Bike Vac bags

[RGP750]

Anyone on hear use bike vac bags for winter storage?
Thoughts please.

[Bodd]

My mate stores his Suzuki GT750 in one of these over winter, supposedly guaranteed to keep dust and moisture out but they also sold him some absorbent packs for an extra £15, I can't see why he would need them or why they would need to sell them if the bag is that good, he reckons they work but his bike is in an integral garage and has never seen any moisture apart from when he cleans it.

[Trigger]

Vac bags if not used right will do more damage than good. They will seal any moisture in. All the bikes at storeacar that are in these bags are connected to machines that suck any moist air out and is kept a controlled temperature. As James will tell you, too dry and the foam and rubber gets damaged. Too moist and you get rust.   

[mick]

I just keep ridin mine  till they start grittin 

[Seamus]

Used them a good few times with success. They work well, but a few precautions should be taken. Put the bike in when the air is dry, (cold clear day would be good as not much moisture would be in the air) Then connect vacuum cleaner and suck most of the air out, seal with cable ties.
I have passed an Optimate lead into the bag as well to keep a battery going.
Bike always came out nice and clean. (Assuming you cleaned it before hand  ). Not rocket science and as the bike is not going to be in there too long, there should be no problems. Generally put a bit of carpet under the wheels and some wood under the stand to avoid punctures. Also tend to use a bike cover over the machine, but probably not necessary.

[RGP750]

Thanks Guys
Decision time

[Trigger]

OR just put it in your house and let the wife dust it all winter.

[Lobo]

Seamus... take care with that lovely bike of yours!

I'm no intellectual, but charging the battery 'in the bag' sounds like a potential bomb. And moreso when there's likely a bit of petrol slopping about in the tank....
A small spark - for whatever reason - is all you'll need.

Batteries should always be well ventilated when charging: surely better to remove it from the bike to the bench where you can maintain the electrolyte level, charge, keep an eye etc?

Shamelessly copied from the Internet...
(But yup, I do like the idea of the bag!)

"When charging the typical lead acid battery a portion of the charging current, that which is in excess of that required to maintain 100% state of charge, will electrolyze water in the electrolyte thus generating free oxygen and hydrogen gas to be vented from the battery. Naturally, the venting of hydrogen is of concern since a 4% mixture of hydrogen in air is an explosive mixture when ignited. For this reason it is recommended that no more than a 2% level be allowed to accumulate."

[RGP750]

I plan to take the pipes off and do an internal oil wash, (i know it'll look like a 2 stroke in the Spring for a while )
and keep them at work, she wont let me keep them in the house let alone the whole bike,I see no problem with that(they just don't understand do they)
 I planned to take the battery off and drain the tank/carbs.
Rich

[Trigger]

I built a CB750 engine for someone that had the bike from new. He stores his pipes by removing them, putting bungs in and fills them with diesel. Sprays them in WD40 before covering them in clingfilm. He was saying that the first time he did this he had forgot to bung up the drain hole in the bottom .
If you drain your tank you may get flash rust on the inside. I have always told to keep the tank full. I do have a couple of kawasaki nos tanks in storage which i them filled with diesel.

[Seamus]

No worries about the battery. Would use the optimate for an occasional overnight stint (to top off the battery), then disconnect to use on something else.  Take what you are saying though.

The optimate charger is the type that does not gas the battery and is the one recommended by Vac-Bag for this type of application.

Not a normal thing these days as I have more than one bike to store, so optimate use is greater.

For info, I could get a Z1000 and a Norton Commando in one of the jumbo bags at the same time. I did have to remove the indicators though, so there is pleanty of room in them.

[RGP750]

Great Thanks Guys

[Bodd]

OR just put it in your house and let the wife dust it all winter.

Good plan !

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