How bad would it be for a motercycle to just let it sit for a year?

[El Cabron]

How bad would it be for a motercycle to just let it sit for a year?  I have been told this will destroy the bike. Any truth to this?

[Viceroy]

How bad would it be for a motercycle to just let it sit for a year?  I have been told this will destroy the bike. Any truth to this?

No, zero truth.  Motorcycles last many many many years.  It is not uncommon for a "used" motorcycle to sit at a dealership for many years.  Even a new bike can sit a year or more in the showroom.

Did you really just ask this question?  Is this actually you or have you been hacked?

Letting gasoline sit in any carburetor for one year can gum up the carburetor and fuel filter and the tires may need to be replaced.  After a long long time the seals in the shocks will need to be replaced.  But everything else will be just fine.

[wachtwoord]

I know that if you leave a car for a year it can be difficult to start.

[KWH]

Ethanol is a killer on fuel systems IME. Purchase a product like Seafoam and use as directed. http://www.autobarn.net/sea-foam-engine-treatment.html?site=google_base&gclid=CJa7zMShvrgCFabm7AodsnIALA
I let a bike sit for a year and it wouldn't start. Took to my mechanic and this is the advice he gave me. The carbs were cleaned and the bike ran perfectly after that.

[Viceroy]

oh, and the battery.

bikes are simple machines.  

Gasoline engine requires spark and fuel.  Fuel goes bad in 6 weeks.  

The rest is just a bicycle with springs.

Worst case you replace the fuel filter ($2) and you clean out the carb ($5) or you rebuild the carb ($50).

If you want a bike start with a 4 stroke <250cc  for street use or a 4 stroke <80cc for dirt only use.

the problem with a bike is the power to weight ratio is dangerous.  A little 2 stroke can jump 20 feet in the air and kill you, so get a 4 stroke until you know what you are doing.  (4 is less torque than 2).

[manfred]

• Remove Battery
• Fill tank up to prevent condensation (not overfill)
• Shut off the fuel petcock and drain the carburettors and the fuel lines.
• Try to keep tires of ground (flat spot, if not inflated)
• Exhaust rust fast, may plug holes with plastic bag to prevent moister getting in
• Lube the cylinder(s) if stored a very long time (remove spark plug put spoon full of oil in and crank over)
• Keep out of sun and rain

[cp1]

It's better than riding it for a year.  How could it be worse?  The worst thing is to start it once a month "just to keep it oiled" or some nonsense.  Just remember it's a machine.

[shawshankinmate37927]

• Remove Battery
• Fill tank up to prevent condensation (not overfill)
• Shut off the fuel petcock and drain the carburettors and the fuel lines.
• Try to keep tires of ground (flat spot, if not inflated)
• Exhaust rust fast, may plug holes with plastic bag to prevent moister getting in
• Lube the cylinder(s) if stored a very long time (remove spark plug put spoon full of oil in and crank over)
• Keep out of sun and rain

I once made the mistake of keeping a motorcycle stored for a year with no fuel in the tank.  The inside of the tank rusted out on me and it had to be replaced.

[Flying Hellfish]

Manfred has it laid out nicely for you.

Couple of additional little things.  I advise adding some fuel stabilizer to the tank.  Here in Canada unleaded fuel has a shelf life of around 3 months.  Adding stabilizer will bring the shelf life up to around a year if you buy a good brand (check the label their not all the same).  Second is the battery, as mentioned it should be disconnected and if it sits for 6 months or more it should be recharged.  You can either do it yourself a couple of times over the year or you can get a battery charger.  A trickle charger will work fine (just degrades battery life slightly) or a charger that checks the voltage and only charges when it reaches a certain low threshold, then shuts off when fully charged waiting for the next low threshold to start charging again.  Lastly I guess depending on your area, concrete/asphalt offer a better place to sit on than say grass (least amount of radiant humidity from concrete/asphalt).  It's actually probably not a big issue for a year but longer term storage on more "humid" type surfaces lead to more rust in unwanted locations.

In almost all parts of Canada Bikers and boaters (and other seasonal motor heads) "winterize" their toys annually.  My boat sits for sometimes 8 months of the year (yup I'm an idiot because I used to pay for it for 12 months a year only to use it 4 LOL!!!).  I've also had bikes before that I missed entire riding season just because time got away from me and before I knew it, it was time to store again!!

In any case you should never be afraid to store a bike, just do it right and she will treat nice in return when you are ready to ride again!

[raze]

It's better than riding it for a year.  How could it be worse?  The worst thing is to start it once a month "just to keep it oiled" or some nonsense.  Just remember it's a machine.

Why is it bad to start an engine every now and then? I generally try and start my car at least once a fortnight, and sometimes take it for a bit of a drive.

[cp1]

When you let the engine sit for a while the oil drains from all the crevices.  So when you start the engine it's not lubricated well for the first couple minutes while the oil gets pumped back in.  (I'm not sure how it works with a 2-stroke, I assume it's the same with the mix).

[raze]

When you let the engine sit for a while the oil drains from all the crevices.  So when you start the engine it's not lubricated well for the first couple minutes while the oil gets pumped back in.  (I'm not sure how it works with a 2-stroke, I assume it's the same with the mix).

That makes sense. However, I remember hearing somewhere that engines can seize up after a while if they don't get started.