One of the biggest headaches about going for vacations is caring for your bikes, especially when you are not taking it out with you. In this case it is one huge headache and also the biggest concerns as to what might happen to your bike while you are gone? It could get stolen, or crashed into, or broken, or eaten up by rats, the list is practically endless. So for all those friends of ours who are worried about their baby being home alone, here are some tips you can follow to make sure your 2 wheeled beauty stays nice and fresh even when you return back from your long vacation.
Preservation techniques for a short vacation (2-3 days)
These are generally weekend trips one takes with family so there is actually nothing to worry about. In a matter of a couple of days, the world is not going to eat up your bike. So it is really nothing to fret about. As for simple tricks, if you live in a non-gated society, it is generally better to leave the bike at a friend/family’s place who lives in a gated society with round the clock watch. If that option is unavailable, asking someone to just keep a lookout is generally good enough. Apart from that it is good idea to have a fuel lock on the bike so that crooks don’t make way with your tank juice. A simple parking cover to protect it from Mother Nature is pretty much all that would be needed.
Preservation techniques for a long vacation (2-3 weeks up to a month)
If you are going on a long trip within the country or abroad, the best plan generally is to lend your bike to a trusted friend or family member who you know will take good care of your bike or use it sanely. But if not, then just park your bike at some discreet corner of your building, cover it up for protection. Make sure the bike does not hold over 1/4th the tank of fuel else the fuel might simply evaporate over time. It won’t hurt really to chain it up to a pole or a tree for the added protection just in case. If you stay in areas with incessant rainfall, then it is a good idea to disconnect the battery else if any water happens to seep in, then there are chances of short circuits.
Another good idea would be to drain the engine oil and empty it completely if your bike is running on a mineral oil; else the oil would simply decompose and disintegrate over time. Make sure to seal all the cables and pipes so that there are no untoward leakages in case of any accidents that might happen.
Preservation techniques for a really long trip (up to a year and above)
This part is something that would interest a lot of young audiences we got who have to either move out of their hometown or the country for further studies or job opportunities and cannot take their bike with them. Most of them end up selling their bikes before leaving and shed loads of tears when that happens and we at BikesIndia hate broken hearts (check out the letter written by Rituraj for his bike). So for all those readers who do not want to sell their bikes and keep it static for over an year, simply follow all the tips mentioned in the above segments. Apart from that make sure to literally pack up your bike like it is ready to be moved, which means packing it in rugs and thermocol sheeting. Empty out your fuel tank completely to the last drop. Drain out all the other fluids as well like engine oil, brake oils, etc. cover up the chain properly to make sure no dirt and dust would settle on it.
For the security of the bike, chaining it up does help but if you have a gated society with round the clock security, that is an added plus. Make sure it is covered so that it is not affected by rains. Disconnect the battery, possibly simply remove it. If you are among those really paranoid ones, then get a cheap GPS tracking devices and have it ping your cell phone remotely every single day or every week of its location so that you can live in peace knowing that your bike is safe. Yes it is a lot of trouble, but all this has to be done if you wish to keep the beauty just like it when you return as it was the last time you left it.
One of the biggest concerns or worry in such scenarios are the tyres of the bikes which are one of the most important yet the most neglected. The tyres also tend to deteriorate with time, if you leave the tyres deflated you might end up saving the rim from moisture in the compressed air but you will loose the tyres, as the laden weight of your bike will lead your tyres develop cracks and eventually the tyres will be damaged.
The best thing to do here is to fill the tyres with recommended pressure, and if possible fill them with Nitrogen Gas. This way the air inside would have no chance to hold the moisture as well with them cause rusting of the wheels from the inside and also ruin the life of the tyres.
Always use center stand for parking your motorbike, as the rear tyre at least remain airborne and protected from the pressure exerted from the bike's weight itself. For further elevating the entire motorcycle from the ground you can use the wooden blocks, this way both the tyres will not be in contact with the ground thereby reducing the chances of deterioration caused by contact.
A special mention for all those who live in areas with extreme climatic conditions like extremely heavy rains, or severe cold or severe heat; make sure your bike stays protected through all this. The issue being these conditions might affect your bike a lot, especially the metal and rubber parts, the heavy rains might rust up the metal parts unless they are properly protected or made of non-rusting alloy materials. So a later of anti-rust won’t hurt. Also the rubber parts like hoses and pipes and lines are all really sensitive. In such cases just removing all those parts from the bike and packing them inside the house sounds like a much better idea to do. It takes a bit of work, but it is worth it at the end of the day.
So just follow all the mentioned tips and you can simply enjoy your much deserved vacation with complete relaxation and also you won’t have to sell your bike as well.
By: Pratik Patole
Preservation techniques for a short vacation (2-3 days)These are generally weekend trips one takes with family so there is actually nothing to worry about. In a matter of a couple of days, the world is not going to eat up your bike. So it is really nothing to fret about. As for simple tricks, if you live in a non-gated society, it is generally better to leave the bike at a friend/family’s place who lives in a gated society with round the clock watch. If that option is unavailable, asking someone to just keep a lookout is generally good enough. Apart from that it is good idea to have a fuel lock on the bike so that crooks don’t make way with your tank juice. A simple parking cover to protect it from Mother Nature is pretty much all that would be needed.
Preservation techniques for a long vacation (2-3 weeks up to a month)If you are going on a long trip within the country or abroad, the best plan generally is to lend your bike to a trusted friend or family member who you know will take good care of your bike or use it sanely. But if not, then just park your bike at some discreet corner of your building, cover it up for protection. Make sure the bike does not hold over 1/4th the tank of fuel else the fuel might simply evaporate over time. It won’t hurt really to chain it up to a pole or a tree for the added protection just in case. If you stay in areas with incessant rainfall, then it is a good idea to disconnect the battery else if any water happens to seep in, then there are chances of short circuits.
Another good idea would be to drain the engine oil and empty it completely if your bike is running on a mineral oil; else the oil would simply decompose and disintegrate over time. Make sure to seal all the cables and pipes so that there are no untoward leakages in case of any accidents that might happen.
Preservation techniques for a really long trip (up to a year and above)This part is something that would interest a lot of young audiences we got who have to either move out of their hometown or the country for further studies or job opportunities and cannot take their bike with them. Most of them end up selling their bikes before leaving and shed loads of tears when that happens and we at BikesIndia hate broken hearts (check out the letter written by Rituraj for his bike). So for all those readers who do not want to sell their bikes and keep it static for over an year, simply follow all the tips mentioned in the above segments. Apart from that make sure to literally pack up your bike like it is ready to be moved, which means packing it in rugs and thermocol sheeting. Empty out your fuel tank completely to the last drop. Drain out all the other fluids as well like engine oil, brake oils, etc. cover up the chain properly to make sure no dirt and dust would settle on it.
For the security of the bike, chaining it up does help but if you have a gated society with round the clock security, that is an added plus. Make sure it is covered so that it is not affected by rains. Disconnect the battery, possibly simply remove it. If you are among those really paranoid ones, then get a cheap GPS tracking devices and have it ping your cell phone remotely every single day or every week of its location so that you can live in peace knowing that your bike is safe. Yes it is a lot of trouble, but all this has to be done if you wish to keep the beauty just like it when you return as it was the last time you left it.
One of the biggest concerns or worry in such scenarios are the tyres of the bikes which are one of the most important yet the most neglected. The tyres also tend to deteriorate with time, if you leave the tyres deflated you might end up saving the rim from moisture in the compressed air but you will loose the tyres, as the laden weight of your bike will lead your tyres develop cracks and eventually the tyres will be damaged.
The best thing to do here is to fill the tyres with recommended pressure, and if possible fill them with Nitrogen Gas. This way the air inside would have no chance to hold the moisture as well with them cause rusting of the wheels from the inside and also ruin the life of the tyres.
Always use center stand for parking your motorbike, as the rear tyre at least remain airborne and protected from the pressure exerted from the bike's weight itself. For further elevating the entire motorcycle from the ground you can use the wooden blocks, this way both the tyres will not be in contact with the ground thereby reducing the chances of deterioration caused by contact.
A special mention for all those who live in areas with extreme climatic conditions like extremely heavy rains, or severe cold or severe heat; make sure your bike stays protected through all this. The issue being these conditions might affect your bike a lot, especially the metal and rubber parts, the heavy rains might rust up the metal parts unless they are properly protected or made of non-rusting alloy materials. So a later of anti-rust won’t hurt. Also the rubber parts like hoses and pipes and lines are all really sensitive. In such cases just removing all those parts from the bike and packing them inside the house sounds like a much better idea to do. It takes a bit of work, but it is worth it at the end of the day.
So just follow all the mentioned tips and you can simply enjoy your much deserved vacation with complete relaxation and also you won’t have to sell your bike as well.
By: Pratik Patole
