Need some advice---storing bikes in a wet/hostile environment

[tomahawk1976]

Unfortunately I have no choice but to store my bikes in a garage that leaks from both the roof and the bottom of the back wall. It's driving me out of my fucking mind! If my bikes aren't getting dripped on, they are covered in condensation or "dew"
Unsure if covering them would just keep the moisture against the bikes or what. The garage is getting gutters, a new roof and sealed this summer---but that doesn't really help me much right now. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I try to take very good care of my bikes but I get poor as hell in the winter, so beggars can't be choosers

[farmall]

Layers of blankets/sheets next to the motorcycles covered by tarps with no holes and lots of spray metal protectant.

Got space for a shipping container? I'd sell something and get one. If your motorcycles are why you lack money I'd coldly evaluate my priorities. You can always buy more toys if you sell one or two to fund storage/work space. A box trailer is an alternate option.

[oscarmeyer]

Start with a Harbor freight tarp for the roof my.02

[BuddhahoodVato]

Start with a Harbor freight tarp for the roof my.02

Exactly, a few months storage is not going to harm the shine, it's a scoot........

[Down]

I store my bikes uncovered in a similar setting, they're fine with it.

[Tattooo]

I store my bikes uncovered in a similar setting, they're fine with it.

My bikes are worth way to much for that.... Parts rust and pit way to easy when stored improperly.....

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

Theres a LOT of scenarios, Mostly it depends on WHERE you live. In some places its really dry air year round, but here in the Pacific NW this time of year, the air is VERY moist. In my main workshop its very open and drafty and anything metal thats sitting in the open will form a layer of moisture on it. I try to cover stuff with plastic and under that a sheet or cloth blanket. In my garage its wooden exterior, Insulated and sheetrocked inside. If I keep it closed up everything generally is fine. But if the garage door is open a lot, then again, the air is so moist a layer of dew forms on anything metal. Right now Im doing some outside work and running a chain saw and tractor so in & out of the garage a lot so stuffs getting wet.

I have a 48 ft semi box van trailer and 2 40 ft shipping containers. The shipping containers if kept closed up have vents on the roof and dont seem to dew up or get much moisture. Thats because the vents keep the temps stable. In a metal container with OUT the vents, As the outside temp lowers and frost and moisture form on the roof it would literally start raining inside the container. So if you dont want the vents, You gotta insulate the hell out of it. (Cheapest is sheet styrofoam and barrier paper on the insides). Now, my trailer. I have coated it with multiple layers of Snow roof and thats really helped. But it still forms dew and drips during high humidity. So I bought sheet styrofoam and insulated the inside and lined the walls with thin hardy board.

My old shop was an all metal building and same deal. The warm air inside the shop would rise and the cold air outside, especially when there was frost would cause water to drip like crazy inside almost like a rain storm. Same deal, This was batts of insulation between the beams and then barrier paper. Worked well.

If your garage is leaking. See about tarping, Or if you can see if you can put down a layer of tar paper and rolled roofing to get thru the winter. I did that before I reroofed my place. I was cash poor and needed time to raise the money. If your garage can be sealed up a bit. then a Dehumidifier can really help. My buddy has some in his shop and the damn thing over flows its sucking so much moisture out of the air he has to empty them 2x a day.

Heres another option, Theres places selling these, and you can just pay too much if its easier. But do some reasearch and find super large heavy duty plastic bags. Roll the bike INSIDE the bag with a sheet over it. Toss in DriZAir containers or industrial silica bags as they absorb moisture. Then bunch up the end, Take your shop vac and suck out the air and then tie off the end or clamp it really good. DriZAir is a commercial drier and they sell them for RV storage and vehicle storage.

See: http://www.drizair.com/faqs.html

How does Dri-Z-Air remove excess moisture from the air?
Dri-Z-Air crystals absorb moisture from the air. Excess moisture can cause mold and mildew to form. Using Dri-Z-Air will keep this from happening. It’s simple!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, this also works for houses that get damp. At our cabin, Its a converted RV and a RickRoof and a deck built around it. Its got a propane furnace and water forms on the windows, window frames and doors when we are running the heat/furnace. So, we run a dehumididier inside the cabin, But when we are gone. We have a DriZair canister in the bedroom to keep the bedding, and our clothes from getting mouldy. It wont work in a garage except in a sealed room,, But in the cabin it works well. (We dont run the heat when we are gone)

Over the Mtn where some of our family lives is the central Oregon desert. They dont have those problems. In fact, In winter it gets VERY dry. So its very much where you live. My buddy from upper Michigan says the humidity and moisture is way worse than here in my part of Oregon.

[47str8leg]

How about a full detailing followed a tarp over the top or even better , can you fit one of those quick pop up canopies over it ?
Waxes and polishes exist to shine and protect the metal or paint underneath. By detailing I mean a REAL detailing. Mine usually take about 6-8 hrs over a couple of days . My old dressers took me 12. First you wash and dry. Then make sure you get a cheap pack of soft toothbrushes and q-tips from the dollar store. For aluminum and metal polishing I use "Never Dull" for the heavy corrosion removal followed by "Mothers" for final polishing. For chrome and paint pick whatever you have handy or prefer.
Toothbrushes help get where hands can't easier. Same with the occasional q-tip. It takes a long time to actually go over every single part of an motorcycle. Not just a quick paint wax and chrome polish.
The end result is amazing .I try to do this 2X a year for my bikes.
It will protect it over the winter in that environment.

[Tattooo]

In my shop that doesn't have AC or heat I keep a fan running 24/7 365.... It keeps the moisture off of everything even when it's foggy....

[Davestune]

i oil my bikes down, my shed is a dew machine, it sucks
what can I do, how do I get moisture out?
hijacked............

[Tattooo]

i oil my bikes down, my shed is a dew machine, it sucks
what can I do, how do I get moisture out?
hijacked............

You need to move South and build a new DRY shop with heat and AC.........

[farmall]

how do I get moisture out?
hijacked............

If you can seal the shed (unlikely since it's a shed) run a dehumidifier.

If you can't seal the shed, get a 40' High Cube shipping container and run a dehumidifier inside. You want a "one trip" container with all the end door gaskets in good shape. Get one with doors on both ends and you can ride through it as I do mine. Mine was $5500 delivered which isn't bad at all for what they do. Containers aren't vulnerable to embers on the roof if you have a forest fire since the shell is steel, and you can haul it off using a Landoll trailer if you move.

[bobberadam]

Throw a few dessiccant bags under whatever you cover/seal your bikes with, this should help.

https://www.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-Silica-Desiccant-Prevent-Corrosion/dp/B07K6Q4V2W

[Down]

My bikes are worth way to much for that.... Parts rust and pit way to easy when stored improperly.....

Yeah, I understand you. My bikes aren't worth shit. Ironhead and Evo Sportsters. Rusty and crusty to begin with.

The fan idea is actually something I'm gonna steal. Now everything's frozen solid so it's good.

[Tattooo]

The fan idea is actually something I'm gonna steal. Now everything's frozen solid so it's good.

My fans are running right now... Well so is my heat in the other shop...... Even in the winter fans are a GREAT idea.....