to put it back on the road.

can't ride? 2-3 15 years?

if it's a plastic tank, drain it.  metal tank, fill it up.

question here: if you can get pure gas, do you fill up the plastic tank, or do you still drain it?

good one.

i think with pure gas you have much less risk of water entering the tank during storage.  in my opinion, it's probably ok, but i would still drain a plastic tank since it will give the internal plastic air exposure to leach off any moisture that might have entered previously. 

gasoline absorbs water too, just far far far less than alcohol.

personally, i would drain the tank and leave the filler open no matter what kind of fuel i could get.

even if its a plastic tank.  yes the tank will swell but your fuel pump  and its associated components will survive. by filling it all the way up and using a fuel stabilizer you will be introducing less water than a circulating volume of air will.

when you are preparing to get it on the road drain the tank and let it "dry out" for a week to a month and it will return to shape.

the alternative is to attempt to fog the inside of the tank or dismantle the tank and store the components separately, which is probably the best thing but you will need to replace some rubber components later on

Or you give me the bike till you want it back....

i'll have to disagree.

the plastic doesn't just absorb water, after a certain point of saturation, it can actually precipitate under the paint and then it never comes out.

the first tank i saw with this expansion issue had trapped water under the paint. 

why would the pump have any negative issue?  mine is stainless.

it is easy enough to remove the pump, fyi.  6 screws and the whole unit pops out.

yeah. I need to have surgery on both my hands. I can't ride as they are now, but I also can't do the surgery right now...it's going to have to wait.

The other side of that is, I promised my wife that when we had little people running around the house, I would put the bike away until they were a little older. We don't have any yet, but probably will by the time my hands are repaired  [laugh]

I'm putting it away with the intentions of having it back out in a couple years, but know it could be longer...thus I want to store it up properly.


I've got a metal tank. So what exactly is the deal here? Do you keep the tank full to prevent rusting, or is it to keep all the seal wet? I was planning on removing it at some point to get the dent taken out (the typical monster dent ;D), but won't be doing it right away.


I'm currently trying to convince my wife that it would be a great "piece" to show in our office in the house  :D

metal tank, keep it full as you can with a stabilizer in it.  most stabilizers will only "work" 3-6 months out but that's usually enough even for a year or so of storage.  use hi-test gasoline

must... resist... obvious ... joke...

well you could use it as therapy. tinkering on bikes keeps your dexterity in your fingers going.
Put it in the garage, rebuild, upgrade etc. imagine the level of upgrades you can have over several years without the normal riding maintenance (tires, gas, etc)

That is sort of the going plan in my mind.

Pull the tank, and straighten it back out and paint it.

Then different bars...then exhaust.

Just keep tinkering until I hit the streets again. I think that is why I can't sell it...I can't imagine not having it around to mess with.


Feel free. I did lob that one right over the plate for you  [laugh]

can i ask what's wrong with the hands?
how does it affect the riding?

ohhhh we can help with ideas  [evil]

A couple of years ago I fell straight on them 2 times in a row. First I was Mountian Biking and ended up flinging myself over the handle bars at high speed. I did the obvious thing and tried to use my hands to protect my face...  [laugh]

I ended up with two fractured wrist...mild, but fractured...

Then about 2 months later, I slid down the side of a holding pond at work...and again...rather than going face first, instinctively threw up both my slightly better hands to protect myself  [bang] In hind site...should of took it on the chin  [laugh]

Anyways...I've ended up with-for want of a better term-some wicked carpal tunnel. I walk around much of the day with tingly fingers. They're okay until I'm doing something where I'm using my hands alot...such as typing this. I ride my bicycles, but most of time I'm not actually feeling anything in my hands...so I pull the brakes with the hope that my finger is still on the lever  ;D I feel okay doing that, as I'm not on a road where there is the potential to harm others (be that people or property). But the moto, is out. I just can't do it right now...safely. But someday...I hope...that'll change.

Somewhere deep inside, I know it may not...but holding on the the monster keeps me optomistic.

Anyways...I can have surgery, and it "should" make it "better." I say better with "'s because no one will guarantee that I'll ever be able to ride properly, but there is a good chance of it. But at the moment, I can't do the surgery. For work reasons, and grad school timelines, and to be honest, because my insurance as a state employee is not as "Cadillac" as advertised by TV and radio pundits.

Any time between school semesters where it would fit, does not line up with ideal times to be off of work. Which is okay, for now, as it's giving me time to save up the money I need. And I understand that it sound silly, but I can't let off the school schedule, or I won't be done with my Grad program within the time constraints, as I'm not taking the full load to get done within the 5 years.

At some point, things will line up, and I'm going to get it done...I'm just being patient so I can do it right.

Long answer, I'm sorry. I'm sure you're all bored by now and have already clicked into a more interesting thread  [laugh]



Of course.

I really want some motocross style bars. Specifically, I've been thinking of replacing bars/mirrors/indicators with a set up off a hyper...

 [Dolph]

on my old 01 M900 I had, I went to dirtbike shop and I had gotten a set of Pro-Tapers with the bend and sweep that I wanted and outfitted it with Moose barkbusters and this was back in '05 before there was a Hyper...

I knew someone that did the same mountain biking... twice. 1 wrist broken twice, the other just once.

She kept riding.

I have issues with my right wrist right now, and my left still goes numb from nerve damage in the elbow/shoulder (?)

But interestingly, the zero rise clipons with a swept angle are much better than the stock straighter bar. add the short turn throttle cam, and I've having less issues than with the stock setup.

Interesting. I've always assumed the other direction would help more, but IDK. I rode a new multi a little while back and it was alot better than my monster, but probably not enough to justify a new bike  :-[

As far as know what point to give in and stop riding, I think it comes down to a comfort level thing. About 6 months ago I took the duc out for a little stroll around the lake, and had to make an emergency stop when some tried to left turn into me  [bang]

After I released my seat from (well, you know where this is going), I was about 3 feet from where the lady had panic stoped across my lane. Sadly, not an entire uncommon senario for most of us...she "didn't see me"  :P
 
I realized as I was sitting there, that I my reflexes were there, but I had no idea if the handle bar was even in my hand anymore (obviously was, but scared the crap out of me). This was about 1.5 miles after I left my house. Roughly 2 minutes from my driveway. I called it quits at that point. One day I'll be back, but not until that is fixed.

Better safe than sorry