Triumphrat

scottm

So I was just looking on a certain large auction site to see if there were any good deals, and noticed a T140 that looked relatively complete from the thumbnail.

The text of the lot indicated that had been "put in storage" in 2002 (if I recall correctly, I lost interest fast and just closed the browser tab it was in). The photos painted a picture of a bike that appeared to be mostly complete, but covered in rust. The front forks appeared to be so severely corroded that the oil would probably go right past the seals, and the description mentioned that too.

When I hear "put in storage", I either picture one of those services that will prep a bike and park it in their facility, or maybe renting a storage unit and putting the bike in that after prepping it. Maybe it's just me, but I would tend to think of abandoning a bike in the backyard with a tarp over it for several years to be "destroying" it, rather than "putting it in storage".

It's a shame that people do things like that to perfectly good bikes, which would maybe be a little faded, but probably stay in reasonably good shape if they were just left out in the elements. Tarps are evil!

Scott

Woody1911a1

put in storage = worn out blue tarp

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Sunshine Jim

the fantasy:

owner gently rolls motorcycle into a heated air conditioned vault in a special underground shock proof champer after having meticulously cleaned and oiled/waxed/preservative coated absolutely every particle of the external and internal machinery. Wheels suspended in the air by a special cradle and wrapped in grandma's contest winning flannel quilt.

the reality:

after the screaming engine grenade and crash episode the fork lift was easily lifed out of the puddle when it tilted over on the bike and the puddle eventually dried up that year (1974). the four muddy torn tarps kept the flooding fairly low the next 35 years, and the only storage damage came from Betty driving the Land cruiser over it when she was learning to drive stick shifts and the kids using it for slingshot practice.
Baby Julie put a few peaches in the gas tank a few years ago but those are easily cleaned out.

pookybear

That is easy,

I bought this bike and well never got to it doing anything so I
put it into storage. Would make a great long term project if
it could had for a steal though the prices for all the parts might
drive you into the poor house. And my poor house is doing fine
always room for more people.

Pookybear

GrandPaulZ

Totally subjective and runs the gamut.

I have multiple levels in my world:

1. Bikes I use regularly are parked in the closest garage bay with easy-to-operate garage door. Any one can be ridden by moving no more than one or two other bikes, and are legal, ready to ride, insured, etc.

2. Bikes I use once in a while are parked in the adjacent bay, packed tighter together, and covered with modern soft "breatheable" bike covers. occaisionally, they get a battery tender stuck on them if needed. These can be ridden with a minimum of prep, if anything; maybe a battery jump or air in one tire.

3. Bikes I use once or twice a year are parked closest to the doors of my back garage, and often need an hour's fiddling and fettling before I can do any riding. They are usually quite dusty, also.

4. Bikes I hardly ever ride are deeper in that same garage and usually need the carbs cleaned, battery swapped out, gas tank flushed, and other miscellaneous screwing-with before I can ride. They typically have a heavy layer of dust on them.

5. Nicer non-runners & rolling project bikes are stored under a shed roof out back.

6. Ratty basket cases are stored out in the weather, with a heavy plastic covering the engine.

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tnsen

not a tough question!!...I have 2 bikes, my 71 bonneville, wich I am currently riding (pix soon)..and my 96 t-bird...now in Michigan so the riding season is rather short, so when im not riding my bikes, they go into storage....tires up on wood...carbs drained...oil changed,..good cleaning, a good quality wax on chrome and paint, and i leave it on.battery pulled and put on the tender, i have 3 batteries (boat battrey included) so i just alternate batteries on the tender every week or so ,a cover put on..i makes start up in spring a bit less painful. if for some reason its a longer time between riding, i pull the plugs and a few squirts of wd40 in the cyl.........Tom

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its not leaking oil!!...its marking its spot!!!

panda

I will go with Sunshine jims second scenario...

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thekeyman

Lived in Alabama in 1976-80 worked as security guard on Union Camp paper mill by their forest. Drove our jeep back into the woods, stumbled on abandoned shack covered in cob webs and creeper, real Haloween stuff. Inside a Bultaco Pursang motocross racer, immaculate, surrounded by set of Snapon tools and other kit , all under a thin layer of dust. Never found out how or why, but never could ride it as it had 100 rev powerband , a light switch. Sold it a week later for $400, said it was "stored", well it was sort of, the buyer could not believe his luck, he was expecting a wreck like you said, so not all "storage" are disasters.

scottm

Ahh, so there was more to the story than met the eye, mostly that someone else had probably put it into storage under a blue tarp for most of the 80s?

My old bike was lucky, I think the wind carried the previous owner's blue tarp away, it was "in storage" for a good 9 years or so, but just being outside in the elements, it stayed in pretty good shape. I probably would've had trouble resisting buying it even if it had been under a tarp for all those years, and I would most likely be in the poorhouse by now had that been the case. Much as I get tempted to rescue poor rusty old things like that and nurse them back to health, I must resist. But good luck finding it a new home with someone who has enough cash to make her sparkle!

triumphtimes

It means you're not ridng the bike