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winter storage advice

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to v or not to v
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PostPosted: 19:13 - 14 Sep 2021    Post subject: winter storage advice Reply with quote

the time has come to start thinking about putting the bike away till the spring. not something ive ever done before, but now that im old and soft, the bikes just for fair weather.

what will i need to do to the bike? it will probably be laid up until the weather gets better again, so probably late March.
im guessing turn the fuel tap off and run the carbs dry. do i need to worry about the fuel in the tank, the battery or anything else? will the tyres be ok not moving for several months? i know thats a no no with push bikes.

the bikes kept in a garage, so no weather issues.
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pepperami
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PostPosted: 20:31 - 14 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Optimate or others trickle charger to ensure battery health.
Circulate air in the garage on a regular basis (open the doors) to prevent damp getting hold (corrosion).
Service before laying it up.

Personally I ensure my bike has a full tank to prevent condensation collecting so much.
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Pete.
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PostPosted: 20:48 - 14 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Service before lay-up. Strip and servic the calipers, press the pistons back in, change the fluid. Clean and oil the chain. Give the bike a good wash and polish. Fill the tank enough so it can't evaporate the light elements. Lube the locks and switchgear.
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MCN
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PostPosted: 23:44 - 14 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Heated grips.
Heated vest.
And MTFU.
Unless you live within the arctic circle then why not use a bike in winter?
It doesn't rain every day and there's still enough daylight for blasting.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 23:53 - 14 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

With E10 fuel, I might be tempted to drain the tank.
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ThunderGuts
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PostPosted: 08:23 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Or fill it with super unleaded.

If carb'd, drain the float bowls too. I have my bike sat on a few squares of carpet to help prevent flat spots on the tyres.

As MCN suggests though, I'd still aim to ride it at least once a month - there is usually a dry mild-ish day at that frequency you can take advantage of. Even if it's just for an hour, that's enough to get everything working and nice and hot.
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BRUN
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PostPosted: 08:59 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

ACF50 or similar
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Fat Angry Scotsman
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PostPosted: 10:23 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

MCN wrote:
Heated grips.
Heated vest.
And MTFU.
Unless you live within the arctic circle then why not use a bike in winter?
It doesn't rain every day and there's still enough daylight for blasting.


If I can ride a shite Chinese naked 125 for a full winter as a daily commuter with mediocre gear and no heated grips, I think anyone can ride through winter Laughing
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MCN
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PostPosted: 11:01 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fat Angry Scotsman wrote:
MCN wrote:
Heated grips.
Heated vest.
And MTFU.
Unless you live within the arctic circle then why not use a bike in winter?
It doesn't rain every day and there's still enough daylight for blasting.


If I can ride a shite Chinese naked 125 for a full winter as a daily commuter with mediocre gear and no heated grips, I think anyone can ride through winter Laughing


FFS, Yer a hard man Fat Angry Scotsman. Shocked Laughing

(Only real issue with winter it the dissolving crystals that the cooncils spread on the roads. A lot of washing with cold water to wash it out of places helps.)
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Fat Angry Scotsman
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PostPosted: 11:17 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

MCN wrote:
FFS, Yer a hard man Fat Angry Scotsman. Shocked Laughing

(Only real issue with winter it the dissolving crystals that the cooncils spread on the roads. A lot of washing with cold water to wash it out of places helps.)


Last year I made a habit of washing it twice a week and putting ACF50 on it. The only thing that shows any corrosion is some of the bolt heads on it.
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xX-Alex-Xx
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PostPosted: 11:49 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fuel stabiliser (Stabil). Put some in the tank, fill it up with super unleaded (E5), go for a 10 minute ride, then put it away. Make sure the bike is clean and chain oiled. Can do an oil change too before storage so you’re ready to go in spring.

As mentioned previously, definitely use an automatic storage charger for the battery too. Doesn’t matter if you take the battery out and keep it indoors for this (I normally do).
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weasley
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PostPosted: 12:32 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Park, remove key, plug in Optimate, walk away.

I don’t formally lay up my bike but it does go for long periods unridden over winter and the above process has worked for carbs and FI.
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MCN
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PostPosted: 13:40 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fat Angry Scotsman wrote:
MCN wrote:
FFS, Yer a hard man Fat Angry Scotsman. Shocked Laughing

(Only real issue with winter it the dissolving crystals that the cooncils spread on the roads. A lot of washing with cold water to wash it out of places helps.)


Last year I made a habit of washing it twice a week and putting ACF50 on it. The only thing that shows any corrosion is some of the bolt heads on it.


Both of my bmws have corrosion on top of the corrosion.
And that was with the hoowurs getting droont in FS360 and ACF50 too.
And washed like a pair of pampered pooches when brought into the garage after a hard day on the highways of Argyllshire.
The rusty bolts is a pain though.
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Fat Angry Scotsman
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PostPosted: 15:43 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

MCN wrote:
Both of my bmws have corrosion on top of the corrosion.
And that was with the hoowurs getting droont in FS360 and ACF50 too.
And washed like a pair of pampered pooches when brought into the garage after a hard day on the highways of Argyllshire.
The rusty bolts is a pain though.


Now that I think about it there is a bell shaped part that is on the radiator, the steel ring that goes around the perimeter of that got pretty rusty, it got ACF50 on it and washed down but I think part of the reason why it still corroded was because I only towelled down the bike, I didn't have a pet dryer to dry it off last winter.
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Pigeon
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PostPosted: 22:25 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fat Angry Scotsman wrote:

If I can ride a shite Chinese naked 125 for a full winter as a daily commuter with mediocre gear and no heated grips, I think anyone can ride through winter Laughing


It's the opposite though, shity chinese 125's are suitable for winter.
I rode a £900 125 through 4 winters. I low sided once, but otherwise got away with it.

It weighed 100kg and cost £900 and sold for £550 4 years later.

Bigger bikes weigh double that and can cost 10x that amount. The insurance excess alone can be £600.

I'm considering buying a car this year, purely because the excess on my bike is more than the cost of a car.......plus will get heating.....
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Fat Angry Scotsman
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PostPosted: 22:33 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pigeon wrote:
It's the opposite though, shity chinese 125's are suitable for winter.
I rode a £900 125 through 4 winters. I low sided once, but otherwise got away with it.

It weighed 100kg and cost £900 and sold for £550 4 years later.

Bigger bikes weigh double that and can cost 10x that amount. The insurance excess alone can be £600.

I'm considering buying a car this year, purely because the excess on my bike is more than the cost of a car.......plus will get heating.....


Actually that’s an interesting point I didn’t think of. I was going to ride my Kwak on the coldest days simply because it’s got heated grips and I thought the heavier bike and bigger tyres would have been a positive rather than a negative in winter. Plus I want to have both bikes being used so I don’t need to care about storing up bollocks. Now your post got me thinking maybe I should store up the Kwak.
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 22:55 - 15 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fat Angry Scotsman wrote:
Last year I made a habit of washing it twice a week and putting ACF50 on it.

Fat Angry Scotsman wrote:
Now that I think about it there is a bell shaped part.

Buffed to a high sheen. Laughing

Anyway, so you washed the dirt off the AC50 and then added more of that expensive stuff. Twice a week.

If I was going to use a protective spray I’d wash the bike, apply the AC50 and then not wash it again for months.

In fact that is what I do, but without the spray. Laughing
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Fat Angry Scotsman
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PostPosted: 01:10 - 16 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
Anyway, so you washed the dirt off the AC50 and then added more of that expensive stuff. Twice a week.

If I was going to use a protective spray I’d wash the bike, apply the AC50 and then not wash it again for months.

In fact that is what I do, but without the spray. Laughing


Sorry, my grammar is terrible, I didn’t put ACF50 on it after every wash I only did it twice, first time was in November then again in January.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 01:18 - 16 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well there's no way I'm getting salt on my Bullet. It's getting tucked away in the garage when the first gritter's out. I spent far to much time and effort making it to expose that much bare alloy to the winter.

Winters wreck motorcycles both cosmetically and mechanically. Winter's when the trials bike comes out.
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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Fat Angry Scotsman
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PostPosted: 09:16 - 16 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
Well there's no way I'm getting salt on my Bullet. It's getting tucked away in the garage when the first gritter's out. I spent far to much time and effort making it to expose that much bare alloy to the winter.

Winters wreck motorcycles both cosmetically and mechanically. Winter's when the trials bike comes out.


To be fair if I had an expensive bike I would keep it living a more sheltered life too Embarassed
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MCN
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PostPosted: 10:15 - 16 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
Well there's no way I'm getting salt on my Bullet.


Phnarr, phnarr, whibble...
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A100man
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PostPosted: 10:32 - 16 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

weasley wrote:
Park, remove key, plug in Optimate, walk away.

I don’t formally lay up my bike but it does go for long periods unridden over winter and the above process has worked for carbs and FI.


Agree... how long are we talking here up to 6 months max? I might throw a blanket over the tank too to lessen condensation. I'm not particularly worried about e10 either.
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P.
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PostPosted: 10:47 - 16 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Paddock/abba to get the wheels off the floor, deflated them slightly cos 'read it on the internet' and meant I needed to pump them and check before riding again.

Did what Pete suggested with the calipers. I took mine off, cleaned up pistons, pushed them in, quick once over. Covered the chain in a bit of oil and wiped the grime from the shock area, under the front sprocket got a quick burst of water and scrub and graphite pencil all over the key, in and out a few times on the ignition, same on the petrol cap and plugged in to Optimate set on a weekly timer for 6 hours every Sunday, I don't like things being on forever.

I don't ride bikes in winter, why would I, its cold and shit, I have a car.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 10:53 - 16 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Paddy. wrote:
graphite pencil all over the key, in and out a few times on the ignition,


I heard that graphite in the ignition lock can find its way into the contacts (which are usually under the barrel) and that you're better using silicone spray in this particular lock.
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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Fat Angry Scotsman
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PostPosted: 12:12 - 16 Sep 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Paddy. wrote:
I don't ride bikes in winter, why would I, its cold and shit, I have a car.


I have a car, it's for when I need to carry something that is too big for a backpack or a top box. Laughing
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