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Storing the Bike... Weird Problem...

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Easy Flyer

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Howdy,

For years I have always stored my bikes in our Barn/Garage, things have been good. Last summer we got too much junk and storing the bike in there for the winter would mean its a bit in the way and I would like to have the bike un-disturbed for the winter.

I have a nice 6x10 trailer, and I figured it would be the perfect winter storage place. Its on wheels, ie off the ground, its in good shape, I have a nice ramp for motorcycles etc. The trailer is made of a wood/fiberglass sandwich type materials (fiberglass on the outside, wood layer inside) Aluminium and wood roof, wood floor, metal frame.

Earlier this year I installed 4 side vents into the trailer, 2 high by the roof, 2 low by the floor for good ventilation.

I put the Bandit into the trailer for storage.

One week later, I checked on the bike, and to my surprise, the bike was SOAKED! the trailer is dry inside, only water visible was on the bike and what was dripping off the bike. The fuel tank and engine were covered in large water drops... looked like heavy condensation.

There are no roof leaks etc....

I was puzzled....
Started up the bike, it ran fine.. .warmed it up... got it nice and HOT, all moisture was gone....

Waited for the bike to cool, put a cover on it, and closed the trailer....

Checked this weekend...
The bike is wet again...
The trailer is dry, the cover is dry on the outside...
Under the cover, the bike & cover are wet....

I again ran the bike, got it hot and dry, then waited for it to cool off.

I closed off all the vents, put the cover back on the bike and am trying it one more time... If its wet again, the bike is going in the Barn, I'll just have to re-arrange everything to make a nice nook for it.

Has anyone ran into this problem with sheds/trailers?
I have never stored anything inside a trailer, but I was expecting it all to stay dry.

Any ideas, input are welcome...

Regards,

EF
 
I've had that problem with covering a bike up with the incorrect type of tarp. The cheap plastic one I had even had vents. Condensation from the temperature differences of metal/fluid and ambient air under and surrounding a cover are notorious paths of rust and corrosion.
 
Hmm...

First time around the bike was in the trailer, with no cover at all, that is when it was really soaked.

Second time around I put on the bike cover that came with the bike, its an actual motorcycle cover, barely fits on the bandit so its nicely stretched etc.. It does seem like a cheap cover, but its all I have...

This condensation thing has me worried.. no way I'm going to let moisture ruin this bike for me... I barely got to enjoy it last season, I'm hoping to run it for a long time.

The only thing I can think of, is maybe the vents were working against me, and letting in moist evening air, and its condensing on the only metal object inside.

I covered the vents, will check on it again and see what is up.

The more I think about it, the more I think I'm going to put the bike in the barn.

A better motorcycle cover is a good idea too....
Who makes a good cover?

EF
 
You probably won't have much luck stopping the condensation as it is in a small closed container with no insulation. With the largely non-metal construction of the trailer the water will condense on the nearest metal - the bike. In a barn or garage there is much more air around, the temps are higher, so condensation is less likely, and the metal on the bike itself is not such a focus for the moisture to condense on.

If you can park the trailer somewhere warmer it may help but you'd be better moving some of the stuff from the garage to the trailer and putting the bike in the garage.
 
your problem is that the cool temp in the evening lowers the bike's surface temp, and when the sun hits the trailer, it warms the ambient temp inside much faster than the temp of the bike, so you get the condensation on the bike. you won't see any on the interior metal parts of the trailer due to the heat transfer from the outside of the box.
 
Maybe try running a small electric fan inside to keep the air circulating, which might keep the condensation from forming along with plugging up the vents, and this would work the same way farmers use big fans to circulate the air in their orchards to keep frost from forming on their trees.
 
Just thinking about this and wondering if a small light bulb left on at all times would put enough heat in your trailer to prevent moisture buildup. Kinda like I do for my welding rods. I know I have a totally metal shop , floor included , about 12 x 20 x 8 and all my tools use to be damp untill I started leaving a little light and fan on in there especially in the winter.
 
+1 on leaving a fan blowing. I have the same problem here along the coast during the winter months. Fan has resolved that problem.
 
Thank you guys/gals for all the suggestions.

The Fan + Light idea may work, I will have to give it a try. A dehumidifier may be an idea as well, but I'm not sure just how much ventilation the trailer has naturally (ie how well the doors seal)

The trailer does not have any power going to it, but I could run a line to it, I was thinking of doing this anyway to keep a battery tender on the bike.

When I get home I'll see what I can do (away at work right now)

EF
 
solar ventilator?

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Round-Solar-Boats-Sheds-house/dp/B001C8B8D2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_1"]Amazon.com: Round Solar Roof Vent for RVs, Boats, Sheds, Geen house, Cars: Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ijMWJnkML.@@AMEPARAM@@51ijMWJnkML[/ame]

or just a fan.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200422029_200422029
 
Easy Flyer said:
battery tender on the bike.

When I get home I'll see what I can do (away at work right now)

EF
Click to expand...

Very needed thing if the bike is going to be sitting up. Heck , down here in South Louisiana I rotate two Battery Tenders between Da Boat, Da Lawnmower and two Bikes. Cold is tuff on batteries. At least this boat has one battery as my last one for last winter had 3. I downsized. LOL!
 
In oz we find it hard to believe you carnt ride all year round .:rider:
Storage for a bike , unheard of .:eek2:
I better reavalueate how good ive got it to be able to ride all year .:sun:
 
If you have access to electricity for the trailer, consider using a Goldenrod, the dehumudifier used in gunsafes. It is a metal rod that is warm to the touch but does a great job keeping humidity at bay. They come in different lengths, and a 36 inch is rated for 500 cubic feet (around 45 -50 dollars at Amazon). The Goldenrod site even states that a small one can be slipped under a covered bike to keep the humidity down.
 
Thanks all for all the great ideas.

Today I checked on the bike, it was SOAKED again..

For now, as a quick solution, I have moved the bike back to the Barn/Garage (after idling it for about an hour, to get it warm/dry)

I will look into getting a powered roof vent (the solar type mentioned here seems like a good idea) and the dehumidifier is a good idea.

I have some time off around x-mas, will be a great time to mess around with the trailer and the bike (have a few farkles to install on the GSF, including a scottoiler)

I will be able to sleep better now knowing that the bike is dry :mrgreen:

Heh, I wish we had year-round riding here, but thats an impossibility in Canada, unless global warming gets a lot worse!

Thank you all again for the great input, it has definitely given me some avenues to pursue.

EF
 
Thinking about it some more...

The light-bulb + fan idea is good too....
Reading about the goldenrod, very nifty idea as well....

I will try em out in a little while..

EF
 
Easy Flyer said:
Thanks all for all the great ideas.

Today I checked on the bike, it was SOAKED again..

For now, as a quick solution, I have moved the bike back to the Barn/Garage (after idling it for about an hour, to get it warm/dry)

I will look into getting a powered roof vent (the solar type mentioned here seems like a good idea) and the dehumidifier is a good idea.

I have some time off around x-mas, will be a great time to mess around with the trailer and the bike (have a few farkles to install on the GSF, including a scottoiler)

I will be able to sleep better now knowing that the bike is dry :mrgreen:

Heh, I wish we had year-round riding here, but thats an impossibility in Canada, unless global warming gets a lot worse!

Thank you all again for the great input, it has definitely given me some avenues to pursue.

EF
Click to expand...

You could also buy a small electric heater with a built in fan, so maybe try one of those instead of a light and a fan. You could also experiment with putting it on a timer so it cycle on and off, but have it cycle long enough on to prevent the condensation from forming.
 
I have this problem also.
I tried the fan and light bulb and that did nothing, I found the only way to stop it was to put one of those small 20 dollar heaters under a bike cover, set it to a low temperature on the thermostat control.
The bike would still feel cool but it did not sweat.
That was a Big Dog with lots of bling, what a pain...
 
Well the easy answer is park it in the den and use it as a couch, lounge chair. The better solution buy a place in the temperate zone that lacks snow, ice and assorted removal equipment.
or put all that barn stuff in the trailer and park the bike in that space freed up.
 
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