Cold storage vs. warm storage

[robofavo]

I usually store my '19 R1250 at my local dear for the winter.
However, it takes my dealer weeks to release the bike which can be a pain....

I'm considering cold storage in my garage instead this year.
I've stored other bikes over the years in cold storage without issue.  

The big question ...Does it really matter if your motorcycle lives out the winter in the cold garage vs. a heated garage?

Thanks! 

[Hosstage]

Heated is better of course. No condensation from cold weather, no worries about inferior antifreeze. Make sure the battery is charged for the cold to prevent freezing it. Other than that, no problems. My current bike is going on 20 years of cold weather winter storage, no special fuel treatments other than non-oxy fuel (rarely filled to the top), a Tender on the battery.

 

 

[dirtrider]

9 hours ago, robofavo said:

I usually store my '19 R1250 at my local dear for the winter.
However, it takes my dealer weeks to release the bike which can be a pain....

I'm considering cold storage in my garage instead this year.
I've stored other bikes over the years in cold storage without issue.  

The big question ...Does it really matter if your motorcycle lives out the winter in the cold garage vs. a heated garage?

Thanks! 

Morning  robofavo

 

It depends on the cold store area, amount of moisture that gets in when the doors are opened, or if other dripping vehicles  are moved in & out of storage area,  & on how many big temperature swings. 

 

If you have a cold area that stays cold & your motorcycle is properly winterized & properly rodent proofed then no issues. 

 

If the battery stays connected then you should charge it about every 3 weeks  or so, if you disconnect the battery then it can go a lot longer between charges (depends on the battery type & brand). 

 

Try to cover the motorcycle if possible to prevent sweating if a large door is opened with a very cold motorcycle when it is warmer & moister outside.     

 

Overinflate the tires slightly before storage as the air pressure will drop in very cold weather, put something like a rubber plug or (something in the muffler outlet to keep moisture & mice out of the exhaust).    Put a note on the key or on the ignition switch to remind you to remove the plug in the spring or you will be posting here with "why won't my motorcycle start" 

 

Remove the seat(s) & store inside if possible, if they have a human scent, or smell inviting, then you might have mice trying to eat or make a nest with the seat material.

 

Plugging off the air intake can also prevent mice from nesting in your air cleaner but that is sometimes difficult on some BMW motorcycles. 

 

If there is a possibility of  large or numerous temperature swings then that can lead to moisture in the fuel tank so fill that (but not over-full). If possible fill with a non-alcohol gasoline before long storage as that prevents any alcohol in the fuel from taking in (absorbing) moisture.   If you can't get non-alcohol gasoline into the tank before storage then put a little gasoline stabilizer in the fuel tank (very sparingly)  as too much is also bad. 

 

Do not start or run the engine during winter storage as it will never get the oil hot enough to burn off the moisture that running it takes in. 

 

Personally, I usually try to do my brake fluid service just before winter storage if possible, not totally necessary but that allows storing with moisture-free brake fluid in the braking system. 

 

If your motorcycle is using metallic brake pads then try to clean/wipe the metallic brake dust off of wheels before long storage (especially if moisture is possible).

 

The better that you prep it now the better off you will be in the spring after storage. 

 

If I winter store in my shop attached storage area then I don't worry to much as I have a good mousing shop cat, if I winter store in my out buildings then I like to toss a handful of moth balls under the motorcycle to deter mouse activity.

 

In my out buildings I also put a couple of 5 gallon buckets with about 6" of RV anti-freeze in them (with a little oil on top of the antifreeze to prevent evaporation)  with a spinning can on a wire (peanut butter on the spinning can & a ramp up to the bucket top). These make a very good automatic mouse trap & are usually full of mushy mice in the spring.  I just make sure none of my animals can get access to the antifreeze in the bucket. 

[robofavo]

Stellar information! -

You've noted a couple of items I had not thought of that make perfect sense.
Thank you so much for your insight. You've given excellent advice over the years for past BMW's I've owned. 

Winter came earlier this year to the upper midwest which meant my motorcycle is now snow-bound in a garage that opens onto an unplowed alleyway.  

At times treacherous for cars therefore only fools would attempt to ride their way out, so off to bed for the winter. 

Thanks again. 

[Scott9999]

@dirtrider

 

Does storing a bike in a semi heated garage make any difference in the prep steps (normally a consistent 45F, but occasionally heated to maybe 60F when I'm working there)?  Thanks.

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, Scott9999 said:

@dirtrider

 

Does storing a bike in a semi heated garage make any difference in the prep steps (normally a consistent 45F, but occasionally heated to maybe 60F when I'm working there)?  Thanks.

Morning Scott

 

Those temps are about perfect for battery storage. Doesn't get real old so probably not a big moisture concern, the less alcohol in the fuel the better so if possible fill with non-alcohol fuel before storage. About your only concern will probably be rodents.   

[MichiganBob]

22 hours ago, dirtrider said:

Morning Scott

 

Those temps are about perfect for battery storage. Doesn't get real old so probably not a big moisture concern, the less alcohol in the fuel the better so if possible fill with non-alcohol fuel before storage. About your only concern will probably be rodents.   

 

[MichiganBob]

Good Day All. 

 

 I started putting a square of carpet under both tires. It's supposed to help eliminate flat spots.

[dirtrider]

14 minutes ago, MichiganBob said:

Good Day All. 

 

 I started putting a square of carpet under both tires. It's supposed to help eliminate flat spots.

Morning Bob

 

If you are storing on the center stand then only one tire should be on the ground. 

[RPG]

Concrete floors can leach moisture upwards towards the engine. I believe you have a wet clutch on your R1250 but years ago I stored my R90s on a cold damp concrete garage floor. And in the spring, the clutch had fused together.

 

Not a concern for your clutch, but other parts might be susceptible.

 

After that incident, I used a sheet of water treated plywood between my bike and the garage floor.

[Scott9999]

2 hours ago, RPG said:

Concrete floors can leach moisture upwards towards the engine. I believe you have a wet clutch on your R1250 but years ago I stored my R90s on a cold damp concrete garage floor. And in the spring, the clutch had fused together.

 

Not a concern for your clutch, but other parts might be susceptible.

 

After that incident, I used a sheet of water treated plywood between my bike and the garage floor.

That's one of the reasons I run a dehumidifier in my garage.  The lake adjacent to us is spring fed (i.e. it's interesting seeing two or three whirlpools spinning at times during spring and summer), and the soil underneath the house and garage is rocky, sandy, and also ... has excess moisture. The bozo's who originally built the house (and then abandoned the build after disputes with the owner) did a horrible job on the garage floor and foundation.  At the front of the garage, the footing was only one foot deep in this four season Idaho climate.  The garage floor itself has overlapping spider cracks.  Standing water is never a problem, but moisture does show through at times.   The entire garage slab should have been tiled for sub-surface drainage, routed to the front of the house, and probably, a 12' center u-drain as well (i.e. snow melts from the vehicles, creates a wet mess, and there's no drain).

 

So your point about having something between the bike and concrete floor seems like something I ought to consider, if nothing else, sheet plastic or a tarp.  👍 The de-humidifier helps, but it's no guarantee against moisture damage.  I added French drains at the rear the house (3-story, built on a slope where the 10' high ceiling garage is at the base, and the third floor stands only about 6 feet above ground), rain gutters, and other drainage provisions.   

 

Aside/O.T.:  Water and moisture are always a concern.  There are things I was able to affordably retrofit, to improve the integrity of the build, and things that I could not.  I'll build my next house, and supervise it myself, from the ground up, period.  I just don't trust most "pro's", because I've "fixed" their work in my current and previous homes many, many times.  I'm tired of fixing. 🙄  I have a pair of expensive French doors just six years old, that are so warped I could slice them and make a bow out of 'em, due to incorrect installation. Will be an expensive replacement next spring.   I pulled a similar front door 6 months after we occupied, because while doing the interior trim work, I hung a plumb bob, and found SIX INCH difference between the top of the door and the floor, i.e. the door was installed on a slant.  Actually, the entire wall was racked and slanted, and the carpenters just hung the door to match the plain of the wall.  I reinstalled it, but also discovered that they did not properly flash the based of the door, and even though it was under a dry porch, the floor panels base plates were already rotted, so I repaired all of that, too.   I've got stories and stories and stories, of crappy work by professional tradesmen.  I can't build the entire thing myself, but I'm sure as heck going to be my own GC next time, from soil engineering upwards.

[Hosstage]

A ceiling fan in the garage helps to keep the cement dry, and a separate low speed fan blowing directly on the bike also helps it from collecting condensation.

I have neither, my bikes sweat when it occasionally warms a bit over the course of a long crappy winter (hint: they're all crappy).

[Skywagon]

Winter has arrived 😁

[Hosstage]

We're expecting the same here, in about 6 months.

The 80° part. The winter part is already here.

 

[Scott9999]

No pix here, but if I took 'em,  they'd all be white.  Here's a sneak peak.

 

We had an inch predicted yesterday, and got at least 3 inches.  Thursday was originally predicted to be a couple of inches, and now it's down to 1-in.  I wonder how they figure that stuff out to the day and hour, days or hours ahead, when weather changes so much.  I take all the specifics with a grain of salt.  What I see is about 15 inches over 10 days.   Not the record breaking stuff like in other parts of the country, but it'll mean some heavy shoveling.  It's not too bad when it's at 10F or 20F, but when the temps raise up to freezing or above, it's a race against time to clear the snow.  Each shovel of that heavy, wet, NW stuff can be as heavy as 50 or 70lbs.  When dry, maybe 5 or 10lbs, easy to clear.  I have a sharply slanted driveway, so I need to clear it before it gets wet, and before it melts and refreezes, or I have a sloped, lake of ice to navigate when parking the car.  

 

I just haven't gotten into the "fun" of winter yet.  We had a great fall, but maybe 'cause I feel cheated and didn't get out to ride much, I'm just not enjoying any part of winter.  (Or maybe I'm just thinking about that SOB Alan @9Mary7, who was smart enough to get outta here last spring, and is sunning himself next to his swimming pool in Alabama right about now. 😡  No, "NW Snowmaggeden" ain't his fault, but it's nice to at least be able to blame someone. 🤣😎)

[Rougarou]

So far, no white stuff here in central NC, but I have ridden my 1hr commute at 24* a few mornings.