Whether it's winter, the vacation season or rainy weeks - not everyone has a garage to store their motorcycle. We want to give you a few advices and tricks for exactly those times. How to store your bike safely and protected from the weather.
How do you protect your motorcycle from wind and weather?
If you want or need to store your motorcycle for several weeks or months, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you find it in decent condition.
Probably the most important factor is the weather conditions. A bike that is exposed to wind, rain, snow and also sun for weeks will give you the problems sooner rather than later. Moisture leads to corrosion and makes many parts on the bike susceptible to rust, which in turn results in expensive workshop visits.
Fortunately, you can counteract this quite easily and cheaply: If you do not have a garage or a carport, we recommend investing 20 - 30 € in a folding garage! It will be worth it. Make sure that the tarpaulin is breathable, so that no condensation forms underneath. Otherwise you have the "rain" also under the tarp^^ At the same time, the tarp protects your bike from too strong sunlight, which in the long run attacks the painted parts of your motorcycle. If you have ever been on vacation in southern countries, you have certainly noticed many cars with paint damage ... Yep, that’s too much sun.
If things go really bad - and you should assume the worst - a storm will knock your bike over. So if you store it, make sure that this is not necessarily in a windbreak. It's enough if your parking space is close to one or better yet, two walls. A courtyard (not directly at the entrance - the wind is particularly strong there) or between cars in a side street will do the trick. If your motorcycle has a center stand, use it. Alternatively, mounting stands can also be useful. The side stand is not too safe a choice, given the unpredictable weather conditions in recent years.
Grand Theft Moped
Especially in big cities, the side streets and courtyards are unfortunately no longer the safest solution. In 2020, more than 2,200 motorcycles were reportedly stolen in Germany (the number of unreported cases is significantly higher). With a total number of around 4.5 million motorcycles, that doesn't seem like much, but you certainly don't want to be one of those 2,200.
So what can you do? A few are lucky enough to be able to park their machine in their home, basement or garages. For others, all that's left is a good lock - in the best case, even two. A brake disc lock has proven to be the safest. If you also secure an armored chain lock to a fixed object, you're well on your way. Experts also recommend a place where other motorcycles are parked and to change the location from time to time. It's also best to ask neighbors and friends if they can keep an eye on it.
Technique and parts
Another important point, which you surely know from winterizing, is the cleaning and maintenance of various motorcycle parts. In any case, the chain should be cleaned and lubricated, the battery charged, the fluids (brake, cooling, oil, gasoline) checked and the tire pressure increased.
If you then go with corrosion protection over vulnerable parts, such as the manifold, you master the job! In the store we have put together a set that can cover many of the points: Motorcycle Care Set.
On the safe side
If you have any questions about the topic or are unsure about any of the points, please feel free to contact us. Our support and social media channels are available to you for this purpose.
