Away for a Month... Storage Tips...

[Kalel]

Hello guys and I will thank in advance johnatan, Blaine, water warrior, 5th bike, alantf.. very very helpful..
Away for a Month and I need advice on the Storage as winter approaches...

Winter is coming... I have my GZ, it runs great and besides the front break squeaking a little sometimes, everything is ok. I will be traveling saturday And I'll be gone for 1 month. I am in Jersey and temperatures are dropping. I read Blaine's instructions for storing the Bike for winter ( great guide btw http://gz250bike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6884 ) Now My questions are these:
I just changed the oil and the filter like 1 week ago, have the rags to cover the exhaust, I have the berryman I need a good chain lube brand? same question for fuel stabilizer? Now My bike will not be Garaged, I have it in a parking space but is open. I have a nice empire cover. So should I take the battery off for the month I am going to go away? ( I do have a battery tender ), and then when I come back I plan when temps are good, like once in a long while when they are in the 40's to ride... I just don't want to put it away for 3 months.. Last week, I rode at 42 degrees with wind and it seemed cold but with the gear I had on it was ok... only weak point were the gloves, which I returned after 4 days of buying them... The Revit H2o winter gloves, I mean If I am going to pay 89 bucks for some gloves they should not let my fingers freeze at 42 degrees...

So, any pointers would be really appreciated, as I said, not garaged, and Going away for 1 month...

thanks guys

[Goose51683]

Kalel,

Check out the link to another thread on the forum that we just started about a week ago. A few of the more knowledgeable guys (and gals) here gave us a full rundown on how to store our bikes for the impending winter.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6936

[alantf]

Thanks for those kind words, Kalel. I'ts nice to be appreciated.

[jonathan180iq]

Agree, Suparmun. Only, maybe next time, make me not the only one with the misspelled name

I jest. I jest.

I think you have a good handle on what to do for the winter. If you're going to be away for a month and this bike is going to be sitting out in the open, I would maybe ask a friend to go by every now and then and just put eyeballs on it. You're in Jersey... That bike is asking to get thrown into the back of a pickup and metled down into meth and injected into some poor hooker's rumpus. I've been to Seacaucus... I know what they do there.

[Water Warrior 2]

A one month sleep for the bike is nothing to worry about. I would take the battery out and store it in a warmer place and top it up with a battery tender upon your return. The addition of fluids in the fuel is good.
And as Jonathan suggested, have a friend do a drive by now and again. When you get back install the battery and you are almost ready to ride. Do a visual check, tire pressure check, light check and go riding.
Cold fingers always bothered me, even in cool summer riding. You have to block the wind somehow. The only thing I can see is a large windshield that is wide enough to divert the wind. It would also have to reach down low to block the wind from coming from below.
Heated grips will help but will not address the windchill factor that is always there.

[jonathan180iq]

They may look silly, but this is what you need to keep your hands warm.


It's all about windchill. And you can't kill windchill without killing the wind.

I made some one time out of an old Huggies diaper box and duct tape. I am not even kidding. It worked. I just looked like a homeless guy on a scooter.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

They may look silly, but this is what you need to keep your hands warm.


It's all about windchill. And you can't kill windchill without killing the wind.

I made some one time out of an old Huggies diaper box and duct tape. I am not even kidding. It worked. I just looked like a homeless guy on a scooter.

Those would be a great addition to fighting cold temps. On my Vstrom the handguards still let my finger tips get cold so I fashioned cheap plastic extensions that reached lower and further back. They were made from a plastic file folder and held in place using 2 sided tape along the bottom edge of the handguard. Worked like magic and were also great for real rainy rides. Best $2 I ever spent on weather proofing.