Storage 101 by Tim Allen

It seems an appropriate time to discuss motorcycle storage. Today’s gasoline contains 10% alcohol which is supposed to decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil. It may have accomplished that purpose but it certainly has created many other problems. Phase separation being the worst. Gasoline can hold .5% water in suspension. If the percent concentration increases water will drop out of the gas and the water and ethanol mix will settle in the bottom of the tank. Ethanol will increase the octane of gas and we all know Harley Davidson motorcycles require premium octane fuel. With the ethanol sitting in the bottom of the tank with the water you have a fuel that is below the recommended octane for your bike. If you are unfortunate enough to get that mixture of water and ethanol in the fuel system the bike will run very rough if at all. Fuel additives are available to stop phase separation from happening. Stabilizers work to keep oxygen from evaporating the fuel leaving a varnish like substance that plugs the entire fuel system. Uses an additive that is made for both of these problems and make sure your fuel tank is full and gas valve is off if you have one.

Your factory owners’ manual recommends you change your motor oil prior to storage. The reason for this; while the filter will remove particulate down to 5 microns in size nothing will remove the acids accumulated in the motor oil from the combustion process. The longer the oil has been in the motor the more chemicals it will accumulate. Motor parts are made mostly from steel which can be etched form acidic oil. Every time I hear someone that found an old bike in storage I ask them how it was stored, particularly the fluids. More than once I have seen old motors require rebuilding just because the bearing surfaces broke up due to etching. Changing your motor oil frequently is just good common sense.

If you are storing your bike in unheated areas such as your garage or a shed make sure you cover it with a cover that will breathe. Condensation will accumulate from temperature variations and will allow moisture to form on the bike. Cotton covers will allow it to dry to prevent surface damage. Polyester or waterproof covers are meant for very short term storage only.

Batteries need t.l.c. while in storage. We recommend installing a battery tender so you do not have to remove the battery from the vehicle. This is especially important if the bike has security which will run a battery down even faster. Battery tenders are a device that will charge the battery to just above max voltage and stop charging it to monitor the voltage. When the battery voltage drops to a certain level the charger automatically turns on and the cycle begins again. A battery that has a voltage reading of 12.9 volts is 100% charged. A reading of 11.5 volts the battery is 100% discharged. 1.5 volts is the range you have to work with. If you are doing this with a trickle charger get a reliable volt meter to test it with and follow the manufacturers recommended charging times. A battery kept at 70 degrees F. will degrade faster than one kept at 32 degrees F. If a battery will be kept in the cold it will have to be charged or else it will freeze. End of battery.

Follow your owners’ manual recommendations for proper storage and in the spring you will be ready to ride. We have all your storage needs in stock.

Thanks,
The Gang at McDermott’s HarleyDavidson