Lots of riders put their motorcycles away for the winter. But some military riders need to plan for storage that can last longer than a single season, thanks to deployments, moves or other situations that separate machine from owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow these steps, provided to Military Times by service-connected experts, to ensure you don\u2019t return to a ride in disrepair:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. A good once-over.<\/b> If you\u2019re doing nothing else to protect your ride, at the very least know what condition it\u2019s in before you put it away. Steve Kurtiak, a 22-year Army veteran who is a safety and occupational health specialist at the Army Combat Readiness Center, recommends the basic \u201cT-CLOCS\u201d inspection \u2014 short for tires and wheels, cables and controls, lights and electrical, oil and other fluids, chassis, and stands (side or center). Find minor problems before putting the bike away so they don\u2019t turn into major ones while you\u2019re gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Keep it simple.<\/b> \u201cA good wash, topping off the fuel tank and adding the appropriate amount of fuel stabilizer will make the removal from storage much less painful,\u201d Kurtiak said. And remember to let the bike idle after adding the stabilizer \u2014 about five minutes, said Staff Sgt. William Pendleton II, longtime Army motorcycle safety mentor and 2015 Outstanding Road Rider Award honoree from the American Motorcyclist Association, \u201cto allow it to get into the throttle bodies or carburetors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Take a stand.<\/b> Kurtiak and Pendleton both recommend using motorcycle stands to keep the wheels off the ground. If you\u2019re lucky enough to have a babysitter for your ride, Pendleton recommended having them spin the tires occasionally to keep wheel bearings moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. About those tires … <\/b>You\u2019ll lose air pressure over time, so both experts said you\u2019ll want to make sure to fill the tires to the max before departing, regardless of whether you\u2019re using stands. If the bike\u2019s on its wheels during your deployment, beware of flat spots when you return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Battery basics. <\/b>Consider a battery maintainer, or \u201ctrickle charger,\u201d to replenish the small amount of electricity your battery will lose each day of storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Odds and ends.<\/b> If the bike\u2019s in the elements, get a breathable cover that\u2019s made for motorcycles, Kurtiak said \u2014 don\u2019t rely on sheets or a makeshift tarp. Be sure your drive system\u2019s properly lubricated, Pendleton said. Both experts recommended referring to the owner\u2019s manual throughout the process. Like to ride, but not mechanically inclined? A trip to a reputable dealer or garage after taking the bike out of storage, even if it means a trailer, could save you some costly repair bills, Kurtiak said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Skip these storage steps and you risk returning to a motorcycle in trouble.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":59209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":74,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[74,13],"tags":[],"coauthors":[810],"class_list":["post-28921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-rider","category-off-duty"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"T53LUTD4CZCVTOB57PFB6EOWOE","arc_canonical_url":"\/off-duty\/military-rider\/2017\/10\/30\/deploying-without-your-ride-follow-these-storage-tips\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n