Motorcycle as art
Cliff Wilkes
motorcyle as a piece of art and not ride it? Nothing should be
irreversable and hopefully not too expensive. And it would be nice if
at some point years later it was fairly simple to get running.
I realize you need to remove the fluids but do you need to take special
care to be sure every last trace of potentially corrosive fluids like
brake fluid are is removed? How about the tires, inflated or not? And
if the battery has never had electrolyte do you still want to disconnect
it?
Thanks.
Cliff Wilkes
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<@>
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mjt
news:3C39F639...@moc.mbi.nitsua.austin.ibm.com...
> What special preparations should you make if you are going to use a
> motorcyle as a piece of art and not ride it? Nothing should be
could you expand? do you mean "art" as
in showing it or displaying it? are you
putting it in the living room? or do
you mean "stowing it away" for a while?
William G. Rich
"Cliff Wilkes" <cli...@moc.mbi.nitsua.austin.ibm.com> wrote in message
news:3C39F639...@moc.mbi.nitsua.austin.ibm.com...
> motorcyle as a piece of art and not ride it?
Er, put a Harley-Davidson logo on it?
Bill1100 - Dallas, TX
'00 R1100RT
john
roflmao!
mjt
news:5ws_7.111$ne2.69...@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Cliff Wilkes" <cli...@moc.mbi.nitsua.austin.ibm.com> wrote in message
> news:3C39F639...@moc.mbi.nitsua.austin.ibm.com...
> > What special preparations should you make if you are going to use a
> > motorcyle as a piece of art and not ride it?
>
> Er, put a Harley-Davidson logo on it?
i think the person said
"art", not "maladroitness"
Cliff Wilkes
Now that was funny!
To mjt who wanted some clarification. I'm interested in what you do if
you want to display it in your house. But your questions bring up the
question, what's the difference in preparations between displaying it in
your house and storing it in your garage for years?
Thanks.
Cliff Wilkes
Charles
> To mjt who wanted some clarification. I'm interested in what you do if
> you want to display it in your house.
ummmm, ummmm, RIDE 'em, don't HIDE 'em has always been my motto.
however, if you have really lost your mind, and decide to "decommission"
a bike, realize, once you drain its vital fluids, all the seals and
bushings will turn to crap, all the rubber bits will degrade, and over
time, it will turn into a major project if you EVER want to get it to
run again.
I really believe motorcycles, even wonderful artistic ones, should be
ridden, not displayed.
there are 2 schools of thought I know of. Permanent display, or
"still rideable" display.
A few years ago I saw the absolute coolest "still rideable" display.
it was out at Mr. Schwantz' ranch outside of Wimberley before he sold
it. In the "den" behind the couch, was an old sheet of cardboard, and
on a race stand was the 500 Suzuki he won the world GP on.
He said he still took it out every so often, so it had oil, but the gas
tank and carbs were drained.
just sitting behind the couch. on a sheet of cardboard.
I know people who have done this with "normal" street bikes as well,
drain all the gas, put the battery on a Battery Tender (tm) "smart
trickle charger", and have the bike on a bit of astroturf, or, in one
case, a varnished, laquered, tastefully built 1/2 sheet of 3/4 plywood.
These bikes are still "alive" and could be taken out and ridden. But,
you realize, oil, batteries, exhaust pipes, tires, these things SMELL.
The other end is the "artwork, never to be ridden again, KILL the poor
bike" option.
to do it right, you drain all the oil, all the gas, remove the battery,
pull any and all vital fluids out, seal or "kreem" the tank, let it
drain a LONG time to make sure there is no oil, wash it extremely
well, detail out every bit and piece. Make sure the muffler packing is
removed or de-carbonized (for smell)
then build a "display" case, I recomment a wooden floor, with some
fabricated stands to keep both the front and rear wheel off the ground
(so when the tires go flat, you do not notice) then a glass "box" or
display case to totally enclose the bike.
Once it is in the living room, it will collect dust on EVERY surfaceof
the bike, and wives hate dusting cylinder fins and spokes.
So you can admire the artwork, and know, out there, somewhere, is
someone who would love to be riding your new end table.
The other possible internal display would be like the triumph Tiger Cub
hanging over the pool table at the continental club. Just drop a chain
through the ceiling attached to a strong rafter, and hoist it up.
I think they drained the gas.
It is dusty, covered with cobwebs, but looks okay in a nightclub.
Out of curiosity, what is the bike?
Brian Holmes
I don't think brake fluid is corrosive, per se. However, it is
hydroscopic, (will absorb moisture out of the air) and the trace water is
corrosive to steel parts. If the battery is dry and has never, EVER been
filled, it is completely inert and doesn't need to be disconnected. The
tires should be inflated, but the bike needs to be blocked up so the tires
are not supporting the weight. Fuel tank, lines, and carbs completely
drained. Crankcase completely drained and refilled with fresh oil. (Used
motor oil contains combustion byproducts that pass the rings and becomes
acidic.) Rust preventive oil misted into gas tank and cylinders. You can
get the stuff from a marine/boat supply. I don't remember the brand, but
it's used for putting boats in storage. Even with careful and complete
preparation, all the rubber seals, hoses, diaphrams, o-rings, tires, etc.
will be exposed to UV and ozone, and will eventually rot.
Fred Doe
>
> To mjt who wanted some clarification. I'm interested in what you do if
> you want to display it in your house. But your questions bring up the
> question, what's the difference in preparations between displaying it in
> your house and storing it in your garage for years?
I always make sure my wife isn't home.
Cliff Wilkes
It'll be a 2002 Triumph Bonneville T100. Since I already have four
bikes to ride I figure I can "show" one.
Cliff Wilkes
--
<@>
"Watch for rattlesnakes under any bush in the shade in the summer,
and remember that a hot rattlesnake is a mad rattlesnake."
- Lewis O. Wilkes jr.
SageMan
That was an excellent comment!!!
SageMan
'01 VStar 1100
"William G. Rich" <bil...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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