Motorcycle care an
d
stora
g
e
8-4
8
EAU26183
Stora
g
e
Short-term
Always store your motorcycle in a cool,
dry place and, if necessary, protect it
against dust with a porous cover. Be
sure the engine and the exhaust sys-
tem are cool before covering the mo-
torcycle.
NOTICE
ECA10811
Storin
g
the motorcycle in a
poorly ventilate
d
room or cover-
in
g
it with a tarp, while it is still
wet, will allow water an
d
humi
d
-
ity to seep in an
d
cause rust.
To prevent corrosion, avoi
d
d
amp cellars, sta
b
les (
b
ecause
of the presence of ammonia)
an
d
areas where stron
g
chemi-
cals are store
d
.
Lon
g
-term
Before storing your motorcycle for sev-
eral months:
1. Follow all the instructions in the
“Care” section of this chapter.
2. Fill up the fuel tank and add fuel
stabilizer (if available) to prevent
the fuel tank from rusting and the
fuel from deteriorating.
3. Perform the following steps to
protect the cylinders, piston rings,
etc. from corrosion.
a. Remove the spark plug caps
and spark plugs.
b. Pour a teaspoonful of engine
oil into each spark plug bore.
c. Install the spark plug caps onto
the spark plugs, and then
place the spark plugs on the
cylinder head so that the elec-
trodes 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 walls with oil.)
WARNING! To prevent
d
am-
a
g
e or injury from sparkin
g
,
make sure to
g
roun
d
the
spark plu
g
electro
d
es while
turnin
g
the en
g
ine over.
[EWA10952]
e. Remove the spark plug caps
from the spark plugs, and then
install the spark plugs and the
spark plug caps.
4. Lubricate all control cables and
the pivoting points of all levers and
pedals as well as of the side-
stand/centerstand.
5. Check and, if necessary, correct
the tire air pressure, and then lift
the motorcycle so that both of its
wheels are off the ground. Alterna-
tively, turn the wheels a little every
month in order to prevent the tires
from becoming degraded in one
spot.
6. Cover the muffler outlet with a
plastic bag to prevent moisture
from entering it.
7. Remove the battery and fully
charge it. Store it in a cool, dry
place and charge it once a month.
Do not store the battery in an ex-
cessively cold or warm place [less
than 0 °C (30 °F) or more than 30
°C (90 °F)]. For more information
on storing the battery, see page
7-28.
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