Winterizing recommendations ?

[mattsz]

It's in the cement-floor garage, which houses my wife's car.  So in theory it's dry, but in the winter, accumulated snow and salt drip off the car, and puddles tend to stand around for awhile.  But the puddles don't find their way into "my" corner.

Maybe I'll raise the front wheel just for fun - it certainly isn't hard!

[Ducati Scotty]

I go very light on the winterizing.  I'm lucky and I usually get a clear day every few weeks where I can ride so I don't need to worry about really long term.  I try to keep the tank full and if the bike sits for more than two weeks I do use a charger and turn the front wheel 90 degrees or so.  Just keeps from flat spotting the tire.

Scott

[GlennF]

Any thoughts on what I should do, if anything, about taking the stress off the tires?  It's on the center stand, so obviously the rear is ok, but what about the front?  There's so little pressure in it, but I could block up the frame to get both tires off the ground...

I wouldn't use blocks too risky.

You can pick up reasonable fork stands on ebay for well under $100.

[mattsz]

I wouldn't use blocks too risky.

Really?  I suppose so, but I was thinking of leaving it on the center stand, and putting a single block under the front of the engine just to tip the front wheel up enough so it's free of the floor, only about a half inch.  Seems to me that's no more risky than leaving it on the center stand - the worst that can happen is the block is knocked free, and front wheel settles back to the floor, yes?

Scotty, I would love to follow your lead and keep riding as I can throughout the winter - it seems impossible that I've been riding this bike for only 3 months!  We have the occasional days for it here, right on the coast, but they throw absolutely obscene amounts of salt on the roads, and I just don't want to subject the bike to that...

[LarsBloodbeard]

I agree with you mattsz, I don't think propping the front up slightly is going to make it less stable.  I've never had a bike fall off a center stand, earthquakes and all.  I've had sidestands slip closed on a nudge or sink and drop the bike, but never a center stand.

[Ducati Scotty]

I didn't mean you had to keep riding   But if you go into the garage once a week and turn the front tire a bit you'll avoid getting a flat spot.  No need to get a front stand.

Scott

[Jack Leis]

Mattsz , here's a little goody I made out of a piece of conduit I had laying around. Props the front end up and works like a champ. It is very stable too.

[mattsz]

Cool, Jack!  I have a bunch of scraps of Azek - it's plastic house trim, 3/4 inch thick.  I thought I'd just cut a piece to the right length, like you did.  No custom fit cutout planned, though!

[Jack Leis]

It just goes to show you Mattsz, necessity is the mother of invention !

[mattsz]

Just thinking ahead...

As I'm dabbling at my bike in the garage, I find that the ACF-50 coating I gave it is still as thick and drippy as it was when I applied it.  It's all over everything - that's where I put it, after all - and I can't look at the bike without getting the stuff all over me.  Like I mentioned last fall, they call it "fogging oil", but mine came out of the can in a lumpy spray.  I can't believe for a second that this stuff won't attract any dirt that gets on it.

What's the recommendation for cleaning off in the spring?  A hose?  Towels or rags?  Both?

[gremlin]

Simple Green

[mattsz]

Gremlin-

When I had "that other" bike, I rebuilt the carbs and was looking into using Pine-Sol as a cleaner and degreaser.  There's a thread on the ADVrider forum where the subject of Simple Green and aluminum came up.  Here's one post:

Simple green and the other purple cleaner can will work great but:

This has come up before in other threads..........simple green and aluminum do NOT get along............simple green and the other purple cleaners are strong base cleaners ( sodium hydroxide) and all warn about aluminum corrosion and marking/ discoloring and other problems.

Simple Green is not allowed on airports because of this aluminum corrosion concern.......they do have an aircraft safe version of simple green.

Some carb bodies are a zinc alloy and not aluminum but the corrosion concern are the same.

A lot of people agreed - it kind of scared me away from Simple Green.  Any experience using it on our bikes' aluminum?

[gremlin]

I learn something new every day on this forum.

[Ducati Scotty]

I haven't had personal experience but there seem to be a lot of stories about aluminum and Simple Green that end badly, a few on paint as well.  Since all of the aluminum on our bikes is raw and not clearcoated I just don't use it around the bike.

Scott

[motorat]

i have used wd40 as a cleaner and have had good results. the draw back that i can see is that it might leave an oily residue but that can be removed with warm water and dawn soap.