SuzukiSavage.com - No more dealer storage!

arteacher

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No more dealer storage!
03/11/12 at 06:00:26

Last winter I had the bike winterized and stored at the dealer. They change the oil, mist the cylinder, remove the battery, stabilize the fuel, and charge you $20/mo for cold storage. You call them a week before you want the bike and they pull it out, charge the battery, put it in, and briefly road test the bike. Total cost $178+ the monthly storage.
I had assumed they kept the battery on a battery minder.
This year, because they don't put the battery on a battery minder, it wouldn't charge enough to start the bike the first time they tried. They charged it again and it started the bike. The service guy showed me the battery, and it had white spots in it (sulfide ?) and suggested I have a new one installed, which I did. This time, unlike last year, they charged me $57 to "un-winterize" the bike. I think it was to cover the cost of labour to fool around with the old and new battery.
My question is: It was the original battery (5 yrs old), and the bike has about 6000 mi on it. Would letting it discharge for 3 1/2 months ruin it?
And: what exactly is "misting the cylinder", ( I know it stops the cylinder wall from rusting) and how is it done? Huh

Sorry, I just realize I posted this in the wrong section. Embarrassed

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mpescatori

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Re: No more dealer storage!
Reply #1 - 03/11/12 at 08:32:35

Hi. I checked in RSD but couldn't find your thread, so I'm replying here.

I assume that you either have no space in your garage to store your bike, or no garage at all.

Either way, unless the storage manager connects your battery to a "battery manager", the battery will fail after 5-6 years, regardless.

My advice is to take the battery home and use it for silly house jobs and other things, until it's time to fit her back into the bike. Sitting idle is bad for battery life.

As for "misting the cylinder", my assumption is they sprayed something like very thin 2-stroke oil or WD40 through the plug port to oil up the cylinder walls, in order to avoid the piston rings from sticking. Another easy DIY job.

I stored my old MGB 5 years with a can of WD 40 and a foot pump to keep the tires inflated.
After 5 years the brake calipers were seized, put the engine turned !!!
Wink

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arteacher Serious Thumper Offline Ride as if your naked and invisable! Posts: 2581 London ontario Gender:	Re: No more dealer storage! Reply #2 - 03/11/12 at 09:21:37 No garage at all. I know they don't take the plug out- too much work. I assume they spray something in the intake, but I don't know what it is.
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Finney138

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Re: No more dealer storage!
Reply #3 - 03/11/12 at 11:36:40

some people call it fogging, you get the bike running and rev it up a bit and spray a "fogging oil" in the carb holding in the nozzle in for as many seconds as it says on the can, it smokes like a bassturd. its just a lubrication that is better suited to sitting for long periods of time in the winter. helps with any gas that might be sitting in your carb too i think. deffinately something you could do yourself.

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Trippah Serious Thumper Offline I ride, therefore I am. Posts: 2517 central Mass Gender:	Re: No more dealer storage! Reply #4 - 03/12/12 at 11:20:55 You got the MGB with brakes!!!!! I had two, no brakes to mention but thankfully it took all the way thru overdrive to get moving. Drive well. Both of mine were the faster red MGB,s.
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: No more dealer storage!
Reply #5 - 03/12/12 at 16:15:20

Finney138 wrote on 03/11/12 at 11:36:40:

some people call it fogging, you get the bike running and rev it up a bit and spray a "fogging oil" in the carb holding in the nozzle in for as many seconds as it says on the can, it smokes like a bassturd. its just a lubrication that is better suited to sitting for long periods of time in the winter. helps with any gas that might be sitting in your carb too i think. deffinately something you could do yourself.

Hooooo Geeeze, now I guess we are in for another foggin oil war...

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greenmonster Senior Member Offline Hellooooo Nurse! Posts: 420 Vancouver BC Gender:	Re: No more dealer storage! Reply #6 - 03/12/12 at 16:38:49 ...and like every other oil war everyone will just blow smoke.
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Routy

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Re: No more dealer storage!
Reply #7 - 03/12/12 at 17:09:21

IMO,...........and I been around for a while,.....and have lots a small engines,.....including my s-40 that set all winter....3-4 months,......I believe all that you mentioned that they do is unnecessary, except maybe for the battery. And even the battery,.....if it is full charged when stored, and if has no parasitic loads on it, or disconnected, It will loose some charge, but it will not ruin it. But a battery that stays fully charged at float voltage, will usually last longer than one that isn't.
Your 5 year old battery was living on borrowed time anyway.
At any rate, all my engines start right up in the spring,....w/ maybe a little charging and priming,.........no fogging, no stabilizes, no nothin.
And yep, I'm the one that pulled the bowl off my s-40, for the sole purpose of seeing all the crud left from E-10 and not using any fuel stabillizer while setting 3-4 month every winter. Only problem was,.......there wasn't any,.....it was spotlessly clean,.....except for some grit in the bottom that wouldn't have been there had I added a fuel filter sooner.
The monthly storage seems fair. Next time, charge the battery just before taking it to them, and tell them to not touch it, just store it.

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Rich
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Re: No more dealer storage!
Reply #8 - 03/12/12 at 19:35:09

Clean and dry... In my opinion any bike battery lasting more than four seasons is a miracle, and should be cased in gold an put upon a mantle...

Winter storage (Three - four months) in a clean, dry place should not require a cylinder fog. Just a fresh oil change, a dose of stabil, full tank, battery water level check/maintainer and a run up to temp... When you pull it out, check tire pressures, clean her up and ride..

Fogging a cylinder, nothing more than a couple squirts of good Marvel down the spark plug hole, turn her over a couple times, and put the plug back in her.. I only fog in cases of a bike going in longterm storage, six months or longer, and sometimes in damp locations...

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arteacher

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Re: No more dealer storage!
Reply #9 - 03/12/12 at 20:06:50

Thanks guys- I think next year I'll just yank the battery, put it on a battery minder, put the bike on a stand, and cover it up real well. The gas shouldn't go bad in three months, and I don't think the cylinder wall will rust either.
Hell, my Enfield was stored outside for 17 years, and after cleaning the sludge out of the tank, installing new plugs, and squirting a little WD40 in the plug hole, it started right up. Well, it did take a few kicks. Roll Eyes

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white '07, Raask exh, Corbin seat, slipstreamer shie, Raptor, Routy's fwd controls, Baron tach, Frisco bars, Isogrips, Headlight and taillight modulators, Dial-a- jet, AME 9 deg chop kit, K&N air flt

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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: No more dealer storage! Reply #10 - 03/12/12 at 21:18:40 I'd use a fuel stabilizer and run it at least a few minutes before shutting it down completely.
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Retread Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 370	Re: No more dealer storage! Reply #11 - 03/12/12 at 21:42:50 You don't have to yank the battery, just get a permanent plug in for the maintainer, hook it up to your battery posts and route it to the outside.. Although you should check electrolite level if not a gell...
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Routy

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Re: No more dealer storage!
Reply #12 - 03/12/12 at 21:50:05

Fogging (sometimes called pickling) is usually done by drowning out an engine w/ your choice of oil, or oil supplement,.....it doesn't really matter what you use,.....thin motor oil works just fine,..... Marvel Mystery Oil is common.
You just hold the engine at a fast idle, and pour or spray it in the intake fast enough to kill it. This fogs everything, including the top end...... valves etc.

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Rich
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Re: No more dealer storage!
Reply #13 - 03/12/12 at 21:57:28

Routy wrote on 03/12/12 at 21:50:05:

Fogging (sometimes called pickling) is usually done by drowning out an engine w/ your choice of oil, or oil supplement,.....it doesn't really matter what you use,.....thin motor oil works just fine,..... Marvel Mystery Oil is common.
You just hold the engine at a fast idle, and pour or spray it in the intake fast enough to kill it. This fogs everything, including the top end...... valves etc.

I have seen this done before, although you take the chance of hydraulic lock, saw a guy bust a rod on an old Beezer once doing this...

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Borracho Full Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 132 Albuquerque, NM Gender:	Re: No more dealer storage! Reply #14 - 03/12/12 at 23:09:16 Curious about the winterizing, as I have always lived in Phoenix. One time it got so cold here, I almost had to think about wearing a coat. Wouldn't it be simpler to just start it up for a couple minutes every week or two? I ask because I am planning to move to a much colder climate later this year...
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