Maintenance

[cvoelk]

I have a 2003 DRZ400S. I live in New York. The bike is in Croatia. I use it a few weeks a year. I was wondering if anyone had a checklist of preventative maintenance items that should done. new to the group. thank you

[Nobby the Bastard]

[xX-Alex-Xx]

Plenty of articles how to “winterise” a bike..

https://speedymoto.com/motorcycles/winterize/
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DILLIGAF

[Nobby the Bastard]

No so many for 'Leaving it on the other side of the world for 49 weeks of the year', though.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[cvoelk]

[Nobby the Bastard]

Your best bet is not to turn up for your 3 weeks of the year and assume it's going to work because it's been ignored for the other 49 weeks.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[jeffyjeff]

Greetings and welcome to BCF. I split time between California and Morocco, leaving my YBR125 unattended for several months at a time. During Covid, I was locked out of Morocco for 11 months. My storage prep routine is pretty simple, but so far, effective.

1: fill with fresh fuel to reduce possibility of rust formation in the tank.
2: change the oil and ride the bike far enough to get it up to normal operating temperature. (20 kilometers will do fine)
3:drain the fuel from the carburetor while the engine is running (to clear all fuel from the idle circuit)
4: disconnect the battery.
5: air up the tires
6: park on center stand in a dry location, covered with a motorcycle cover.

Before battery installation after storage, charge it at 2 amperes until full charge is indicated on your charger. I use a NOCO Genius 2A charger that I purchased from Amazon, primarily because that charger operates on either 120 or 240V.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[stinkwheel]

You probably don't want to park it up for that long with a full tank of higher ethanol fuel because there's a fair chance it'll split leaving you with a layer of water at the bottom of the tank. So I'd either brim it with low ethanol/ethanol free fuel and possibly a fuel stabiliser or drain it totally. Maybe stick a big silicone sachet in there to keep it dry if condensation is a concern.

Battery off the bike and kept inside somewhere. This might be a situation where a lithium battery would be a good investment.

If it gets very cold and condensation is a big problem, sticking a few drops of oil down the bore and turning the engine over a few times isn't a silly idea.

Possibly overkill but it's probably the silly things that would stop you when you arrive like a tight link in the chain so lube and adjust it before you leave. Another issue with bikes parked up can be pads sticking to the discs so it wouldn't be a stupid idea to push the pistons back in a bit.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[jeffyjeff]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[stinkwheel]

So where is this bike again? It's 2,000 miles, 4 countries and a ferry crossing to get to Cassablanca from Croatia. It's on a different continant. I doubt you're riding a DRZ there.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Robby]

I'm assuming that once a year you're going home and want to ride the bike for a few weeks, not spend half that time fiddling with it and waiting for parts.

Your best bet is to have a local mechanic pick it up a month before you go to Croatia and give it a service so it's ready when you get there. It's an expensive way of doing it, but sitting around doing nothing fucks bikes up, there is no cheap method here.

[MarJay]

[jeffyjeff]

[cvoelk]

[stinkwheel]

[jeffyjeff]

Batteries and flammable fluids are probably best purchased on the mainland and transported to your island, rather than brought over from the states. I've had shit confiscated at the airport before. If it had happened stateside, the authorities probably would not have been so nice. Be careful.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[MCN]

Long term storage is complex if done properly.
It is in effect mummifying the beast.

All fluids need to be drained.
A VCI is then mixed with fresh fluids and then the equipment refilled.
All orifices need to be plugged.

Tyres removed or inflated to maximum pressure for the tyre, or the vehicle supported on stands to keep weight off of the tyres (which can cause deformation).

A stabiliser could be added to fuel but that will not guarantee that fuel remains usable after storage.

Removal from long-term storage requires the countermeasures reversed.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.