Storing your motorcycle in the garage for winter or extended periods of time is a great idea as long as you take the proper steps to ensure your bike is stored properly.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about storing your motorcycle in the garage.
If you’re ready, let’s get started.
Should You Store a Motorcycle in the Garage?
If you live in a place where it gets below zero and snows, it’s better to keep your motorcycle indoors. The garage is a great place to store your motorcycle for the winter or any period of as it’ll keep it out of the elements.
Below are 5 tips to help your motorcycle stay in tip-top shape during its time in storage.
1. Clean your motorcycle
If you’ve neglected to keep your motorcycle clean up until this point, it’s a good time to give it a deep clean. Make sure the engine isn’t hot before you wash it so you don’t burn yourself. If you intend to use a cleaner, then use a motorcycle-specific cleaner so you keep your motorcycle safe.
You can use a hose and rinse down your motorcycle and then scrub down all the grime to get your motorcycle ready for long-term storage.
2. Keep the battery warm
You have plenty of ways to heat your garage throughout the winter to keep your motorcycle’s battery warm. If you don’t spend a substantial amount of time in your garage, then you can utilize a battery tender to keep your battery alive.
If you don’t take care of your battery, when it comes time to use your motorcycle you may find that it isn’t charged anymore after not being used. The tender will cycle the battery and keep the battery fresh and ready to use.
3. Fill the tank up
You want to fill the tank of your motorcycle all the way to prevent condensation. A tip is to add in some enzyme fuel treatment so your motorcycle will start easily and run better after being idle for months at a time. This can stabilize the fuel for two years and will prevent most ethanol problems.
If you decide to utilize the fuel treatment, you want to run the bike for a mile or two to get the treatment through the entire bike.
4. Replace the engine oil
Dirty oil can damage your engine if it’s left to sit for months at a time. All you need to do is give your motorcycle fresh oil if you’re going to store it in the garage for long periods of time.
5. Take the weight off the tires
Your tires will lose air over time, so you can overinflate your tires a bit for storage purposes. You want to keep the weight off the tires to reduce any damage, so get a stand so you prevent this from occurring.
If you can’t, then rotate the tires every week or so to prevent any damage. It’s recommended to keep your tires of concrete as well so pick up a rubber mat if you choose to not keep your bike lifted.
3 Motorcycle Garage Storage Ideas
1. Extreme Max 5600.3223 Sport Bike Front & Rear
This motorcycle stand is a super simple option to keep your tires off the ground during storage. It’ll lift the front and rear utilizing a triple tree headlift design. It fits a maximum steering column of 30″, so be sure to check what size your bike is before purchasing.
What I like about this is how it doesn’t take up too much space and doesn’t take too long to setup. It fits most sportbikes, if you have a bigger motorcycle such as a Harley you may be after other options like a jack lift. Reviewers loved how easy it was to put together and mention that it’s one of the best bang for buck item out there.
2. Apextreme 1100 LB Motorcycle Lift
I like that this scissor lift will be able to work on all types of bikes from cruiser all the way to dirt bikes. The heavy-duty steel construction can hold up to 1100 pounds which should be enough even for heavier cruisers. It’s galvanized as well to reduce rusting in the future.
You use the crank handle to lift your motorcycle with ease and get those tires off the ground. I really like that you can use this for storing your bike but also for working on your bike too. This’ll last you for many winters and keep your bike safe in your garage all year long.
3. OTC 1545 Ultra Low Profile Motorcycle Lift
Looking for a heavy duty bike stand for a heavy duty bike? This is exactly what you’re looking for. With its 1500lb capacity, it’s more than enough for even the heaviest bikes out there. The 17 inch long skids hold your bike in place so you won’t have to worry about it getting knocked over.
It features low clearance as well so you can get your low rider bikes on this stand with ease. It comes with foot pedal release and locking rear casters so it’ll stay in place when you tuck your bike away for storage. The tie-down straps are a nice touch as well, they’ll keep your bike extra secure during the storage months.
I love this product as it’ll double as a work bench as well. I compared it to other lifts on the market and while this one is a bit pricier, it actually will hold up when put to the test. The only fault is that the assembly instructions can be a bit unclear but still doable if you take your time.
What to Avoid When Storing a Motorcycle in Your Garage
- Avoid storing your motorcycle on the tires
- Don’t store your bike in direct sunlight
- Avoid storing your bike with used oil
- Top off the fuel before long storage
- Avoid parking the wheels on the concrete floor
- Avoid storing your motorycle without cleaning it
Final Thoughts
Storing your motorcycle in the garage doesn’t need to be tricky. If you do it the right way, you’ll have a fresh motorcycle ready to hit the pavement as soon as the weather starts warming up again.
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