how to get the bike ready for winter storage??

[sbn]

This will be my first winter I have a motorcycle and I need to get it ready for storage since I wont be riding it in snow and on salty roads.

The bike is a 04 1150 gs adventure.

My question is to those of you who dont use your bike either in the winter time due to the weather.

How do you storage your bike, and what do you do before you storage it? - and then what do you do when its time to get out again.

 

[Davel]

I wouldn't just store it, personally.

There will always be some days during the winter months when you can use it.

I tend not to ride in snow or ice either.

Ooops - Didn't look at your location!

 

[Rushy]

I wouldn't just store it, personally.

There will always be some days during the winter months when you can use it.

I tend not to ride in snow or ice either.

Not sure i would want to ride in Sweden during the winter either , its bad enough commuting daily in the UK.

 

[Jonnie Boy]

I wouldn't just store it, personally.

There will always be some days during the winter months when you can use it.

I tend not to ride in snow or ice either.

+1 It'll keep best if you take it out for a blat now and then over the winter!

Get it run upto temp. ie ride it! not just let it tickover in the shed! keeps the oil/engine condensate free. If not its an oil/filter change in the spring straight up!

When its stood for a while keep the battery topped up with an optimate.

If it gets salt on it hose it down and drench it in Scotoil F365 or similar corrosion inhibitor. doesnt matter if it looks all oiley grubby as long as it dosnt corrode away! Buff it up nice in the spring!

 

[Stan Pinn]

Whats this "Winter Storage"? I've never heard of it....

 

[t'other dave]

I ride mine right through but I'm not in Sweden. If I was to store it though I'd start with a complete wash and polish, cover it in WD40 all but plastics and paint, apply spay grease to movable things e.g stand pivots,use a suitable trickle charger and use a bike cover.
Come spring another wash to make sure all the WD40 is off (BRAKE DISCS) oil and filter change? check all moving parts are moving freely (re-grease) before riding, fresh fuel, and go..

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Park it up in late Oct

Put a cover over it in the garage

Start it up in March

Don't worry about a battery tender......................it wastes mains electricity

 

[sbn]

thanks all.

I can tell you I'm not going to ride here in the winter, the salt being spread out on the roads here will eat the bike up before the winter is over.

I was told today to take off the battery and store that in my house where its warm to keep it from dying.

Then as one of you wrote wash it real good, put som wd40 all over, fill up the gastank and put it under the bikecover in the garrage for the winter. When spring comes, wash it again, put back the battery and then just drive.

But maybe and oil and filter change would also be good.

 

[harryfire]

or you could bring it over here and one of us could keep it nice and 'ride ready' in a garage.



well what i really mean is we could just ride it without you knowing

 

[motobiker]

thanks all.

I can tell you I'm not going to ride here in the winter, the salt being spread out on the roads here will eat the bike up before the winter is over.

If you coat the bike with ACF-50 then that particular excuse no longer applies.

 

[Deleted member CB]

Give it a good run to get it fully warmed up, drain the oil & fill with new oil BEFORE you store it (+ filter) contrary to the usual advice to do it after storage, that way the engine isn't sat with contaminants in the oil, some of which could be corrosive.

 

[sbn]

Give it a good run to get it fully warmed up, drain the oil & fill with new oil BEFORE you store it (+ filter) contrary to the usual advice to do it after storage, that way the engine isn't sat with contaminants in the oil, some of which could be corrosive.

ok interesting