• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Caring for the bike that will rarely be ridden

  • Thread starter Thread starter simonp
  • Start date Start date
S

simonp

Guest
Now that I have my GS850 running I'm wondering about it's long term care and storage. I won't be riding it every day. Even in the summer I expect it will only get ridden one or two days a month.

Are there proactive things I should do to keep it up given it's going to sit 99% of the time? For example, should I always put fuel stabilizer in the tank when I park it?

I would like to keep it in good enough shape that I can hop on and ride anytime I feel the need without having to fuss with it.

Does anyone have any advice?
 
No, other than ride it a lot............99% sitting time doesn't do a lot for most auto/cycle/boats/lawn tractors etc.............well you get the idea. Things gum up and dry out and unless you've got an environmentally controlled room, and religiously take care of that toy, it will give you fits when you take it out on the 7th day of the 3rd week of the 8th month to play with it...........:-D
 
So then the best solution would be park it at my place and I will ride it for you to keep it in top condition :)
 
You might want to put fuel stabilizer in the tank, and get a battery tender to keep the battery charged...
And certainly keep it away from mortation, I have heard things...:)
 
What you're planning on doing to this 850 is criminal, in my opinion.

Best thing for that bike is to sell it to someone who will ride it often, ride it hard, ride it for many miles at a given time.

I have 122,000 miles on my GK, (basically the same bike as your 850). The reason it runs so well, after all those miles and years, is that I ride it every day. Do that bike a favor and sell it to someone that will appreciate it.

How does one show appreciation for a wonderful machine like a GS850? By riding the hell out of it!
 
I'm with these two...

DanTheMan said:
...Things gum up and dry out and unless you've got an environmentally controlled room..
Click to expand...

koolaid_kid said:
You might want to put fuel stabilizer in the tank, and get a battery tender to keep the battery charged....
Click to expand...

I use Marvel Mystery Oil as a stabilizer though for both the fuel and oil. IMO proper storage is the single best thing you can do for it. Mine is ridden rarely but stored happily. If only its present situation could "roll back the clock" from her "the cover blew off, I'll get it back on eventually" days!
 
Grandpa said:
What you're planning on doing to this 850 is criminal, in my opinion.

Best thing for that bike is to sell it to someone who will ride it often, ride it hard, ride it for many miles at a given time.

I have 122,000 miles on my GK, (basically the same bike as your 850). The reason it runs so well, after all those miles and years, is that I ride it every day. Do that bike a favor and sell it to someone that will appreciate it.

How does one show appreciation for a wonderful machine like a GS850? By riding the hell out of it!
Click to expand...

In addition...don't just fire the thing up and let it idle for twenty minutes as it wont due a thing to keep all the rest of the issues from popping up and the engine will only be running fuel through the idle circuits in the carbs. Why such a limited life for the bike? :-s
 
I agree, with virtually all of the above. Riding only one day a month is absolutely criminal.

But, if you must treat it that way, always park it with stabilizer in the gas. Some people use Marvel Mystery Oil, I have used Sta-Bil and SeaFoam. Never had any problems with Sta-Bil, but have recently learned that it has an expiration date, and have since switched to SeaFoam.

If you have run it long enough to get the engine thoroughly warmed up on the day that you ride it, you should not need any kind of treatment in the oil. If you are going to store it over the winter, change the oil before shutting it down.

Connect the battery to some type of Battery Tender. The "Battery Tender" brand is good, but a bit pricy. You can get a similar 'automatic battery charger/maintainer' from Wal-Mart or Sears for about half the price ($30). Make sure the charger lists the word 'maintainer' in its description. Don't settle for an automatic battery charger. When the automatic charger is 'done', it merely reduces the charge rate, but keeps charging. When the 'maintainer' is 'done', it stops charging, but monitors battery voltage. If the voltage drops, it kicks the charger back in.

Keep the bike on the centerstand. Put a piece of plastic or plywood under the front tire to get it off the concrete. Check tire inflation before you ride (oh, you do that anyway, don't you?).

And, as mentioned above, do NOT start the bike unless you intend to ride it. Yeah, it sounds so good, but all you will do is create condensation that will build up in the crankcase and exhaust system, creating problems in both areas.


.
 
This is my third bike now, and the first one that I haven't needed as practical daily transportation. I live in rainy Portland, Oregon and my daily commute is 35Miles (one way) straight up I-5 into downtown. Rush hour, stop and go traffic, in the pouring rain, on a 4-6 Lane interstate is miserable. It was riding daily in the rain that discouraged me from motorcycles the last time around. It was 7 years later that I got interested enough by helping a friend work on this 850 that I decided to just by it from him.

The way I see it is with 10500 original miles on it, it may be the last motorcycle I ever want or need. That's my goal here. Owning this machine for the rest of my life, and enjoying it on occasion, as I feel the urge.
 
Simonp, it is your motorcycle. Ride it when and how you see fit. Since your question was how to take care of it under your conditions, read the posts that pertain to that and ignore any others.
As an owner of 5 vehicles, it would be improbable, if not impossible, to use every single machine every day. So I take precautions to insure that each vehicle is ready when I am. That is all it takes.
Best of luck, and enjoy your motorcycle.
 
After standing for a while it can take some time for the starter to suck fuel into the carbs. I've flattened batteries this way. I find setting the petcock to Prime (gravity feed) and letting the bike stand for 15-20 minutes before trying to start it seems to help.

Alternatively, pull the air filter and spray a load of 'Get er Started' (or equivalent) rocket fuel in there. This'll run it long enough to suck regular fuel through. It's a bit brutal, though.
 
Fuel Tank: Full
Carbs: empty (disconnect vacuum and supply from petcock) and run dry. possibly also drained the carbs from the bowls.
Crankcase: plenty of oil in it
Cylinders: possibly oiled
Chain: loosened
Throw a blanket over it.

I have more than I can ride, and sometimes it makes me sad. However, I don't trust others to take as good care of them as I do.

Everything's for sale if you promise to treat it nice.
 
Something I did was install the bowls from a Kawasaki with BS34's. Much easier to drain the carbs for lay up. Also for winter lay up, I have the bike on it's center stand and a support under the pipes at the front of the motor. If your bike has case savers those are a good support spot as well. Just high enough to raise the front tire off the floor.With the front and rear tires off the floor, reduce the air pressure in both tires to appox. 5psi. No flat spots will develop over the winter.
 
Oh man, I'm getting old.

I have no idea why anyone would want to drain the carbs. Petrol evaporates. The carbs will be empty soon enough if you just leave them alone. That's why the damn bike don't start after a couple weeks FFS :-D

Flat spots on the tires happened on the old stuff - cross plys - doesn't happen with radials, but whatever floats your boat.

On the center stand, there's about 20lbs pressure on the front tire and none on the back.

Like that's gonna do anything.
 
For starters Simon, come and ride with us!

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=114969

Batteries and clogged carbs are the hallmark of storage. Get the battery tender and keep it hooked up. I start mine every other week or so and take it for a spin, just to move gas thru the carbs. There's always one nice day when you can get out for 15 minutes..
 
Start with a clean bike, a full tank of fuel, and a battery tender. Get both wheels off the ground and keep it covered. Indoor storage is best. Put fuel stabilizer in the tank with a FULL tank of gas. You're biggest problem will most likely be old gas gumming up the carbs. IF you can get out and ride her every few weeks, you shouldn't have much too worry about.
 
Basics would be to keep it in as dry a place as possible and toss a couple of blankets completely over it to help against moisture/corrosion.
Use a fuel stabilizer for sure. Get a battery tender if you don't have one. It will soon pay for itself.
I'd keep it on the centerstand. Between actual rides, I'd at least warm it up approx' 10 minutes every week to keep the juices flowing. 10 minutes should be enough to burn off any condensation and the bike won't get too hot either. This should keep enough oil film on the cylinders, etc, between rides.
While warming up, I'd take the time to check the air. Bike tires lose pressure fairly quickly. I would also use the warm up time to exercise the clutch lever a few times, the brakes front and rear, etc. Things need to be "used" at least a little. Fork seals will go bad pre-maturely but it will help them if you move the bike off the stand and pump them at least a few times. Same for the shocks. Seals benefit from some movement.
You can easily do all this, including needing air, in just the warm up period. Easy to do and it will be much better for the bike.
Keep in mind that oil can break down from just time. Don't let it go too long just because the miles are low.
Also, if you happen to be someone who has any problem using the centerstand easily, there's several tips at this site to make it easier.
 
simonp said:
This is my third bike now, and the first one that I haven't needed as practical daily transportation. I live in rainy Portland, Oregon and my daily commute is 35Miles (one way) straight up I-5 into downtown. Rush hour, stop and go traffic, in the pouring rain, on a 4-6 Lane interstate is miserable. It was riding daily in the rain that discouraged me from motorcycles the last time around. It was 7 years later that I got interested enough by helping a friend work on this 850 that I decided to just by it from him.

The way I see it is with 10500 original miles on it, it may be the last motorcycle I ever want or need. That's my goal here. Owning this machine for the rest of my life, and enjoying it on occasion, as I feel the urge.
Click to expand...

Steve gives some great advice. I would add and stress that humidity and salt are things you need to deal with, especially considering where you live. Keep it clean. I would cover your bike with cotton blankets draped all the way to the floor. Take the time to wash the bike if you drive in anything other than dry roads. I assume it will be garaged?

I can understand how you might not get to ride it much. I am a bit of a self-employed workaholic, and am busy and out of town alot. With that and a wife and two active kids, I often have zero time to ride. And with two bikes and another being built, it doesn't add up to very many miles on any one of them. But I don't think just because I can't ride every day that I need to sell them! :shock: My bikes are toys, or as one member put it "trophy bikes". I ride them when I can and am also enjoying building another one. I wish I COULD ride every day though! But I can't (I guess that's the real crime). :cry: But it's a motorcycle... not a horse. It can stand being put away for awhile if you treat it right.
 
Last edited:
simonp said:
This is my third bike now, and the first one that I haven't needed as practical daily transportation. I live in rainy Portland, Oregon and my daily commute is 35Miles (one way) straight up I-5 into downtown. Rush hour, stop and go traffic, in the pouring rain, on a 4-6 Lane interstate is miserable. It was riding daily in the rain that discouraged me from motorcycles the last time around. It was 7 years later that I got interested enough by helping a friend work on this 850 that I decided to just by it from him.

The way I see it is with 10500 original miles on it, it may be the last motorcycle I ever want or need. That's my goal here. Owning this machine for the rest of my life, and enjoying it on occasion, as I feel the urge.
Click to expand...

If when you ride it rarely...you ride it enough to burn up most all the gas in the tank...and you change the oil at least every 6 months...and either disconnect the battery or put it on a tender...and throw away the tires every few years to avoid dryrot...and wax it yearly....and smile while you are doing all this it will last as long as you can steer it. I agree with you on the rain thing...not my cup of tea either. That's why I moved to FL so I can ride year round in retirement and not make any payments on a new toy. Once every 7-10 days is about how often my fanny/back can take off on a real ride and my 81 is running like new just at 29k now. Trips to the grocery don't hurt it either because that always seems to take an hour on a bike - 15 minutes in a truck:)

Keep the tank full of new or stabilized gas to avoid rust in the system.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top