How to store a quad you won't be using too often

Hi All,

I still haven't pulled the trigger on a quad purchase. Was debating getting one or an old truck and decided the quad would be more fun (doubles as a trail rider with kids).

But...the catch is my land is 2hrs away from where I live and I don't get there too often. There's a house that I rent out on the land and I can put the quad under a lean-to shed. But other than that, I'm just wondering what you would do to store a quad that you won't use that often (like twice a month in spring and fall and 3-4 times during summer). I'm thinking cover it, remove the battery...what else?

Thanks for any advice.

 

Mice can do a lot of damage to wiring and air filter , moth balls under the seat might help.

 

Get a battery tender. I use this one, works great...Amazon.com: Battery Tender Plus 021-0128, 1.25 Amp Battery Charger is a Smart Charger, it will Fully Charge and Maintain a Battery at Proper Storage Voltage without the Damaging Effects Caused by Trickle Chargers: Automotive I leave my battery on my bike all winter with it plugged into the Tender. After another look, I see power may not be available. In that case I'd pull the battery and take with you. Get a maintainer for it at home. This would also act as a small theft deterrent as well. Don't forget the battery when you go back!!

When you are done using the quad, turn of the gas valve and let the bike run until it dies to get all the fuel out of the carburetor. Use a fuel additive for storage and or find some gasoline that doesn't have corn in it.

Mothballs as mentioned or a box of Dcon under or near the bike are good ideas. You may even want to "plug" your air intake to the airbox and transmission (if CVT) with steel wool. That will keep the mice from building in the airbox or trans housing. I've no good solution to keep the rodents out of the wiring. I rely on the Dcon.

 

Build or have someone build a mini barn type shed.
Mice will chew your wires, thieves will be thieves, etc. Plus you'll have a place for other tools to be secured.

 

Thanks for the quick responses.

1) I have that battery tender already for my motorcycle. It works pretty well. Good idea
2) Didn't think about the mothballs, or the steel wool, etc...good point
3) Building a shed...well there is one already that I can use. It's just further away from the house, no power for plugging in a tender. Will keep out the thieves...but mice will get in anywhere.

This is really an impractical purchase because I don't get out there too much. But when I do, I want to do more woodlot management stuff. Cutting undesirable trees to make room for nicer ones, hauling logs etc. The truck was supposed to be the solution as I could park it somwehere else. But the quad can be cheaper and a bit more fun with the kids (plus can go deeper into the woods).

 

if you wont have power where you keep it, either pull the battery and maintain it at home, or look into buying an Odyssey motorcycle battery. The battery has a two year shelf life, so if theres no draw, leave it connected. Worst case, just disconnect the neg cable off it and then reconnect when you need it.

 

It may well worth the cost of a cheap trailer and haul it back and forth. Otherwise, lots of good advice above. I have an ATV that isn't used much at all (700 miles in 13 years) but I am able to start it a couple of times a month and drive it at least once a month for 10 or 20 minutes.

 

Oh, you need to sell it to me then!

 

If you want to run a battery tender a small solar panel mounted on the wall of the shed will do so...or you can get solar powered tenders too.
As others have said, run E free fuel if you can, or at least run fuel treatment in it. If the bike has a metal fuel tank, always park it with the tank clear full, it will keep the tank from rusting and the fuel will stay "good" a little longer too. Shutting the fuel off and running the bike until it quits is a good idea...even better would be to open the carb drain as there is always a bit of fuel left in the bottom once the engine stalls.
Some people seem to have problems with mice chewing wires and some don't...mice chewing air filters and building a nest in the airbox and/or cooling shrouds is VERY common though. I pulled at least 5# of dog food out of a Kawasaki Bayou one time.

 

I agree. I use harbor freight solar battery tenders. They have like a 10 ft cord so you can move the paneL but there is no need for direct light .

Mice can ruin one.
I would not leAve a new ATV at a remote location in a lean to. Theft!!! If you do get a cheap like $20 cover to toss over it to keep sun and dust off of it.
I do agree on the trailer idea. I'd want my ATV with me.
With fuel injection now a days if it is injected you don't have to worry about fuel sitting in the carb for months. But definitely use seafoam and a stabil, I kow seafoam is a fuel stabilizer as well. And use ethonol free fuel.

 

Great advice guys...unfortunately, it mostly dissuades me from getting the ATV.

Right now, there is no practical way to haul the quad back and forth. I live in Toronto, and space is tight in my garage already. Fitting the quad in there is do-able, but the trailer...not so much.

So my choice is either get one and find a way to protect it as much as possible. The theft, I'm not as worried. There are people in the house nearby. And I guess I could store it in the shed that's further from the house where it will be covered and locked up. The mice...hmm, that'll be tougher.

Also, I'm looking at a used quad (posted about this a while back). I won't invest in a shiny new toy until I live in the country full time. That's a long way away (like 10 years). In the meantime, it would be great to have something like a quad to get going on thinning trees, and moving wood. There's a stand of poplar I can't stop thinking about. Lots of thin, bendy ones that are shading out some new growth beech (I love beech trees).

One more thing...I would look to store the quad in a heated/secure place over winter. It would only be spring/summer that I'd be storing it at the farm. Does that make a difference in terms of mice problems? They might be out in the fields mostly.

If anyone's interested, this is the one I'm looking at right now:
Yamaha Kodiak ATV | ATVs | Norfolk County | Kijiji
(that's in Canadian dollars, btw)

 

You can deal with mice. When you get there get it out. Put out moth balls all around the shed edges. May help, I have no idea. If you have no cats or small children or dogs, load up the edge of the shed with rat poison traps or bags etc and put some live traps out.

Theft in this area is bad from occupied houses with neighbors out there it could be different. And I live in a rural area.

Have you looked at the harbor freight or similar budget (northern tool I think has them) folding trailers. You can stand them up along your garage wall. There 4x8 and you can put the ATV up on it easily.

 

Thanks Clemson. Folding trailer is a good idea. But still, my garage space is pretty tight. It's less than 25' wide, with a SUV, my motorcycle and shelving, it's pretty tight. Plus my wife wants to get a ping pong table in there.

 

My friend had mice to build in the air intake box on his quads. If there is not a screen on the air intake, stuff plastic bags to keep the mice out. If the seats are removal, remove them and store in mice proof box. Or maybe try to mice proof the shed; if a mouse can get its head through a hole, the body will follow. If you think the tyres might go flat; put blocks under so that the weight of the quad will be on the blocks and not squash the tyres causing damage. These are the things that we do when we are not going to be there and riding.

 

I would not let the worry about mice keeping you from enjoying owning a quad; just some prevention is needed; mostly them wanting to build nests in places like under the seat or air box etc. I have found mice nests in my wood stacks because of the criss-cross stacking creates more spaces.

 

Fair warning.
Thats the roughest riding machine built. Very dependable though!
If you can find a Grizzly 450 (independent rear suspension) go that route if your set on a Yamaha

 

I'm not set on Yamaha. But it seems like a good price.

What is roughest riding? Bad suspension?