{"id":2266,"date":"2022-07-19T12:00:35","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T12:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssdcmoving.local\/?p=2266"},"modified":"2025-11-04T22:17:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T22:17:27","slug":"guide-to-motorcycle-winter-storage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/guide-to-motorcycle-winter-storage\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick Guide to Proper Motorcycle Winter Storage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The first ride of the season never fails to delight, starting the second you hop on your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> and fire it up. But if you don\u2019t go all out in storing a <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> properly, your season may just start with a trip to the repair shop instead. Thankfully, you can easily avoid that by learning how to winterize a <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span>, and then storing it properly in a secure location. Ready to learn just what that\u2019ll take? Here\u2019s all you need to know about storing your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">bike<\/span> at the end of each riding season.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"best-motorcycle-storage-options\">Best <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Motorcycle<\/span> Storage Options<\/h2>\n<p>Before storing your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span>, it\u2019s important to find a secure location to keep your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">bike<\/span>, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Home garage<\/li>\n<li>Fenced carport<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Motorcycle<\/span> shed<\/li>\n<li>Vehicle trailer<\/li>\n<li>Storage facility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Motorcycles<\/span> are easily stolen, so <a href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/vehicle-storage\">enclosed storage units<\/a> offer much more protection than leaving your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">bike<\/span> out in the open. If you cannot find a more secure location for <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">winter storage<\/span>, use a collapsible <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> shelter to keep it out of sight and out of mind.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-prepare-a-motorcycle-for-winter-storage\">How to Prepare a <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Motorcycle for Winter Storage<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>After you figure out your best storage option, it\u2019s time to learn how to prepare a <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> for <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">winter months<\/span> and get it ready to sit. To do that effectively, just follow these 5 steps.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Scrub Your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Bike<\/span> Clean<\/h3>\n<p>Dirty <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">bikes<\/span> can end up with a corroded finish, rust spots, and worse. Avoid that by giving your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> a thorough wash to remove all the bugs, road debris, and dirt. Then, dry it thoroughly to wick away the moisture and prevent water spots. Put a coat of wax on the painted surfaces as well, and then protect the metal, rubber, and plastic with a <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">corrosion<\/span> inhibitor.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Change the Oil<\/h3>\n<p>The oil in your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span>\u2019s engine works hard to <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">lubricate<\/span>, cool, and clean all the internal parts. As it does that, the oil picks up small carbon particles, which rise to the surface and corrode metal parts over time. To keep that from happening, all you have to do is change your oil and filter before <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">winter storage<\/span>. You could also add <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">coolant<\/span> and antifreeze, which might be especially important if you&#8217;re storing your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> in a garage or <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">storage unit<\/span> that doesn&#8217;t have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/storage-units-with-climate-control\">climate control<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Treat Your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Fuel System<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Stagnant fuel is no joke \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t take long for ethanol to go rancid. Since its rather hygroscopic, the fuel effectively takes on water particles, resulting in <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">corrosion<\/span> to your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">fuel tank<\/span>. You can keep that from happening by adding a <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">fuel <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">stabilizer<\/span><\/span> additive before storing your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">bike<\/span>. <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Make sure<\/span> to fill up the <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">gas tank<\/span> and pour in the additive before your final ride of the season to get the <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">stabilizer<\/span> formula through the entire <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">fuel system<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Support the Battery<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Motorcycle<\/span> batteries don\u2019t like to sit around and wait for the action to happen. They tend to lose their juice rather quickly, leaving you with a dead battery just when you want to fire up your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span>. So, keep your battery happy by first topping off its fluid if necessary. If you have a sealed battery, you can skip that step. After that, hook up a <a href=\"https:\/\/autoguysland.com\/trickle-charger-vs-battery-maintainer\/\">battery tender or <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\"><span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">trickle<\/span> charger<\/span><\/a> to keep the unit charged up through the off-season.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Finish Up with a <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">Motorcycle<\/span> Stand and Cover<\/h3>\n<p>To finish up the <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> winterizing process, <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">make sure<\/span> to pump up your tires to the proper inflation levels. Then, place your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">bike<\/span> on an elevated stand to prevent <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">flat spots<\/span> from developing over a longer <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">period of time<\/span>. Once that\u2019s done, all you have to do secure a good <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedrive.com\/reviews\/27155\/best-motorcycle-covers\"><span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\"><span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> cover<\/span><\/a> in place to protect it from dust, moisture, and rodents. To keep critters out, you might also want stuff the <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">exhaust pipes<\/span> with old rags or dryer sheets, especially if you won&#8217;t be keeping your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> in an enclosed <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">storage unit<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Now that you\u2019re well versed on how to store a <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span>, you can put your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">bike<\/span> away with confidence it\u2019ll be ready to ride at the start of the next season. You can then simply pull your <span class=\"suggest-keyword\" data-markjs=\"true\">motorcycle<\/span> back out of storage, hop on, and ride away into the sunset without worrying about the need for prompt repairs.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first ride of the season never fails to delight, starting the second you hop on your motorcycle and fire it up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":2267,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-storage"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.9 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Quick Guide to Proper Motorcycle Winter Storage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Follow these 5 simple steps to prepare your motorcycle for winter storage. 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