[SandyX]

I store my first bicycle from 10+ years now. It belonged to my dad who used it from his young days. It's a 50+ years old BSA. I sprayed the whole thing with motor oil before it went to attic. The rubber parts are spoiled but everything else remains intact. It still lives up there. I may even fix it back up one day before it goes into storage again. That's just how this concept is.

If you feel the kind of connection to preserve it for whatever reason, go with it. The idea may not resonate with the next guy but that doesn't even matter. A motorcycle will definitely need more prep before that, plus something like a bubble. But it's definitely doable.

[Raghu M]

After reading your thread, got to know how passionate people can be of their toys. It's good to know that. But on the contrary, it would be too expensive and not worth the effort. It ain't no classic, if it were to have a great after sale value like the vintage HDs and others do, then it makes some sense. But purely for the joy of having to look at it and give it to your kids would be a costly and time consuming effort to say the least. Say your kid does not like the ride after you put it together after 15 or 20 years, what will you do? You will have to ride it yourself. Take the technology, looks and the specs that will evolve in a span of a decade and this bike will not be a great choice. Admire your passion but I don't think it (bike) will stand the test of time.

[GTO]

As someone who owns an almost-25 year old vehicle, I can tell you that the best way to retain an old car / bike is to keep using it. As other BHPians have suggested, even once a week is enough. Too much can go wrong with storing it, whether as one piece or in dismantled form.

And since you want to save it for your offspring, I'd suggest buying a bike closer to that date. Petrol motorcycles will be in production for another 25 years minimum, if not 30 - 40.

[bigron]

Originally Posted by clevermax

Even a MacDonald's burger which was stored for several years made it to the news, so why not a Duke.

I am not sure the OP is looking for eventual media coverage.

Also, you could put anything in a box and store. Why not. Though that is hardly a reason to suggest storing something.

Storing a camera or a watch is very different from storing a vehicle and specially a vehicle that is not a vintage or a classic.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by bigron

Storing a camera or a watch is very different from storing a vehicle and specially a vehicle that is not a vintage or a classic.

There are several stories about people stashing a then-new car or bike and taking it to the world with vintage value decades later. So you don't necessarily have to start with a qualifying criteria whether the vehicle is vintage or not.

Because of this reason, I respect the OP's idea of stashing today's regular road going bike starting here and now, if he can afford to do it. Moreover, if the vehicle is protected from now on, it can even be easier make few years fly by without the type of care that one needs to give to a vintage vehicle in storage.

Being able to put anything in a box for storage was not my reason to suggest storing. As evident in my post, I am not storing all my belongings from the past - it is only those things that I value, or the things that I think will have vintage / monetary value in the future.

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by shifter93

Another possibility that Im open to explore, is getting the whole bike disassembled and storing it in a wooden box, something like a kit car. With new tyres, brake pads and other perishables.

My ultimate fantasy is that some day when my future offspring want their own ride, they would have to build the duke back up and enjoy it as I have. Incase that doesn't happen I will build it back up for myself.

I think disassembling the bike completely makes you wiser and a better DIY'er as you progress. I learnt a lot when I disassembled my RE 350 standard for the first time. It is addictive and educative all at once. Though I did not disassemble mine for long term storage, it is indeed better to store components disassembled as it takes less space / distributed small spaces and perfectly fits your fantasy to give your offspring a hobby he/she can inherit.

It is important to consider few things and ask yourself before starting the disassembly process:

1. Do you have the time, patience and curiosity to explore/do things to completion?
2. Are you ready to get your hands dirty in the process, getting stuck, spending money on buying tools and using them, doing things you have never done before in your life (if it is your first time disassembling a motorcycle)?
3. Is your offspring going to like getting boxes of motorcycle parts as his/her inheritance which he/she has to spend considerable time to get back in running state? If you know that they don't like it , you always can do it yourself for them or for yourself at a later date
4. Documenting all the steps by capturing your whole process in videos/pictures/notes. If possible all part numbers listed while you take them out. I am not sure KTM is going to be in business in the next 50 years, but probably no one does. So it is a known risk that you will not get all the parts you need depending on when you want to assemble it again.
5. Are you going to enjoy the whole process from start to finish, no matter what comes?

If you think you have thought through the above things and you are okay with it, you should do it. It does not matter if yours is a KTM duke 200 or a vintage collectible motorcycle. I think what matters is what makes you happy as an enthusiast. For everyone, being an automotive enthusiast means something different. May be this will be your niche. Enjoy!

Here are some interesting disassembly videos for you to get an idea :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5amWJUOYOY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h9wlof1BaA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw0ZOnVQxGI

[gururajrv]

From my personal experience, I’d clearly tell you it becomes difficult to upkeep the 1st bike that we’d have kept it for emotional reasons. I have my pulsar 220 FI 2007 with me and didn’t sell it just for the sake of how much I love it and bought a Ninja 300. Trust me the bike is covered for months now and job has kept me all busy through the week and sometimes on weekends too. Bike’s new battery has gone dead now. I’m sure there are parts that are slowly showing it’s age and has started to show rust symptoms too. That makes me hard to invest time in keeping the bike in pristine condition. Result? I’m thinking of giving it to my friend so that he can keep using it intermittently so that the bike lives and not rusts forever as I’m not riding it like it was supposed to be as I’ve Ninja 300 and my car doing most of the jobs.

Best is give it to a friend / relative who can use it intermittently and doesn’t kill it unlike us who keep it for emotional reasons and then let it go at the end quoting spares and service issues or even maintenance reasons.