7-4
MOTORCYCLE CARE AND STORAGE
7
Storage
Short-term
Always store your motorcycle in a
cool, dry place and, if necessary, pro-
tect it against dust with a porous
cover.
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Storing the motorcycle in a
poorly ventilated room or cov-
ering it with a tarp, while it is
still wet, will allow water and
humidity to seep in and cause
rust.
8
To prevent corrosion, avoid
damp cellars, stables (because
of the presence of ammonia)
and areas where strong chemi-
cals are stored.
Long-term
Before storing your motorcycle for
several months:
1. Follow all the instructions in the
“Care” section of this chapter.
2. For motorcycles equipped with a
fuel cock that has an “OFF” posi-
tion: Turn the fuel cock lever to
“OFF”.
3. Drain the carburetor float cham-
ber by loosening the drain bolt;
this will prevent fuel deposits
from building up. Pour the
drained fuel into the fuel tank.
4. Fill up the fuel tank and add fuel
stabilizer (if available) to prevent
the fuel tank from rusting and the
fuel from deteriorating.
5. Perform the following steps to
protect the cylinder, piston rings,
etc. from corrosion.
a. Remove the spark plug cap
and spark plug.
b. Pour a teaspoonful of engine
oil into the spark plug bore.
c. Install the spark plug cap onto
the spark plug, and then place
the spark plug on the cylinder
head so that the electrodes
are grounded. (This will limit
sparking during the next step.)
d. Turn the engine over several
times with the starter. (This
will coat the cylinder wall with
oil.)
e. Remove the spark plug cap
from the spark plug, and then
install the spark plug and the
spark plug cap.
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To prevent damage or injury from
sparking, make sure to ground the
spark plug electrodes while turn-
ing the engine over.
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