Winter storage

[Nutty]

This has probably been covered before, but I've tucked the 1200GS up for the winter now. I'm thinking about taking it out for a blast every 4 weeks or so, until the weather warms up, but some folk say to not ride it at all, and others say to run it every few weeks, just for a few miles

If I choose to not ride it until around March, what preventative measures should I take? I havent covered it in ACF50 or anything similar, it's just sitting in my garage under a dust sheet. Should I spray ACF on it, or just leave it alone? It's only two months old, so I don't want to get it out in March only to find some of the chrome has pitted etc.

On the other hand, if I do decide to take it out every few weeks, what measures should I take? I'm relatively new to biking, not at all technical, and am concerned that if I spray ACF50 all over the bike (except on the brake pads/ disks), that it would turn into a pink mess!

Any advice greatly appreciated

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

ACF does work and is worth doing - yeah it looks messy but when you clean it off in the Spring all will be shiny and spnagley.

If you are riding her occasionally make sure it's a proper long ride to get well up to operating temp, you'll do more harm than good if it's just the occasional short ride.

Andres

 

[Sgt Bilco]

ACF does work and is worth doing - yeah it looks messy but when you clean it off in the Spring all will be shiny and spnagley.

If you are riding her occasionally make sure it's a proper long ride to get well up to operating temp, you'll do more harm than good if it's just the occasional short ride.

Andres

+1

The only other thing I would add is give the bike a good dose of WD40 if you aren't using ACF50 as that will keep any moisture from the garage at bay.

I ride all the year round and use liberal amounts of WD40 after a ride and it's kept the ravages of the road away from my bike.

 

[Timolgra]

If you're not going to ride it then using ACF50 is a waste of time, don't use WD40 it attacks rubber and plastic, use Duck Oil instead.
Keep the battery somewhere warm and give it a charge every so often. Simple.

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Depends on how dry your garage is. If it's bone dry then I wouldn't bother putting anything on it. Just clean it and put it to bed for the winter.
Stick the charger on the battery once every month or so - it'll be fine.

Main thing with running it evey now and again is.....

If you're going to start it, then take it for a run or at least let it warm right through before knocking it off.
What you musn't do it set it running, go off and make a cup of tea with it on tick-over and then forget. Nasty things have happened to air cooled bikes left idling for long periods

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Depends on how dry your garage is. If it's bone dry then I wouldn't bother putting anything on it. Just clean it and put it to bed for the winter.
Stick the charger on the battery once every month or so - it'll be fine.

Main thing with running it evey now and again is.....

If you're going to start it, then take it for a run or at least let it warm right through before knocking it off.
What you musn't do it set it running, go off and make a cup of tea with it on tick-over and then forget. Nasty things have happened to air cooled bikes left idling for long periods

+1

Exactly what I do

Wash and polish them, before putting away

I park mine up on the centrestands at end of Oct or early Nov (before the 1st salt is spread) and leave until March/April each winter

I use a dehumidfier on all winter and empty twice per week

Never start them for 4-5 months

Never cover them with anything

Put the Optimate on each bike, for 2-3 days each month only (1150's) and remove from bike

When I get them out again, I check the tyre pressures, hit the starter and go for a ride

Works for me



Over winter I ride my Trials bike or the XChallenge

 

[slimpickings]

+1

Exactly what I do

Wash and polish them, before putting away

I park mine up on the centrestands at end of Oct or early Nov (before the 1st salt is spread) and leave until March/April each winter

I use a dehumidfier on all winter and empty twice per week

Never start them for 4-5 months

Never cover them with anything

Put the Optimate on each bike, for 2-3 days each month only (1150's) and remove from bike

When I get them out again, I check the tyre pressures, hit the starter and go for a ride

Works for me



Over winter I ride my Trials bike or the XChallenge

Any reason why you would'nt leave the optimate on full time
1200 gsa ?

 

[shugie]

I have a little Ctek charger I alway leave connected to my 1200 when it is not being used.

ACF-50 is good stuff, don't worry about cleaning it off though, just add more every autumn. When you come to sell the bike, then clean it off, you will be impressed by how well preserved it all is (assuming, of course, that it was shiny in the first place).

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Any reason why you would'nt leave the optimate on full time
1200 gsa ?

No need for fulltime charging IMHO

Both my 1150Advs are on their original batteries

Couple of days a month in winter should be fine, as long there is discharge leaks from accessories

No experience for a 12GSA only had one once for 5 months

 

[ianp5uk]

If you have a dry garage you shouldn't get much deterioration in 4-6 months. Spraying with ACF50 or WD40 can only help though. One bit of advice I would give is to drain the tank if you're not going to use it. Just spent several attempts to start a 4 stroke dirtbike that had been stood for 4 months and has a very small battery and weak starter. Had to recharge the battery twice. When I put fresh fuel in it started easily and repeatedly no problem. So in 4 months the fuel had gone off enough to prevent the marginal starter doing its job. My old Honda petrol generator on the other hand still started after 3 pulls with petrol that's been in there for 3 years!!!!! The dirtbike manual does say 98 octane and I suspect the generator would run on parafin.

 

[2 wheel humvee]

Any reason why you would'nt leave the optimate on full time
1200 gsa ?

Leave it on full time-no harm at all
An optimate conditions the battery, it won't allowthe battery to get to a deeply discharged state and won't overcharge it either, I've used an Optimate on my last 4 bikes with no problems at all

 

[MIKE R]

If it's in a dry garage, then you've no problem.

My bikes used to get wet through condensation until I bolted a cheap greenhouse frost controller to the garage wall....no problem since.

The only extra piece of advice I would give is to revolve the tyre that rests on the floor (with my 1150 its the rear {I do have a top-box fitted} and it's the front on the 12GSA) every couple of weeks to stop a flat spot developing.

Mike

 

[Rasher]

I have always been led to believe 90% of wear occurs on startup, with colder weather possibly making this worse.

If you strip an old engine you tend to find oil sticking to metal long after the bike was last run, perhaps a more recently run motor would have a bit more coating, who knows.

New bikes / cars often sit for months (years) in storage after being built, if leaving a motor for 6 months without starting it knackered them then dealers would find a lot of bikes being buggered out of the crate.

Is one start after 4 months gonna cause more wear than four starts after four weeks each

I reckon go with what makes you feel good

ACF is pretty good, but probably more than required for a bike in storage, again though if it makes you happy put some on, not like it will break the bank and compared to the cost of the bike is nothing.

Regardless of what you do I bet it will be brilliant when you bring it out of hibernation.

 

[Mr K]

...reminds me: Must connect Optimate...

 

[bod]

Ride it, wash it, Scottoiler FS365, optimate!

NO CHARGE!

 

[arrybash]

I have had optimates on my 1989 Kawasaki ZX10 for years but found by leaving the optimate on full time it was boiling the battery dry of acid which then killed the battery. I was having to buy new batteries every 2 years.

What I now do is plug the optimate into a time switch which is set to charge for just 1 hour per week.

This is all that is required to keep the battery topped up and guarantees not to boil it dry.

Modern gel type and sealed batteries shouldn't boil dry so there probably won't be a problem but I still use a time switch on the GSA as its not worth the risk.

Chris

 

[grpweld]

send to California

Post your bike to San Diego, & We wil gently ride you GS every other day ( For a slight fee of course)

 

[fatbaldbob]

Save yourself the bother of worrying about it, coat with ACF50 and just ride the bloody thing, thats what the're made for, as previously mentioned it will come up like new in the spring, mine gets cleaned once a year, usually at the start of winter before the application of ACF50 and thats it for a year. If you have decent kit and heated grips the cold shouldn't be a bother and winter riding will sharpen and maintain your skills.

 

[Demongroover]

Just a tip on fuel for winter storage:

On a carburated bike you woiuld simply empty the float bowls of old fuel prior to starting the bike in the spring. Not poss with injectors.

What I do is add a fuel additive / stabilizer (Redex etc) and run the engine so it flows throughout the system. I add a strong dose as the bike won't be used for a while.
This then stops the fuel deposits and the fuel turning to jelly during the period of lay up. Also, no need to drain off in spring.

 

[thosoneill]

dust sheet and cover - optimate - wd40 - maybe turn the wheels occasionally