[tharian]

There are couple of bikes that are in my parking lot which I fire up once a year. Both belong to a fellow member and has been under my care for last 3 years.

One is a good old cast iron 500 which I used to use for a month or two and park for 6 months. Everytime I decide to park it, I drain the battery acid and keep the battery disconnected. Since my Bullet which I use is a CDI, I use it's battery to fire the 500 whenever I have to. It takes a while, but fires up eventually and runs fine after that.

The other bike is a Jawa350 twin, two stroker. This one is a CDI and doesn't have a battery at all. The last two years, I fire it up once a year and take it for a short spin. I haven't done any thing special apart from parking it on it's centre stand and cover both the bikes with a proper bike cover. The 350 does take a long time to fire up, but once fired, both bikes run like they were running every day till then. Lube the chain once out of storage, pump the tires, fresh fuel and battery charged and these oldies are good to go.

With the lock down now, my Bullet Electra has been sitting idle. This is a CDI ignition and I don't bother about it and starts in the second kick everytime I need to go to the grocery shop which is once a week.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by rahulskumar

My interceptor usually stays idle for 2-3 weeks when I'm out of town.

I know the feeling.



You could plug the exhaust, which would also prevent moisture getting into places it shouldn't. If you have access to the international market then it wouldn't be that hard to source.

Originally Posted by aargee

Point - Cylinder walls are coated or made out of alloy, they never, never, never get rusted!!

Never say never.



Sorry for the lack of quality, this cylinder was pulled out of a motorcycle that was left idle for a long time, roughly a year or so I guess, and I can guarantee you that the rusting is quite evident.

In fact a friend and fellow enthusiast who rebored his cylinder had kept it idle for a few months and it did develop surface rust, something the average Joe wouldn't notice since there'd be no means to visually observe it.

As for the science bit, if your cylinder is made of Iron, it will rust 100% you simply cannot refute that, and on relatively newer motorcycles even though the cylinder is made of Aluminum the liner is still made of Iron.

Now as for the coating bit, it is true that up the price range you do get offered with high density electroplated liners coated with Nikasil and the likes, but that is just a minute fragment of motorcycles on the road.

Plus better safe that sorry, after all once the oil film is done with surface rust happens even before you know it, again depending on where you park your motorcycle.

Cheers,
A.P.

[kozhissery]

Yesterday got a mail from Royal Enfield on "how to keep the motorcycle in perfect shape during lockdown"

Dear Rider,
We know how it feels to wait for the next ride. While we keep ourselves and others safe by staying home, let’s keep our motorcycles ready. Follow these tips to keep your motorcycle in perfect shape, so that once the lockdown is over, you’re ready to ride out.

1. Park your motorcycle on center stand, on a hard surface. Ensure both wheels are moving freely. If required, use wooden blocks.
2. Since the motorcycle may be parked in one place for more than one week, move the motorcycle to and fro for 2-5 meters, gently applying front and rear brakes.
3. Park in a closed parking space or use a bike cover.
4. Run the motorcycle in idling condition for 5-10 minutes, as frequently and as is safely possible, to keep the battery charged.
5. Do not revv the accelerator, it may lead to discoloration of the exhaust.
6. Parked for over a week? Disconnect the battery cable from the negative port to avoid battery discharge.
7. Activate all cables like clutch, accelerator and brake cables, once a week, to avoid rusting and settlement.
8. Apply Chain Cleaner and Lube to prevent rusting.
9. Clean your motorcycle with water and wipe down with a dry cloth, periodically.

Ref: Tips to keep your motorcycle in perfect shape

[Jaguar]

My Thunderbird 350 was parked on the side stand for a little over two months. I had just returned from work, parked the bike as usual and left it just like that. And since my running in a year is less than what most tourers do in a day, I was not too confident about the battery condition either.

This morning, I dusted the bike using jopasu, sprayed chain cleaner, and lube and tried to start the bike. It came alive in a couple of kicks

[drive_angry]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Last but not the least, lube the drive chain.

Might I suggest to super clean the drive chain but don't lube it and only lube it when you are going to take her out for a spin. The reason I am asking this because even when the bike is sitting idle, chain picks up all sort of dirt and muck from the winds blowing and other activities nearby.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by drive_angry

Might I suggest to super clean the drive chain but don't lube it and only lube it when you are going to take her out for a spin.

The thing is, your chain is made up of Iron, and Iron when left exposed tends to rust.

Hence why if you merely clean it and let it be it'll deteriorate sooner than otherwise cause surface rust aside it can result in your links seizing and that would result in the chain set warranting a replacement.

So always do make it a point to lube exposed metal parts before storing them, saying that brought back memories of how my father used to lube my grandfathers weapons once in a while to ensure they remained in good condition, unfortunately I didn't follow through and now they're history.

Cheers,
A.P.

[ashwinprakas]

Here's a video of me firing up the P220 after a month of her sitting idle.

Starting after a Month of Lock-down - Bajaj Pulsar 220F

Took a few cranks before commonsense hit and I realized that the fuel tap was OFF.

The 3 year old Amaron made it through without showing signs of fatigue even though I did crank so many times.

Cheers,
A.P.

[shady]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

[b]

Step 1:

Fill Both motorcycle tanks to the Brim and make sure to pour some oil on the tank cap latch, seal and generously into the overflow area.
..

Would the quality of the fuel become degraded after say about 3~4 months of storage ? Is it ok to use the stored fuel to run the bike?

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by shady

Would the quality of the fuel become degraded after say about 3~4 months of storage ? Is it ok to use the stored fuel to run the bike?

Yes, quality deteriorates for sure, it turns into varnish and burns when in contact with skin.

But personally I've not really cared about replacing it before starting the motorcycle, you'd obviously loose some octane but then again nothing that'd be cause for concern.

Several of my motorcycles have been left idle for the better part of a year and none of them had any concerning issues, once the float needle seized on my P220 and as a result fuel was overflowing but some cheap fuel additive and a couple of hundred km's of riding later she was back to normal, in fact at close to 60k on the odo the carburetor remains untouched.

[karanddd]

Background: I have a June 2020 Himalayan with about 6k on the odometer. I was abroad from April to August and in that time the battery died on me. It was my mistake as I left a USB charger plugged in. I jump started it when I got back and rode around, but the battery would not hold charge even for a day. So I replaced the battery.

Now I need to go abroad again and will return to India next year in May or thereabouts. I don't know anything about long term bike storage, so I'd really appreciate if you have any suggestions as to what I should do. I was wondering if I disconnect the battery, would that help it last until next year? And other than the battery, what I should do regarding fuel, oil, etc.

I am still exploring the option of having someone ride around the bike periodically but at the moment I don't have anyone I trust enough.

[aargee]

Some great points covered in Long-term Parking : Do's and Don'ts & Prepping a Motorcycle for long-term storage, the Indian way! these 2 thread pls