Mouse setup shop in my ryker over the winter

[jfall]

I stored my ryker in my heated garage over the winter and went to start it up this morning to take it for service and heard a bunch of rattling and killed the engine. I see pieces of dog food and insulation all over the place. It seems as if a mouse dragged some debris into the ryker over the winter and I'm not sure if it's safe to drive without paying a bunch of money to tow it to the dealer is there anywhere I should check to make sure the debris is cleaned up sufficiently enough to drive it?

[ziggy]

I would suggest air intakes, just look all around. The nest site you found is probably the best site it could find. crank up, listen, ride. Watch your instruments. Hope it didn't chew on your wiring. Good luck, keep posted.:popcorn:

[sKiZo]

If it's blowing crap first start, I'd assUme they made themselves to home in the muffler. Real common - My trusty old Virago had up swept pipes that would hold a LOT of garbage and send rooster tails of it on start up and spit seeds for the first few miles in the spring. Got in the habit of adding foil caps (just like mine! <G>) to the intakes and mufflers to keep the lil suckers out.

(Reminder - take foil caps off.) ;-}

* Another good reason to switch to oiled filters like the K&N ... I've seen mice eat thru the paper filters, and once they're in the intakes, you got problems.

Oh. And keep them away from green wires. They seem to like to eat the insulation on those for whatever reason and will strip those bare - not a good thing .

[jfall]

I ended up biting the bullet and just getting it towed instead of risking it. It really sounded like there was a lot in there somewhere. Hopefully the service doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

I'll have to look at better ways to keep the mice away next winter. It was stored in my heated garage too!

[sKiZo]

Eh ... it's just your nuts rattling ... happens to all of us eventually ... <G>

Bigger chunks in the muffler would generally burn out eventually. If you see little puffs of smoke, that's probably mouse cremation in progress.

Better safe than sorry though. And if it's going to the shop, I'd think a general initial inspection/adjustment would be a good thing now that all the wear parts are seated properly.

PS - my shop does free pickup/delivery from 20 miles away. This usual? Ida know - always did my own work before. Wondering if maybe it's just a covid thing. Then again, any covid thing is more "new normal" than the exception.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I ended up biting the bullet and just getting it towed instead of risking it. It really sounded like there was a lot in there somewhere. Hopefully the service doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

I'll have to look at better ways to keep the mice away next winter. It was stored in my heated garage too!

Moth balls / flakes will work ...... if you don't have Pets to worry about, Mouse traps will work ... use peanut butter .... good luck .... Mike :thumbup:

[sKiZo]

Here's my Virago after first start - what you don't see is about a pound per pipe of bird seed that shot out a few feet peppering anything behind the bike. Those megaphones can hold a LOT of crap.

http://www.brainfartz.com/images/Virago/mice-2012.jpg

[jfall]

I called to check on status and they said there's a lot in the air box and they are checking to see if any made it through to the cylinders. The tow cost me $200 to get it there alone. My local dealer is fairly small, they used to have flat bed and did pickups/deliveries but they dropped it a few years ago due to liability. They just arrange tows now I guess.

[sKiZo]

Betcha them rotary valves would make quick work of anything organic, eh.

(But I'd prefer to have somebody else test that theory.)

Best o'luck, eh.

PS - I've noticed I'm saying "eh" a lot since getting a Canadian bike. Wazzup wit dat, eh? I'll have to think on that while eating my kraft dinner tonite, eh. ;-}

[Navydad]

Heated garage does not deter mice. Actually they prefer a heated garage for the same reasons you do. Unheated garage for thirty years and never a rodent issue. Heated garage last winter and I found signs of the little buggers. Vehicle manufacturers use wiring with a soy based insulation. Mmm good if you're a mouse. I did read that some manufacturers are getting away from that type of wiring.