Winter storage

[rybes]

Right now in sulking. Friday saw the last day of the bike season here in Denmark. As I've ridden my bike all year before I've never had to lay it up for 3 months so a bit unsure of any tips I can get to make sure the next 3 months don't cause an issue come March. So, what should I do?

[Nick Calne]

Ride it round inside the house once every week and adjust anything that is not working.

[ssevy]

Living in upstate NY in the Adirondacks, storage of 4 months or more is a sad reality, especially as salt is used on our roads to melt ice and snow. I have been storing bikes and other seasonal gas powered devices for decades now, so here is what works for me:

1- Oil and filter change to get fresh synthetic oil in the crankcase to avoid any damage from acids building up in old oil. Also, when I do get my first sunny day to ride in the spring, I don't have to waste riding time changing oil and filter.

2- We have non-ethanol gas available here, and this is the single most important item! I pump a gallon in my car's tank first to get any mixed gas out of the hose, then fill up my portable container to take back home to the bike. Since I run only non-ethanol all season, I don't need to drain any fuel out before I top it off with fresh non-ethanol from my can. I also use Star Tron to stabilize the fuel and remove any condensate from the atmosphere which could get in the tank.

3- I wash off the bike's exterior and then put a good coat of wax on it before it goes into storage. On the way to the storage facility, I turn my Scottoiler to a high setting to get plenty of oil on the chain. Before I had the Scottoiler, I would clean the chain and then put plenty of lube on it to keep any moisture from causing rust on it.

4- I put the bike on the center stand or jack, and then I'll stop by every few weeks and just grab the spokes and rotate the tire a bit so it doesn't get any flat spots. Others overinflate their tires prior to storing them for the same reason.

5- Lastly, I tuck some dryer sheets in and around the bike to keep the rodents from building a nest over the winter. Battery comes home and joins two others that share a trickle charger all winter. I rotate the charger evry few days so they all stay fresh.

[Nick Calne]

Comprehensive and intelligent, but not as much fun as my method.

[ssevy]

My method is for non-castle dwellers.

[rybes]

That's great cheers ssevy. I know what I'm up to at the weekend

[Nick Calne]

We know you live in a castle too Rybes.

If I can add something vaguely sensible. I always find that when you put them to bed for winter it is the best time to check over for general deterioration in non maintenance items

Grips, fasteners, the rubber thing in the gear change. Take a good look and get shopping.

Then get a black sharpie and attend to any minor scratches in black items. A coloured one can all so work on coloured fairings...if you are careful.
Check bulbs, clean lights etc.

If nothing else it gives you something to do before spring.

[rybes]

The only thing my house has in common with a castle nick is the cold
There's a few little scratches here and there but it could possibly being resprayed soon so I'm not to worried about them. There's also a good chance it'll be ripped apart and get a good going through and change all the lights to leds and anything else that needs sorting out