To tell you the truth, ask anyone if they would ever leave their motorcycle alone even for a week and the answer would always be a NO. Bikers are hooked to their bike like fish to water and if any biker is denied the chance to ride his/her bike when there is a chance to actually travel on the bike, you can be sure that the biker is having a funeral of the person who denied them in their mind. But then there occurs a time when you have to make a tough call and actually leave your motorcycle when travelling long journeys or visiting abroad or something similar. So in that case we have certain tips to help you out to make sure when you come back, your bike will be the same as before.
- Hand The Bike Over To A Guardian: The best way to deal with the issue is to give the bike to a friend or a relative who can keep the bike safe and someone whom you trust will use your bike the way it is supposed to be used. This way the bike stays in shape and also is kept safe from degradation at any point which means when you come back, you get the bike pretty much in the same condition you left it.
- Cover it Up: If you do not have the luxury of leaving it with someone or if you just don’t want to leave it, then you can just keep the bike covered up in your own parking. The bike cover will make sure the bike stays inconspicuous and secure and clean as well from dust, dirt and bird droppings. So that when you come back, the bike will only be a wet cloth wipe away from being ride ready.
- Tie It Down: If you are worried about the bike from getting stolen or someone else moving your bike from where it is parked for any reason whatsoever, the best thing is to simply tie your bike. You can use a chain and a lock to tie it down to a tree, pole a column, anything you can find really.
- Drain The Oil: In case of synthetic oils, this is not an issue, but for mineral oils, it is a good idea to drain the oil if you happen to be going away for over 6 months. The oil tends to deteriorate and degrade when not used and if you use the same oil all over again when you return, then it will not protect the engine as it should and could also end up damaging the engine someway.
- Disconnect The Battery: Battery is generally nothing much to be worried about, but still while in the bike, there could be any number of issues like leakages, short circuits due to dirt and what not. So it is always a good idea to have the battery disconnected from the terminals so in case if any switch does stay on and a short circuit might light up anything, your battery will not be drained down. Another better option is to remove the battery altogether from the bike and keep it inside the house in a cool and dark place.
- Empty the Fuel Tank: Though it is not much of an issue with fuel, but still overtime the fuel does turn into fumes and escaped out through the breather hose little by little. The amount is negligible but then when kept idle for a long time, it does happen to add up to a bigger amount and that means loss of fuel and money.
- Rodent Proof Your Bike: One of the biggest pains for any biker is having rodents ruin the bike when it is standstill for longer periods. When the rodents are not sympathetic to even cars, bikes are simply child’s play for them. For this reason it is a good idea to grease up all the wires on the bike to keep rats and mice at bay which is always a huge problem, especially in India. Another good option for you would be to put on some tobacco pouches at the sensitive areas of the bike since the smell of tobacco is a deterrent to rodents. This way you can be sure that your bike will remain the same way you left it and there will be no rodent attack on it.
So these were some of the tips for you to follow when you will be leaving your bike for longer periods. Many of us will be doing it with a stone over their hearts, but sometimes we have to do what we have to do. So do share this with your friends who might be planning to leave for a long time and also put in some practices you might have followed in the comments section below.
