Maintenance After 12 Months + In Storage

[StevenF]

Evening!

Looking to get my bike ready for the winter and hopefully s trip of Scotland lined up in May. My bike had been sitting in the garage for about 6 months - possibly more, can't remember exactly when I last used it. I have the caliper to rebuild and brakes to bleed first of all, but when else would you advise doing before riding it?

Oil change
Oil filter change
Check tyre pressure
Change antifreeze (accidentally put silicate based antifreeze I'm which apparently can eat the seals and destroy the radiator!

Anything else? There is petrol in the tank and I've read that after 6 months or so it can start to block the carbs if used, would it be wise to somehow drain the petrol?

Thanks
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My Project - Honda CBR 600 F2/FM

[Fizzer Thou]

If the bike has not been used for quite a while then the petrol in the carbs may well have gone off and started to evaporate.If the petrol in the tank is old and you have the tank off for air filter change or cleaning,drain off the old petrol and stick it in your car.

If you feel that your coolant is the incorrect fluid,drain this at the lowest point and use a 60/40 mix.Antifreeze is not a good heat exchanger whereas water is - but do not ever use 100% distilled water in a road bike for obvious reasons,especially in these weather conditions.A 50/50 mix will be okay if the weather was ever to go down as low as -30c,but that is unlikely in this country.A 60/40 mix will allow the engine to work more effectively.

When you are ready to start using the bike again,change the engine oil and filter after running the engine up to temperature.It is not a good idea to use an engine flush liquid as this has been known to contaminate the clutch friction plates.On the oil filter,scratch the date and mileage onto the canister and keep a record of this elsewhere.When about to install the new oil filter,pour in some fresh oil and let this soak into the element.It is surprising just how much oil will soak in before becoming saturated.Then pour out some of the excess before spinning it into place on the engine.By saturating the element,you are cutting down on the amount of time that the engine will take to move fresh oil through the filter before getting to the important parts of the engine like cam and crankshaft bearings.

Check the tyres for any sidewall damage if the bike has been resting on the sidestand since you last used it,especially if the tyres have deflated to any extent.Get a decent tyre pressure gauge like a Michelin digital device.This is calibrated to within +/- 0.5 psi.I keep one in my car as it is not too easy to use on a bike,but I check my pencil type gauge against the digital one to check the accuracy of the pencil one.
As I ride big bikes I always check my tyre pressures immediately before I start a ride.Barometric pressure and air temperature can affect tyre pressures,so a reading taken the night before may well be slightly differant the next day.I tend to be quite specific on tyres like those on my R1 or Exup as I can feel the differance between 35 and 36 psi in the front tyre.They squirm under heavy braking at the lower pressure - well I can feel it,despite what some might say.
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Islander]

General service. Oil, air filter, spark plugs. Cast an eye over chain and sprockets and clean/lubricate as necessary. Check tyres, check brakes, check lights, check control cables etc. Charge the battery. 6 months isn't a huge amount of time for a bike to be standing - you'll probably find most things are fine.

Change the coolant if you've got the wrong type in and follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

If it's reluctant to start then give it a squirt of Easy Start - that'll get it going. Don't sweat about the petrol in the tank, it'll be fine.

[DrDonnyBrago]

Does it start?

6 months isn't a long time.

[ricklincs45]

Excellent advice from Fizzer regarding the oil filter.

Have you had the bike on front and rear paddock stands? If not, as previously mentioned, very carefully check your tyres, paying particular attention to flat spots where tyre has been in contact with the ground. If in doubt, replace.
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Author '80 Bikes, and counting...' Currently getting frustrated with an MZ 125 TS.

[Walloper]

Anti Freeze is mixed at 50:50 or if concentrated mix with 50% water. Deionised is cheap enough from Tescos etc.
Don't sweat on the fuel as islander says. I have fuel in the tank of two or three bikes for months and no issues. Stabilizers I add are just belt and braces.
I think people mention fuel problems on old bikes that have fuel problems and it's simple to blame the fuel.

There may be slight differences between Summer/Winter Diesels but Petrol is petrol.

Run the engine to warm then drain and fit a new filter. The oil in the engine will have coated all the bits so no need to pre-fill the new element. It is a risk of introducing unfiltered shit on the wrong side of the filter. Oil pressure will be up to spec after a few seconds running after starting which is nothing to worry about bits not getting oil.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[StevenF]

Fizzer - thank you very much for your detailed reply. There seems to e mixed opinions regarding the fuel and whether it should be use or thrown away. As for the coolant, I'll flush the system with a hose and replace it with the correct fluid, I'll have a wee search on the Internet for the proper stuff!

Again thanks for the tip with the filter, I never thought of doing that! Should save a bit a time when it comes to changing the oil!

Also the bike hasn't moved at all and has almost brand new tyres on it. Hopefully I haven't ruined then by keeping the bike on its sidestand!

Islander - thanks I forgot to mention the chain; I'll have a wee look at it, though, I'm not sure what the tolerances are!

Donny - I haven't even checked! It was a brand new battery that was in it, but I don't have a trickle charger or anything for it. I didn't want to try and start it because I can't ride it (no MOT etc) and didn't want to drain whatever charge it might have left.
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My Project - Honda CBR 600 F2/FM

[Fizzer Thou]

I cannot find the article that I read a while ago concerning petrol storage,but basically the petrol refiners were saying that the space in a petrol container not taken up by fuel is affected by condensation.This does nothing for the stability of todays oxygenated petrol that we buy as ordinary unleaded.When I SORN my R1 at the end of the road tax period,I remove the tank,swill the petrol around so as to disturb any contamination and drain it upside down into a container.What surprises me is just how much grot comes out,something which could and does clog up fuel filters.I then double filter this petrol and either use it in one of my other bikes or put it into my car.

But if there is not much fuel in the tank at present,buy some fresh stuff when you are ready and just add it to the existing fuel in the tank.The advice that I have read about modern oxygenated fuels is that they go off much quicker because of the additives.

When I put the R1 back on the road in the Spring I always treat it to five litres of Super Unleaded fresh from the local Shell or BP petrol station as a sort of 'welcome out of hibernation' present
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[StevenF]