Cold Storage

COLD STORAGE

Winter Survival Is Easy for Carefully Prepared Motorcycles

Glen Brinks

It’s getting to be that time of year again, when you have to bundle up like an arctic explorer just to ride around the block. Time to put the bike in the shed and wait for spring. Store it properly and come spring, it'll be eager to go. Do it wrong and by the time winter’s over, you’ll have a restoration project on your hands.

Corrosion is the main enemy, both internally and externally. External corrosion is easy to fight. The first step is to clean the bike. Not just the tank and fenders, but all the little crevices like under the fenders and around the battery compartment, where hidden dirt can trap moisture. Run the engine until it is completely dry. Moisture remaining in the exhaust system can be removed by riding the bike a few miles or by removing and draining the pipes and mufflers. Either way, spray their insides with a moisture barrier such as oil, WD-40 or silicone spray.

Check the bike over for nicks and scratches in the paint and touch these up with a fine brush and good quality enamel. Use clear if you can’t find a close color match.

After the touch-up paint is dry and hard (it may take a day or two), wax all the painted surfaces and buff out the wax. Coat the engine and pipes with a light coat of oil, WD-40 or silicone spray. Other bare metal surfaces can be treated the same way or waxed. Some riders prefer to spray all the metal surfaces (except the engine and pipes) with clear lacquer or Krylon to eliminate the rusting problem.

Internal corrosion is caused by acids in the oil formed during the combustion process, so the oil should be changed before storage. If there is a removable oil filter, remove it. Replace the cover or bolt and refill the crankcase. Put a few ounces of oil into each cylinder, kick the engine through a few times to coat the cylinder walls and then replace the plugs.

Or you can use military/aircraft practice and “pickle” your engine. Replace the crankcase oil with an engine storage oil that meets military specification Mil-L21260. These oils are formulated to cling to metal surfaces and provide optimum corrosion protection under cold conditions while conventional motor oil is designed to cope with engine heat. (Many oil companies sell storage oil in bulk lots but small quantities are available as Stits Engine Storage Oil, $3.84/qt. from Stits Aircraft Coatings, P.O. Box 3084, Riverside, Calif. 95219 (714) 684-4280. Run the engine at low rpm for a couple of minutes to distribute the oil throughout the engine and then follow the rest of the conventional storage procedures. When you return the bike to service, drain the storage oil and refill with conventional oil before starting up the engine.

Remove the battery, clean it and the terminals off with baking soda and water (being careful not to get any inside the battery) and then store it in a dry place. Charge the battery every month or so on a trickle charger. If the battery is left in an unheated garage, a charge is necessary to keep it from freezing. Battery electrolyte at 1.100 specific gravity (discharged) can freeze at 15° above zero. But at 1.260 specific gravity (fully charged) it won't freeze until the temperature drops to about 75° below zero.

Drain the gas tank, slosh some oil around inside it to prevent rust. Then drain clean and dry the carb float bowls so no gas is left to dry out and form varnish. Give the points a spray of WD-40 or silicone spray.

Lube the chain and cables. On shaftdrive models, change the driveshaft and rear drive oil. Grease all pivot points. Stuff an oily rag into each exhaust pipe to keep moisture out. Put the bike on its centerstand and block it up so both wheels are off the ground. Go over all the vinyl and rubber parts (seat, tire sidewalls, fork seals, etc.) with a vinyl preservative such as Armor-All or Son-of-a-Gun to reduce drying and weather checking. If you apply a preservative to the tire treads, the tires will have to be carefully scrubbed-in (don’t try to drag the pegs in the first turn you come to) before they will provide full traction.

If you cover the bike, use a water-resistant cover that “breathes.” A waterproof cover may collect condensation on the inside and trap this moisture next to the bike. Every few weeks kick the engine over a few times (but don’t start it), rotate the wheels and pump the forks to keep the various seals and bearings lubricated.

To return your bike to service, refill the tank with fresh gasoline and wash off the bike and engine with mild detergent. Check the tire pressure and all the adjustments (timing, chain, clutch, etc.). Clean the brake discs with alcohol, contact cleaner or acetone to remove any oily film. Clean the battery terminals, replace the battery, remove the rags from the exhaust pipes, lube the chain and cables, replace the oil filter and top off' the oil.

Kick the engine through a few strokes with the ignition off to pump some oil through it and start the engine. The smoke from the oil in the cylinders should go away after a mile or two. After 50 to 100 miles, change the oil and the filter to dissolve any accumulated crud.

If the bike wasn't properly stored, or if it has simply been left unused for a long time, a few' extra precautions are necessary. Kick the engine through a few times to check for compression and feel for any rough spots that could indicate corroded bearings or a buildup of varnish on sliding surfaces. If so. dismantle the engine and fix it. Drain the tank, fuel lines and carbs. If there is any rust in the tank, slosh some nuts and washers (or BBs) and solvent around in the tank to remove the loose scale and then install fuel filters to keep any additional rust out of the carbs. Dismantle the carbs and clean them thoroughly in acetone, solvent or carb cleaner.

To remove built-up sludge from the engine. fill it w ith a good, high-detergent oil and then change the oil and filter every 100 miles or so until the oil comes out clean. Thereafter, change at normal intervals.

Rubber dries out and hardens with time, so tires are suspect if they’ve been stored more than a year, especially if the bike wasn't blocked up off' the ground or if it was stored in a smoggy area. Check the tires carefully for weather checking and flat spots and if there is any doubt about their condition, replace the tires and tubes. Change the fork oil.

Sometimes a battery that's been stored for a long time will appear to take a charge and test out well on a hydrometer but this “surface charge” isn’t sufficient to run the headlight or an electric starter. Batteries in this condition can sometimes be rejuvenated by prolonged charging or draining and filling with fresh electrolyte, but in most cases, it's better to simply replace them.

When you’re done, the bike will be in top shape and ready to go, so put on your gear, bead for your favorite road and start restoring yourself.