First season riding an EFI Honda Shadow, so far so good, but the New England winter is coming and I'm starting to look into winter storage options and am looking for some tips. Other than the general winterizing tips like fill up gas tank, add fuel stabilizer, put the battery on a tender, plug up the exhaust against critters, wash and wax everything, what other wisdom do more experienced riders have?
I don't have access to a shed or a garage, so I either rent a bike friendly storage space/rent in a garage (expensive) or just keep it covered in the back yard. Getting a flat spot on the tires is a concern, so is it plausible to park it on a brick surface out back and move it around every few weeks as I don't have a lift or a stand yet? I also have some a grassy part of the yard I could use, but I imagine moisture from the ground and vegetation might be more of an issue than on brick.
I have a nice water resistant cover with a vent, but it doesn't go under the bike, is it worth getting a tarp to park on or would it likely not make any difference? Are those "bike tents" worth looking into, I see there are some with a "floor" that look interesting.
We get quite a bit of snow, so the covered bike will likely see a couple feet of snow at least a couple times through the winter.
Moisture is the biggest enemy, and a lot of moisture will come from the bare ground. I had a "Cycle Shell" that worked great, it was a hard and thick rubber/plastic floor and a thick clamshell tent that folded to make a complete roof over the motorcycle.
I had my bike under that for 3-4 years when it was new and it still looks new years later. It's in a garage now.