Manufacturers made motorcycles for riding, not for sitting forever. But sometimes, your life gets busy, and you’ve no other option than to store a motorbike for a longer period. Now the question is, what happens when a motorcycle sits for too long?
Storing a motorcycle for a long period causes many physical and chemical reactions. In other words, your motorbike won’t be good enough to ride.
So what are some physical and chemical changes, and how to protect your motorcycle from them? No worries! In this post, you’ll get all the answers to your questions.
What Happens When a Motorcycle Sits for Too Long?
This is what happens when a motorcycle sits for too long:
| What Happens When a Motorcycle Sits for Too Long: |
| Motorcycle paint will be destroyed. |
| Fuel became thicker. |
| Motorcycle batteries will die. |
| Rust problems. |
| Motorcycle chains will be jammed. |
| Dirty Carburetors. |
| Tires become flat. |
| Tire bubbling. |
| Seals will shrink. |
Motorbike Paint:
One of the biggest changes you’ll observe when storing your motorbike for too long is the motorcycle paint .
Every motorbike comes with a paint job along with a protective layer on it. However, UV rays won’t affect the coating on your motorcycle paint. But UV rays will eat the above layer of your motorbike if standing for a longer time.
At first, you don’t observe any significant change, but you’ll see a massive difference in the pain quality within months. But after some time, you’ll see the paint starting to peel from your motorcycle.
Fuel:
Fuel thickness is one of the changes which most people ignore. Because of heat entering your motorcycle from the sun, the fuel will become thicker. Fuel thickening is fast when your motorbike is sitting on sunny days without shade; thus, the fuel thickening depends on the weather you’re living in.
If you’re living in winter, then fuel thickening will be slow and vice versa.
Motorcycle Battery:
The situation is called parasitic drain in which computers and wires cause discharging of your motorcycle battery. It would be best to buy a new motorcycle battery if you cannot revive your old battery again.
Rust Problem:
Just like motorbike paint, rusting your motorcycle is the most significant problem you’ll likely observe. Rusting is caused when water in the form of humid air attacks the iron. Generally, little rusting won’t affect your motorbike, but heavy rusting will eat the iron of your motorcycle.
Additionally, the motorcycle rusting depends on the climate you’re living in. If you’re living in humid regions, then you’re likely to observe rusting on your motorcycle.
We highly recommend standing motorbikes away from the humid air.
Non-Lubricating Chain:
Lubrication with oil for the engine and grease for chains and brakes are necessary for the normal functioning of your motorcycle.
The biggest problem with standing motorbikes is the dust in contact with grease forms a hard complex substance. This hard complex substance makes your chains and brakes jammed.
Again you’ll likely see unlubricated chains if you’re living in dusty or sandy areas. If the problem persists even after lubricating the chain, we highly recommend buying new chains and brake wire.
Carburetors:
It’s a huge chance you’ll experience dust in carburetors when your motorcycle sits aside for years. So it’s better to clean your carburetors while starting your motorcycle.
Tires Become Flat:
Tires can’t be flat, but if your motorcycle stands for years, then you’ll likely see flat tires.
Before understanding the basic science behind flat tires, you’ve to understand that your tires are elastic compounds that can change their shape.
When standing for a longer period, your tires tend to become flat because of the elastic nature of tires. The air in the tires protects your tires from becoming flat, but because of low-quality sealing, the air escapes out from the tires. And once the tire’s air escapes out, then your tires become flat, and in the worst cases, the tires will lose their elastic properties.
Tires Bubbling:
Although tires bubbling is a rare condition but worthwhile to discuss. It’s generally developed where the tire rubber is thin.
Riding tires with air bubbles likely to burst anytime, and not highly recommend riding with those tires.
The worst thing about the tires bubbling is that it’s not easily identifiable and can create a highly dangerous situation. Additionally, tire technicians can’t repair the tires bubbling further; because it’s caused by structural integrity loss.
Seal Become Shrink:
Your motorcycle contains numerous seals that protect water entry in the fuel tanks, engine, exhaust, etc. As mentioned above, the seals and tires are made from elastic fibers.
On normal days, the elastic seals play their role effectively because of elasticity. But when your motorcycle sits for a longer time, the seals tend to lose their elastic properties.
The second reason why seals, tires, and gaskets work well on normal days is because of the heat produced by your motorcycle. The heat released by motorcycle engines helps the polymers to set and maintain their elastic properties.
How to Revive Your Motorcycle Again?
It doesn’t mean you’ve to buy a new motorcycle if the present situation isn’t good. You have tons of other options which can make your motorcycle brand new again.
| How to Revive Your Motorcycle Again: Do pain work. Buy a new set of tires. |
| Clean the fuel. |
| Revive the batteries. |
| Clean rust. |
| Check leaks. |
Do Paint Work:
If your motorcycle paint isn’t in good condition, you can use the sandpaper of 200-400 grits to remove the upper layer of paint.
After removing the upper layer through sandpaper, you’re free to apply paint and don’t forget to apply a protective layer on the paint.
Buy New Set of Tires:
The problem with many people is that they start repairing their motorcycle tires on their own. And believe us, there’s no point in fixing your motorcycle tires.
Once your motorcycle tires malfunction, you’ve to buy a new set of tires again. Even the tires technicians can’t make your tires new again.
Clean the Fuel:
There’s a higher chance that fuel in your motorcycle will become thicker and cause them to get stuck between the fuel pipes. We highly recommend replacing new fuel pipes if needed.
Revive Batteries:
As mentioned above, the battery will discharge when storing the motorcycle for a longer time. However, you can revive your motorcycle battery again with some easy steps.
Clean Rust:
Rust is caused when humid air gets contact with the iron. And if it’s rusted iron, then you can clean rust with sandpaper. We highly recommend applying a layer on the iron so that layer can protect the iron from rust.
Check Leaks:
Although it’s nearly impossible to check every seal in the motorcycle still, don’t forget to check seals and leakage as much as you can. We highly recommend riding your motorbike slow; doing this will help you identify the pinpoint problem.
What Do You Need to Know About Storing Your Motorcycle?
You need to know many factors if you’re considering storing a motorbike for a longer period.
| What Do You Need to Know About Storing Your Motorcycle? |
| Don’t stand your motorcycle in the sun. |
| Don’t stand your motorcycle on the side stand. |
| Remove every drop of fuel. |
| Remove the battery. |
Don’t Stand Your Motorcycle in the Sun:
As mentioned above, the UV rays from the Sun destroy the upper layer of motorcycle pain, which ultimately makes your paint bubbling and chipping.
We highly recommend storing your motorcycle in the garage only. Or you can buy a reliable motorcycle cover that blocks most of the UV rays.
Don’t Stand Motorcycle on Side Stand:
Standing your motorcycle on the side stand causes tire flattening, which will ultimately destroy both of your tires. And that’s why we highly recommend standing your motorbike on the center stand.
Remove Every Drop of Fuel:
Fuel thickening is a common problem, as mentioned above. However, you can stop fuel thickening by removing every drop of fuel from your motorcycle. You can also add a stabilizer if you don’t have the proper storage capacity for fuel.
Remove the Battery:
Removing the battery before standing on your motorbike for a longer period will protect your battery from dying.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What happens when a motorcycle sits for too long?
Storing a motorcycle for a long period causes many physical and chemical reactions. In other words, your motorbike won’t be good enough to ride.
How motorcycle paint destroy in the sun?
Although UV rays won’t affect the coating on your motorcycle paint, UV rays come from the sun if your motorbike stands for a short period of span. But UV rays will eat the above layer of your motorbike if standing for a longer time. At first, you don’t observe any significant change, but you’ll see a huge difference in the pain quality within months.
What is tires bubbling?
It’s generally developed where the tire rubber is thin. Riding tires with air bubbles likely to burst anytime, and not highly recommend riding with those tires.
Why you shouldn’t stand the motorcycle by side stand?
Standing your motorcycle on the side stand causes tire flattening, which will ultimately destroy both of your tires. And that’s why we highly recommend standing your motorbike on the center stand.
Final Verdict:
What happens when a motorcycle sits for too long? Storing a motorbike for a long period causes many physical and chemical reactions. In other words, your motorbike won’t be good enough to ride.
You can revive your motorcycle if you do paintwork, buy a new set of tires, clean the fuel, reviving batteries and clean the rust.
