For a motorcycle to last for many years, it needs good care and maintenance.
Well, a motorcycle becomes handy, especially when you want to run a few errands in places you can’t walk to or where you can’t take your precious car. So, how do you keep your bicycle safe?
Before you bring a motorcycle home, you must have pre-planned how to keep it.
In this regard, Do You Need A Home Garage To Store Your Motorcycle?
Short Answer – No, you don’t need a garage for a motorcycle. You can still keep a motorcycle safely without one.
If you do not have a garage, building one just for motorcycle storage is not necessary.
This post will cover more on maintaining and storing a motorcycle even without a garage.
Nine Alternative Motorcycle Storage Solutions
Even without a garage, you can still keep your motorcycle safe.
However, some storage methods may not be effective when the winter is extreme, and snowfall is heavy. Always consider if the storage method assures your motor of safety from elements and people.
1. Motor Storage Covers
Storage covers are among the many things riders need to meet their motor safety.
You will get very many options of motorcycle covers ranging from lightweight travel covers to heavy all-weather cover styles that you can choose from.
The heavy covers protect your motor against harsh weather elements, while the light ones are suitable for travel.
2. Friends
Contact your family member or friend to help you store your motorcycle.
This is more practical if the other person has a garage or storage space to accommodate your motorcycle. You can be charged a few coins or just do something as a sign of gratitude.
3. Portable Garage And Motor Shelters
You can purchase a motorcycle shelter designed to cover your motor without touching it.
Most of them are collapsible and are made of metallic frames and fabric.
All you need is to fold the cover on your motorbike and unfold it when you want to use the bike.
You can get the carport shelter styles that consist of a frame, fabric, and a door for your motorcycle to pass through.
4. Keep It Inside The House
If your motorbike is small and can pass through your house doors, then there is no harm in keeping it inside your house.
Bring your bike directly to your home and roll it inside the house.
Allocate some space near a wall where you will keep it.
While storing it, ensure you don’t block other people’s entry to the house.
While this is a cheap way to keep your bike safe, it is not the best, as it can stain your carpet or floor if kept for a long time.
5. Commercial Storage Unit
Some advanced garages and motorcycle dealership agencies rent out storage space for motorbikes, especially during winter.
6. Carport Storage
You can easily drive your motorcycle inside a carport if you have one.
A good carport will protect your motorbike from hot sun rays and heavy rains.
You can enhance your motorcycle safety by covering it with a motor cover before bringing it inside the carport if you plan to keep the motorcycle for a long time.
7. Use An Old Van
Well, that van in your garage that is too old, and you want to keep it from giving it out as scrape or remodel, it can get some work to do in the meantime as you keep thinking about it.
The van can help you safely store your motorbike without occupying more garage space.
All the same, you can buy an old van at a cheap price and put in your motorbike. It will be safe for the storage period.
8. Storage Unit
With some monies to spend, you buy a small storage unit specifically for your motorbike.
Make sure the units are relatively big to accommodate your motorcycle. This is a good option for long-term storage but at a lower cost.
9. Garden Sheds:
The backyard garden shed can be a great solution for motor storage.
You can create space within the shed and save it strictly for a motorcycle.
You can also purchase or make a small shed to keep your motorbike. However, having a new shed can be more expensive. All the same, sheds are pretty cheaper than constructing an entire garage.
When choosing where to keep your motorcycle, make sure it is secure and not open to being accessed by strangers or thieves. It should also be safe from weather elements that can damage it.
Five Motorcycle Long Time Storage Maintenance Tips
Are you keeping your motorcycle for a long time? If yes, then there are a few maintenance tips you will consider first before driving your bike to the storage unit.
1. Empty The Gas Tank
Do not store your motorcycle with gas because gasoline breaks down over time and can damage your fueling line.
2. Add A Fuel Stabilizer To The Tank
A fuel stabilizer will prevent gasoline breakdown and corrosion.
3. Have A Battery Tender
Get a battery tender and have it hooked up.
This helps your battery stay in good condition and ready to be used up any other time after the storage season ends.
You can also remove the battery from the motorbike and return it when you need to use the bike.
4. Replace All Fluids
Replace all guides in the motorcycle to remain in the best condition.
Fluids like antifreeze and brake fluid need to be completely replaced.
5. Inflate Your Tires
Tires will leak slowly when stored due to continuous temperature changes.
For your motorcycle to be safe, you better inflate all tires before you keep the motorcycle.
Conclusion
Motorcycle storage is not really something to stress you when there are very many ideas for storage.
It is not a must to have a garage to bring a motorcycle home.
You can still keep it safely without a garage.
Always ensure you give it all the pre-storage maintenance practices before you move it in for storage.
Sources
https://leatherfacegear.com/blogs/motorcycle-storage/store-motorcycle-outside
https://www.motorcycletouringtips.com/storing-your-motorcycle-without-a-garage/
