Expensive cover...or cheap blue tarp

[Le Pirate]

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 

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 

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 

Would you sell, or store?

[zooom]

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...

[ducatiz]

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.

[thought]

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

[bob795]

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

(snip) Also, feel free to comment on if I'm being overly sentimental about an inanimate object 

Would you sell, or store?

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

[xcaptainxbloodx]

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

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.

[Raux]

can't ride? 2-3 15 years?

[ducatiz]

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.

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

[hunduc]

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?

[ducatiz]

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.

[xcaptainxbloodx]

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

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

[cokey]

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

[ducatiz]

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

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.

[Le Pirate]

can't ride? 2-3 15 years?

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 

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.

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

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 ), 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 

[ducatiz]

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 ), 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 

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