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Pro tip: Never store a project bike under a tarp behind a shed in Florida
Honestly, I learned this the hard way last summer when I dug out my 1982 Suzuki GS850 that I'd been meaning to restore. I had it parked behind my buddy's place in Tampa for about 18 months under this cheap blue tarp. When I finally pulled the cover off, the humidity had turned the wiring harness into a fuzzy mess and the tank had a 4-inch layer of rust flakes inside. Has anyone else found a weird surprise after leaving a project sitting too long?
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richardk263mo ago
A buddy of mine in Miami kept a CB750 under one of those silver reflective tarps for about two years. When he finally popped it open, there were these weird little mushrooms growing inside the airbox. The seat foam had turned into wet sand basically, just crumbled when he touched it. Florida is basically a giant science experiment for how fast things rot. Any kind of engine or carburetor gets this green mildew crust on it within a month or two.
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the_susan3mo ago
Richard's buddy kind of dodged a bullet on that CB750 because two years under a tarp in Florida is basically a controlled rot experiment. That green mildew crust is likely a mix of mold and oxidized aluminum, not just moisture, which means the carbs are probably toast even if they look clean. I mean, how does a tarp keep out humidity when the air itself is basically soup?
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