There are few things as exhilarating as hitting the open road on your motorcycle, which is why you take such good care of your ride. Sadly, for most riders around the country, a motorcycle can’t be ridden comfortably all year. With the bitter cold of winter, many motorcycles sit in a garage or driveway until the weather warms up enough to ride again, which can take up valuable space at home.
Thankfully, there’s a better solution to storing your motorcycle that won’t make you sacrifice space in your garage or driveway. With self storage, you can protect your precious ride during the winter months and still have plenty of room at home.
Common reasons for using storage
There are many reasons why you may want to store your motorcycle. Whether it’s for long or short periods of time, you can benefit from using self storage. Some of the most common reasons for using storage for a motorcycle include:
- Winter Storage: Most motorcycle riders store their motorcycle throughout the winter because it’s too cold to ride. By using self storage, you can have more space at home during the winter.
- Garage Alternative: Some motorcycle owners only ride on weekends or on special occasions, so they don’t want to fill their home garage with something only used rarely. In this case, a storage unit can be an alternative to taking up garage space at home.
- Military Deployment: If you’re leaving the country for a long period of time during a deployment, placing your motorcycle in storage is a great way to keep it protected.
Appropriate storage unit sizes
If you plan on storing your motorcycle indoors to protect it from damage due to weather or vandalism, then it’s important to know that your motorcycle will fit inside. Make sure you get a storage unit with external access so you don’t have to deal with any hallways and tight fits.
For most motorcycles, a 5x10 storage unit will be large enough for your bike plus a few accessories, like helmets and jackets. If you have a larger bike or plan on storing multiple motorcycles, you could look into a large unit like a 10x10.
Preparation for storage
If you plan on storing your motorcycle for a long period of time, you’ll need to properly prepare it prior to placing it into a storage unit. Especially when storing over the winter, there are a few maintenance tips you’ll want to follow in order to avoid any hiccups when you get your bike back out for a ride.
- Fresh Fluids: You’ll want to have all new fluids in your motorcycle if you’re storing it for a long period of time, especially over the winter. This includes antifreeze, oil, and brake fluid.
- Fuel Stabilizer: Use a fuel stabilizer to prevent corrosion in your gas tank and keep all gas lines fresh. If you have a carbureted bike, use fuel stabilizer and run the bike until it runs out of gas.
- Battery Tender: You may want to hook your battery up to a trickle charger at home in order to prevent it from losing charge or cracking when exposed to freezing temperatures.
- Bike Cover: Bike covers are for more than just protection from the elements, so make sure you invest in a good one even when storing your motorcycle indoors. This will protect your bike from dust, dirt, and other debris that could corrode your engine.
