| Author | Message | ||
     Kevinjgray88 |
ok i just did my winter storage. i only have 1800 miles on full snythetic so i left the oil. i filled the gas tank all the way up and put sta-bil in. put the battery on a tender. put a blanket on the floor to get tires off cement a little. should i be ok come spring or will issues come up from my half a$$ winter storage. also anything else i should do like put rags in exhaust to keep mice out? thanks | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
not rags but steel wool int eh tail pipe to keep out critters. other thing i would say is if you went to a less that normal coolant you should prolly go back to the 50/50 blend to keep from freezing. otherwise what you've done is fine | ||
| Jeepinbueller |
I'd stuff a rag in the intake snorkel ... had a friend that had mice crawl up and make a nice home in the air box! Chewed through the filter element, too. Not on a Buell, but this seems to be universal. Zip tie a note to the handle bar that says what you did for winterization so come spring and you'll know exactly what you did/needs to be done ... and you won't suck up a rag into your intake or blow steel wool all over your storage area from the exhaust, haha. | ||
| Avalaugh |
Also a sheet of wood would be better than a blanket to get the tyres off the floor, or wood then a bit of old carpet too. | ||
| Nillaice |
i thought you sold it? | ||
| Kevinjgray88 |
nillaice, the guy dropped out on me last minute | ||
| Milt |
How does sitting on wood differ from sitting on concrete (if you're a tire, that is) ? | ||
| Avalaugh |
http://www.ehow.com/how_5511246_store-tires-long-p eriod.html Its not the concrete, more the moisture, This is a statement from Bridgestone i found. Thank you for contacting Bridgestone and allowing us to assist you. First of all, regarding the effects of storage: A cool, dry, sealed garage is your best condition for storage, however, it is realized that this is not often an available option. Concrete is not the tire enemy some people think it is. We would recommend the following steps in storing a vehicle: 1. Make sure the floor / ground surface is free of any petroleum product contamination (Oil, grease, fuel, etc.) since petroleum products will attack rubber and can cause significant damage to compound characteristics. 2. Thoroughly clean your tires with soap and water. 3. Place a barrier such as plastic, cardboard, or plywood between the tires and the ground surface. 4. Cover your tires to block out direct sunlight and ultra violet rays. 5. Do not store the vehicle in close proximity to steam pipes, electrical generators or animal manure since these accelerate oxidation of the rubber. 6. Make sure your tires are fully inflated with air. 7. When the vehicle is ready to go back into service, inspect the tires for excessive cracking in both the sidewall and tread area and check all tire air pressures. Tires will normally lose about 2 PSI per month so you should expect to find the pressures lower than when you put the vehicle into storage. Re-inflate the tires to the correct air pressure before operation. Now, about the effects of time: Yes, rubber compound does slowly change over time, becoming "harder" as it ages. But unless we are talking years, this would be virtually undetectable. However; the most likely effect of storage will be: 1. Flat spotting of the tires from taking a 'set' while sitting in one position for an extended length of time. This 'set' may work itself out of the tires after being put back into operation, but not always. This, of course, would result in a vibration. 2. Tires have waxes and oils specially formulated to protect against ozone damage built into their rubber compounds. When the tire rotates and flexes, these waxes and oils are forced to the tire's surface and are thus able to protect the tire. When a tire is stationary, these waxes and oils are not coming to the surface and thus the tire is at greater risk of ozone damage. 3. Several days of non-use at a time is not nearly as detrimental to tires as long storage periods. The tires would still be operated often enough to avoid excessive 'set' and the waxes and oils are being forced to the tire's surface often enough to provide adequate protection against ozone. Best regards, Tire Doctor | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
thankfully our bikes are light enough that the flat spotting doesn't seem to be an issue on a winter storage time frame |
