Talking About Placing Collectibles In Storage

Posted on: 26 September 2018

In many areas of the country, motorcycle riding season is coming to an end – this is the time of year in which you see all kinds of bikes go up for sale because people don't have a place to store them for the long, hard winter. Instead of selling your bike and all of your gear, you have the option of storing all of it in a self-storage unit. Here, you'll learn a few things that will help you prepare and store your bike and riding gear for the winter, so as soon as the first bud blooms, you'll be ready to rip.

Prepare the Bike

Before the bike is left untouched for a while, there are a few things to do to ensure that everything remains in good condition when you retrieve it.

1. Top off the gas tank so that there isn't much space for air inside. The air inside leaves pockets that can allow the inside of the tank to begin corroding. Add some fuel stabilizer to prevent the gasoline from gumming up over the winter.
2. Change the oil and filters.
3. Invest in a set of motorcycle stands. To protect your tires, you want to get the bike off of the ground and remove the weight from the tires. Allowing the full weight of the bike to remain on the tires for months could result in flat spots. If you don't have racks or the cash to invest in them this year, just fill the tires with air to the maximum recommended and return to spin the tires every couple of weeks.
4. Shine it up. Give the bike a good cleaning, and wax and polish everything. The better you have everything sealed with wax and polish, the less likely it will be to rust.
5. Take your battery home with you. If you leave the battery on the bike and don't have a trickle charger on it, it will kill the battery by the time spring rolls around.

Prepare the Gear

All of the leathers and boots that you wear while you're riding can get kind of gross if they aren't stored properly.

1. Clean and condition the leather.
2. Store the leather in breathable containers – leather jackets and chaps can be stored in cloth garment bags and boots in boxes. If you store leather in airtight containers, it will begin to grow mold and mildew.

Now find a self-storage facility near you. Once you have your bike and gear all ready, you'll put it in the unit, lock the door, and wait out the long winter until it's time to ride once again.