Off-Season Storage

KontoBoy · Post by **KontoBoy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:10 pm

Okay, I'm putting the YZF-750 track bike up for the winter and wondering some things on off-season storage.

Battery is out and indoors and I'll put it on a trickle charger from time to time. Put the bike on stands. Engine oil only has two track days on it.

Radiator/cooling system is drained from water pump and oil cooler hoses with the help of low air pressure from radiator cap. I was using distilled water and Water Wetter on the track--no antifreeze. I've heard that an empty radiator/cooling system can contribute to corrosion and it's better to refill it with antifreeze mix. Thoughts?

Carbs were run dry. Still have about 2/3rds of a tank of gas, and am wondering if I should drain it, fill it, add a fuel stabilizer?

Bike will be unheated area where winter temps can get dow the single digits (F).) I plan to be back on the track around April.

Anything else?

Thanks

Kontoboy

dragracer1951 · Post by **dragracer1951** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:23 pm

1) Battery Tender Jr.
2) Change the oil now and when it wakes up...acids form in oil with condensation
3) Antifreeze is good for anti corrosion
4) Fill the tank and add Stabil
5) Go have a Hot Toddy and wait for spring!

Duncan Hines · Post by **Duncan Hines** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:08 pm

I heard you should put your battery on a piece of wood, not concrete. Dunno why but that's what I heard.

RiceRocket1 · Post by **RiceRocket1** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:43 pm

Duncan Hines wrote:I heard you should put your battery on a piece of wood, not concrete. Dunno why but that's what I heard.

That's to insulate the battery from the cement (cold). When the temps drop the battery will loose charge faster and when it looses it's charge you take a chance of sulphating (builds up a layer on the plates and will never hold a full charge agian) or freezing it. Best thing to do is keep it off the cement and use the battery tender jr. just hook it up and check the cell levels every so often. If more fluid is needed use distilled water, no contaminates to short out the plates in the cells.

Also if you are setting up a new battery put the electrolites in let it sit for at least an hr then tap it a bit to release and gases and top it off with electrolite. Then put it on a charge at no more than 1 amp charge. If its a 14ah battery then you have to charge it for 14 hrs. Doing this is called forming the plates. A new "un-formed" battery only an 80% charge. If you put it in the bike and take it for a "ride" to finish charging the battery you WILL lock the battery into the 80% charge capacity. Fully charging it before installing and using it, gets 100% charge capacity out of the battery....

Post by **FZRDude** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:56 pm

Good tip and explanation Jim, Thanks.

KontoBoy · Post by **KontoBoy** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:56 am

Got the radiator fluid in, oil changed and tank topped off (no stabilizer yet).

Now what about cast iron rotors? I was thinking WD-40 to keep them from showing that ugly rust, but I don't want to contaminate the pads.

Kontoboy

Post by **FZRDude** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 1:07 am

I don't suppose you have an old set of pads lying around do you....

KontoBoy · Post by **KontoBoy** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:33 pm

For the Brembo's, no. But I need to replace the ones I have and your welsome to the old ones. They are down to about 33% left.

I may have some old Blue dot pads. I'll have to check.

Kontoboy

Post by **FZRDude** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:41 pm

What I was gettign at, lol, was you could do the WD-40 method if you were to use an old set of pads. That way you wouldn't care if they got WD all over them, cause you'd be replacing them anyway.

djalbin · Post by **djalbin** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 12:07 am

I feel like I'm missing out on this science of motorcycle storage. High of 77 degF yesterday with 7% humidity (that's correct ... single digit humidity). :cool

I don't think I could get anything to rust even if I were to throw it in the pool.

Don

RiceRocket1 · Post by **RiceRocket1** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 7:48 am

djalbin wrote:I feel like I'm missing out on this science of motorcycle storage. High of 77 degF yesterday with 7% humidity (that's correct ... single digit humidity). :cool

I don't think I could get anything to rust even if I were to throw it in the pool.

Don

Must be nice, my bike is away for the season. They've salted the roads.....

djalbin · Post by **djalbin** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:35 pm

RiceRocket,
I like your smiley sense of humor ...

Don

RiceRocket1 · Post by **RiceRocket1** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 10:34 pm

KontoBoy · Post by **KontoBoy** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 7:37 pm

A duh--a should of thought of that, especially since I was planning on replacing the pads anyway.

Konto

dragracer1951 · Post by **dragracer1951** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:34 pm

I'd have just pulled the capipers and been done with it

orionburn · Post by **orionburn** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:57 am

Can't you just pull the pads without having to pull the calipers off? At least save you some time until you put the new ones on next spring.

I gotta start all my storage procedures as well. I have a little bit of rust in the tank, so when I pull it I'm going to drain the fuel. Anybody ever used this stuff before? http://www.safestrustremover.com Guy on another board said it worked really good on his wife's bike and it's not acid based. Not supposed to harm rubber or gaskets either. Kinda pricey at $30/gallon, but may give it a shot and see how it works.

EXUP Worldwide

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