We’ve been hearing the roaring of the motorcycles through the roads these last few months and weeks - it’s been a beautiful summer and fall (so far), perfect for cruising around.
As the fall air continues to turn cooler and we start to think about winter, the calls for motorcycle storage (and car storage) start to ramp up and there’s lots of questions. We often joke that people treat their fancy cars and motorcycles like another child, but we understand why they care about these so much.
This blog post is filled with solid tips on keeping your motorcycle protected from the elements and also covers why a motorcycle storage unit is a must-have!
8 Tips for Storing Your Motorcycle
1. Check Your Insurance
- You may not be riding your motorcycle, but you still want to make sure you are protected.
- Speak with your insurance provider to ensure continued coverage based on your specific policy.
2. Clean Up!
- Never store a dirty or wet bike.
- This is common sense, but a lot of people will take their motorcycle out for a ride and drive over wet, salty roads and then store it away for the winter. This is a disaster. You do not want this sitting on your bike.
- Make sure your motorcycle is totally dry before you store it and ask your dealer for recommended waxes or polishes to further protect your bike.
3. Drain the Gas
- Make sure you drain the fuel from your motorcycle before you store it.
- This will protect the bike, as well as anything else you have stored along with it, including the self storage unit, in case anything leaks.
4. Do an Oil Change
- Old dirty oil is not good for your motorcycle whether you’re riding it or storing it.
- An added bonus is that when you're ready to ride again in the coming spring, your oil is clean, and it’s one thing you can cross off your to-do checklist to get your bike road-worthy again.
5. Battery-Wise
- Talk to your dealer about how to protect your battery.
- They may recommend you remove the battery while in storage and re-attach it when you take it out of storage. It’s important to pay attention to this so that when you want to visit your motorcycle, it’s ready for you. Nothing ruins a planned ride more than unanticipated interruptions.
6. Use a Stand
- A motorcycle stand will stop your ties from getting flat spots because the weight won’t be on the tires.
- This is more important if you’re parking your bike for the whole winter season. A motorcycle stand also helps with your suspension too.
- If you don’t want to invest in a stand, using something with some cushioning, like a carpet or foam squares, will also help.
7. Store Inside If You Can
- Storing your motorcycle in an enclosed storage space is best.
- It keeps it out of sight from peering eyes and damaging UV rays on your paintwork.
8. If Outside, Cover It
- If you have to store your bike outside, then make sure you cover it securely with the right type of motorcycle cover. Just throwing a standard tarp or sheet over it (or one that is filled with tears and holes), is not going to give your bike the protection it needs.
- There are many special covers (even shaped for your bike) that are made from breathable material. These covers will help prevent moisture and help protect it from scratches and dust, and even vermin who like to find ready-made homes over the long cold winter.
Choose Storage Solutions for your Winter Motorcycle Storage Needs!
What's the best option for storing your motorcycle over the winter? Say it with us - a self-storage unit!
The good news is that we have those for your winter motorcycle storage needs, and you can rent a self-storage unit right from our website. We make motorcycle storage smooth and easy. We also pride ourselves on our security, affordability, customer service, and our 24/7 access. We’re proud of our self-storage facilities, and encourage you to see for yourself by taking an online tour of our Milton self storage facility or Woodstock self storage facility, or any of our self-storage units on YouTube.
And as an added bonus, our locations are close to some very nice roads that you'll want to take your bike out for a spin on.
If you’re in need of motorcycle storage in Milton or motorcycle storage in Woodstock, don't bother searching online for motorcycle storage near me. Instead, text, call or email us, or rent online from Storage Solutions!
BTW - We’re always sharing storage advice, tips & tricks on social media and we think we’re pretty funny too! Make sure to like or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.
Your friend in self-storage,
Storage Solutions
