So I'm down here in New Orleans, going to school at Tulane. I've got my bike here with me, and, well a hurricane is gonna hit us.
My question is, if it floods and the water gets to my air filter, am I screwed? I can't get the bike to higher ground unfortunately. What do I do?
Graham
Good question. Where are you storing the bike? Is it out in the open?
I would get it on top of a row of heavy cinder blocks on the center stand and and strap the bike down hard from the handlebars with a come-along strap. I would also strap the blocks together. Does that make sense?
Raising the bike some, even if it's just on cinder blocks, sounds good if there's no way to move it to higher ground. If you have the time, you might also remove the air filter, seal plastic bags over the carb intakes (maybe using the air filter to hold the plastic in place), and hope you head intake boots don't leak. Or, do the plastic seal at the head intakes.
Good luck.
Find a multi-level parking garage, bike on side stand, blocks on the seat, or put a ratcheting tie-down ontop of your cover around the bike (securing it to a pylon to keep the bike upright). Good luck.
Oh yeah, don't forget about the exhaust, too. Maybe a heavy duty garbage bag and some duct tape to seal it as best you can. If one of your exhaust valves happens to be open, there's another way in to your cylinders, and depending on your air filter, that could happen before water makes its way in through the filter.
Will they be having classes during the hurricane? If not, then ride it to someplace else. Nothing like 200 miles to improve a hurricane, and your personal odds with respect to it.
My old sabre got submerged during, tropical storm allison. oops. I did open it up and clean it out and it did run again. Also, my little 250 went swimming before I got it and after cleaning it out thoroughly, ran again. All hope isn't lost, but I'd do everything I could to get my bikes away from that murky, muddy possibility.
Reminded me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Arp7NjAJ3U (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Arp7NjAJ3U)
That's better than Seattle Rain for washing your bike.
Quotetrap the bike down hard from the handlebars
Careful you don't compress the forks all the way, maintained pressure has a way of blowing out fork seals. I prefer the strong tie to be run through the center of the frame. tie down the front end via the fork brace.
as for the intake: cram a wad of paper towels in the carb mouth/venturi, put a large condom over the inlets, then put the filter/airbox back on.
For serious. It works. use a thicker ("safer") condom, or use 2-3.
Fill the tank ALL the way up. Add stabiliser, you might not be riding for a while.
Put duct tape over the exhaust outlet, and plug the crank case (cylinder head) vent. If water covers the bike, you will probably have water intrusion in the tank, just man up and throw all the gas out after the storm.
In this condition, you can submerge the bike and be okay.
Other considerations:
Remove the battery. (pretty important)
Pack the chain with grease
tape over the gas cap
put a plastic tarp under the bike cover, and strap them down together
spray everything with wd40 (meh)
Tie/chain the bike down to something DENSE, not heavy. Concrete blocks are not heavy underwater, and make horrible moorings.
Lock it down to a city bicycle rack that is in the concrete or similar structure away from things that will fall on it.
Take this from a lifelong sailor, that has experience weathering storms.
If it is going to get wet DO NOT PUT PAPER TOWELS IN THE CARBS INTAKE OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT!!!! completely worthless,and will cause more harm than good.
If the bike is going to be sitting underwater?
REMOVE THE BATTERY! the rest can be undone.
-CS
Scribed to see what happens.
Sorry got nothing to add other than find some place to put it..
Sooo...thanks for ya'llz replies, but I tricked my university into letting me park the bike in the garage on campus. Way less of a hassle. Now just worried about my truck...
Quote from: gsatterw on August 26, 2012, 04:54:33 PM
So I'm down here in New Orleans, going to school at Tulane. I've got my bike here with me, and, well a hurricane is gonna hit us.
My question is, if it floods and the water gets to my air filter, am I screwed? I can't get the bike to higher ground unfortunately. What do I do?
Graham
wrqap bike in plastic. especially tail pipe, air filter and all electrics, and carbs. trust me. may be difficult to start @ first, but you will be the first on the road after the storm. now lets hpe and pray that hte storm does some weird shaZam! and jut hits where theres no one to hurt
The carpark a little off Canal St, turn by Harrahs casino. It's attatched to a mall? Anyways, it's like 8 stories, and $30 maximum parking cost. Its almost directly across from Coyote Ugly. Only place I trust my vehicle to when I'm in the city.
My bike is just going to be sitting under my open garage. Hope the wind doesnt knock it over!! Lafayette here
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: gsatterw on August 27, 2012, 05:23:27 PM
Sooo...thanks for ya'llz replies, but I tricked my university into letting me park the bike in the garage on campus. Way less of a hassle. Now just worried about my truck...
That's great to hear about the bike. Good luck with the truck.
What would be better for me? Bike on side stand or center stand?? Center stand feel more stable. Any input tonight would be helpful. Thanks
Also my garage has no walls but it does have a roof. I have no other place to store it. :((
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I feel side stand is more stable. 3 points farther apart. Center stand also lets bike rock forward and back. Rock forward and down it goes off the center stand.
Either way, tie the center or side stand from the front of bike so it can't fold up if it moves.
If you have a post, tie it up.
Take inside through the door? :icon_lol:
Haha i cant take it inside my house. I live in a modular home which is on pillars. Fancy way of saying trailer i guess. But its really nice!!
Ill try and find something to strap it to. Not much else i can do. I hope insurance covers it if anything were to happen!!
Thanks for the advice
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: doop500 on August 28, 2012, 06:33:58 PM
Haha i cant take it inside my house. I live in a modular home which is on pillars. Fancy way of saying trailer i guess. But its really nice!!
Ill try and find something to strap it to. Not much else i can do. I hope insurance covers it if anything were to happen!!
Thanks for the advice
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As long as it's registered and tagged you should be fine.
the side stand is better than the center only on the occurrence of a left side tip over...EVERY other direction the bike would tip the center stand is by far much more stable.
I agree to tie off the stand to the front ,but definitely use the center stand.
-CS
Side stand > Center Stand
Only time any of my GS' has been on its side is when I left 1 on the center stand.. wind toppled it over like a freaking levee! (:icon_eek: too soon?)
Keep us posted on how your guys are holding up!!
Hey buddy, how you and bike holding up? Safe I hope. :thumb:
Quote from: gsatterw on August 26, 2012, 04:54:33 PM
So I'm down here in New Orleans, going to school at Tulane. I've got my bike here with me, and, well a hurricane is gonna hit us.
My question is, if it floods and the water gets to my air filter, am I screwed? I can't get the bike to higher ground unfortunately. What do I do?
Graham
remove seat copver intake with trash bag, take spray waterproofing compound and cover coils, then cover those wiht pbags, then cover end of exhaust with bag and ziptiecover anything that water can get into wiht a bag and zuiptie. and pray to GOD. the storm may msis you altogether.
Everything went fine for me. Got a free bikewash. :P
Hope everything is ok with you and your bike OP.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I hope your bike is ok. I also hope your football team is prepared for Rutgers!!!
Storm was no problem. Got my bike out of the parking garage yesterday and owned the streets...until it started raining again...
Awesome! Good to hear.
Sooooo....what did ya do to it? Cover it? tape off the intakes? center stand? Anything? Nothing?
Many are curious.
-CS
Parking garage on campus. I could have left it in front of my house though. No flooding, just some strong winds and a few branches here and there.
Glad to hear everything's okay! :woohoo: