mothballing
 

i've got about a month before the roads have iced up. we'll be shut down completely soon afterwards. the plan is to haul the R1100S into the living room and do the restoration i've been planning for years now.
but the Ural is going into a storage locker I share with a couple other riders. she's down for the duration. do you guys have any tips? a particular concern are the inner tubes.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377324216.jpg



i asked on a ural site. they just said to keep riding through the winter. i really don't think they understand.

Looks like a fine pair of Australian cattle dogs you have there :)

What? Is the next ice age coming?

How long will the roads be shut down? Do I have to worry? Does it have something to do with comets, or the sun?
Two of my three bikes have tube tires, they've been just fine every winter. Bit will this be an extended time?

Block the Ural up so that the wheels are off the ground, add a good dose of Stabil or something similar to the fuel, make sure the bike is run enough so that the fuel is fully circulated thru out, make sure the fuel tank is completely full, remove the battery store it in a warm area on something like a Battery Tender Jr.

Consider moving from someplace like the North pole.

A bit of gasline antifreeze is also a good idea whenever any motorcycle is put into storage. It mixes with any condensation water in the gas tank and gets rid of it.

Ever wonder why old motorcycle gas tanks always rust out at the lower seams?

Change the fluids before storage. Put it up on blocks to have round tires and allow the springs to decompress. Give it a good cleaning and block the exhaust and intakes to prevent critters from taking up residence. Put battery on life support. Stabil in fuel and run it into the lines. Through a cover that breathes over it.

If you move to a year-around riding climate this all becomes moot.

In all seriousness,

Can you explain the duration/time period you are planning to store, the temperatures expected, location. I mean, is this the North Pole, Alaska, or Denver?

I just park my bikes, add some Sta-bil maybe.. And just start up in the spring.

Basically it's the worlds most expensive dog toy. They took to it with zero hesitation. And love riding on the beach.

This is Kenai alaska. The town of North Pole is about 400 miles from here. I expect to be shut down for five or six months. A couple other riders and I rent a heated storage locker. It's a decent situation, but a lot of bikes will be wedged in. Once she's in there it's for the duration.

Sunny day. Going for a ride.

"Winters are snowy, long but not particularly cold, especially considering the latitude, with January featuring a daily average temperature of 15.8 °F (−9.0 °C). "

Gunnison Colorado was far worse winter weather. I just did the Sta-bil thing when I lived there.
But, none of the above advice will hurt. Particularly the battery advice given.

Two years back we got 128 inches of snow, and temperature spikes down to -50. Vehicles fall apart in these conditions.

If I'm that desperate to ride I'll take my vacation back in LA and rent a bike.

I'll add, put it in the bedroom with you and let the dogs keep the battery warm.

I ride all winter here. It's the summer I don't ride. We are 91F and 34% RH.

We'll be 103F on Tuesday, after rain.

went for a ride this morning.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377385495.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377385528.jpg


here's a partial list of the advice so far.


1. Greased the splines
2. Put new oil in engine, trans, and FD
3. Put Stabil in the gas tank, filled, then rode for a few miles to make sure it went though the carbs
4. Took out the battery and trickle charge every few months
5. Opened the float screw and drained the fuel from the float bowl
6. Put the motorcycle on jack stands to keep pressure off the tires
7. Sprayed the entire rig with a light coat of something called "waxoyl"
8. Sprayed a light mist of oil in each cylinder via the spark plug hole
9. Stuff rags in the exhaust pipes.

already have the BMW in the house. that's pushing the limit if i ever expect female company over here.

Diesel will have to walk;)...awesome photo's

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1377388532.jpg

Pretty dogs!

Well that's certainly a primary consideration what with the long winters and all.

Does the Ural sidecar have a drive system?

On a side note, I have friends in Finland who don't store in a heated garage in order to avoid the temp fluctuations. They drive/ride year round. Of course I have no personal experience with any of that, so I think your pickling plan sounds good.

Handsome dogs.

wait a minute...it's a Ural....shouldn't it be genetically winterized?

In the cold country, where the men are men and the women are too, you are judged by the size of your woodpile.