Just Thinking Ahead, Laying Away The Bike For The Winter

Hi All

I know this is early but this will be my first Winter that I'll be laying away the bike so I'm thinking about prep.

My bike will be outside, so I do have a decent cover for it
Putting the bike on Paddock Stands
I've taken some advice and prepped with a trickle charger for the battery
I'm looking at ACF50 for protection from the elements

I'd appreciate any further advice from the hive mind if I've missed anything

Thanks again

 

Don't store it with ethanol fuel. Is 98 octane ethanol free in your neck of the woods? If so, run the last couple of tanks with 98 like Shell V-Power or similar and either empty the tank completely or store it full.

 

Yeah Erling beat me to it! try and limit the amount of fuel you leave in it or you will varnish the carbs up and in the spring they will have to come off and be cleaned, just a bit of advice.

 

Adding to what Erling has said, if you're looking at 6+ months storage I'd add a dose of some fuel stabiliser.
I'd also change the oil and filter before layup. If your bike cover isn't the breathable type, it should have some vents to avoid condensation. You won't go far wrong with ACF50. Opinions differ on this next bit of advice but I wouldn't be tempted to run the engine periodically, just leave it until your ready to get it back on the road.

 

Thanks all
I knew this would bring up items I'd not thought about
The Oil change was an interesting one as I was going to do one before I started using it, so I suspect that would equate?

Fuel stabiliser - I need to research

Thanks all so far, really appreciate it

 

ACF50 definitely, I blather the stuff on all metal surfaces. If possible take the weight off the tyres or rotate the wheels every few weeks. Fuel stabiliser too, I've just got some myself for my bikes, a decent intelligent trickle/top up charger is a must IMO, I use a Ctek, but other makes are available. Lol. Good luck.

 

I have a dehumidifier and it's brilliant tbh. Well recommended.
Got to empty it once a week though but I suppose it’s an indicator of how good it is?

 

A pre storage oil change is something I was advised to do years ago by a mechanic but it's also listed in the pre storage prep in the owner's handbooks of both the ZZR and Street Scrambler.

ZZR:
1. Thoroughly clean the motorcycle
2. Change the oil
3. Drain the fuel tank and run the engine out of fuel
4. Reduce tyre pressure by 20%
5. Raise both wheels off the ground
6. Spray unpainted metal parts to prevent rusting
7. Lubricate drive chain and cables
8. Remove battery, store away from freezing temperatures and keep "well" charged.
9. Put plastic bags over the mufflers.
10 Put a cover over the motorcycle

The Street Scrambler's handbook gives similar advice with some differences and additions:


3. Fill the tank with fresh fuel and add fuel stabiliser.
4. Check and if necessary adjust the tyre pressures.

In addition:

Remove spark plugs, squirt a small amount of oil into each cylinder the spin the engine over on the starter for a few seconds and refit the plugs.
Make sure the cooling system is at the correct concentration of anti freeze/water.


For over Winter storage I would certainly favour filling the tank with fuel + stabiliser rather than draining it, especially if stored outside. If drained I would pour in a small amount of oil and swish it round to coat the inner surface. Either that or use Misting Oil, which can also be used to coat the bores. I've used this in the past when laying up outboard motors for the Winter.

 

Great reply @Pegscraper, I can’t see anything else to add either, if you wanted to be reet fussy, any grease ports might enjoy a squirt after a long seasons use…
Oooh, and if you have the resources and space, maybe get a little winter rat bike for those glorious days that can come out of nowhere…

 

Look guys our bikes are made to ride! I would go out of my mind if I couldn't ride my Triumph all year round, I know rain and road salt buggers up the shiny bits, and I know there are safety issues in the wet, but how about picking and choosing when you go out in the winter? ride out if its dry and if you get caught out in the rain wash and dry your bike down when you get back! lube all the moving parts to retard rust and enjoy a ride out, you should have your leathers on anyway so the cold should not be an issue. It does rain you know in the summer months so don't let the weather and winter stop you RIDE ON!

 

I keep all the bikes road ready all year round even though bad Winter weather may reduce the riding miles. Sometimes though, circumstances may dictate a long lay up so good prep will save headaches/heartaches later on. I bought the Street Scrambler last year with the specific intention of using it all year, all weathers. You just have to maintain a good cleaning regime.

 

I agree! a good cleaning and maintenance regime is vital, even when the bikes are locked away for the winter.

 

couldn't agree more with Julian - I guess it's about getting balance between the amount of time the bike will be parked up and hibernating vs how much effort you put into getting it into the hibernation mode.

My bike isn't asleep for longer than 3m tops. So I'd park it up on paddock stands + vented cover + trickle charger. E10 fuel does put an extra strain in ref to fuel, so I'll be researching the fuel stabilizer options as well.

With the few miles I've been doing across the year, I've been leaving the oil & filter change until the beginning of the season - I'm on the fence with this now reading the posts above ..

 

I've never taken any winter "precautions" with any of my bikes and they've always been fine. They are stored in a secure dry garage though. The only thing I do is run the engines for about fifteen minutes every couple of weeks. As for E10 petrol, I don't use it. I'll also try and give them a run out on a nice day unless they're SORNed.

 

The amount of storage prep will obviously depend to a large degree on length of layup and storage conditions. The OP mentioned storing outside so more precautions will be in order as opposed to indoor storage. I'm also fortunate to have a secure garage, attached to the house and while it's not actually heated, the heating boiler is in there so it never gets lower than several degrees above freezing even in the severe cold spells we get occasionally. I SORNED the ZZR in November a few years back and ended up re taxing it in January when we had a good weather window so now I don't bother!

 

The STA-BIL branded stuff is formulated to work with up to E85 fuel so should easily handle E10. Even so I'd probably use E5 but that's purely personal choice

 

Actually the best bit of advice I can offer is find a friend or relative who can store your bike in their garage for you.

 

Well, Thats it.
Bike away for the winter now. Liberal coating of acf50 spray and acf50 grease (applied with a small brush) on all visible bolts, both tyres off of the deck, battery tender on, small oil rad heater (set for low and to come on at 22:00 to 05:00) and the dehumidifier on too (set for the same time.)
Dust cover on and said my goodbyes and good nights.
Sigh.

 

Correct me if I’m wrong but if I recall correctly acf50 doesn’t do much for anti corrosion.
I went for Jenolite wax-oil spray this time.

 

I've used it for 4 years on the rs and no rust at all. That's all I can go on!!!!
The grease is better on screws and fasteners imho.