Winter is on its way - prep for lay up.

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OlafTuono

Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
1,464
Location
Co. Durham - England
Its that time of year again when there are so few decent days that people start to think about SORNing the bikes. I taxed mine in April to catch our summer.

Other than covering it up in a dry garage, with a battery charger on, do you lot have any special ideas for preservation.

Some people say a monthly start up is OK, but others say it does more damage than good.

As a mechanical engineer, that first spin over after a long lay up always sounds horrible, with more mechanical clatter than usual.

This spring, I was hoping it would spin over for a while before firing up, to get the oil circulating, but it started first touch of the button.

On some other sites, for other sorts of bikes, they suggest taking the cam covers off & pouring oil over the cams.

I know lots of you ride throughout the winter & be thinking I am some sort of fair weather rider, but I have an old Honda Dominator to practice slides on, its easier to pick up & looks better with crash scars.
 
If you are not riding for a few months then get it on axle stands and in 6th gear.

Every couple of days or at least once a week turn the back wheel , this allows the valve springs to change position so as not to relax and you end up with short springs due to them being compressed.

I turn the motor on and let the fans come on and off every week.

At the start of the season ......new oil and filter (cheap spanners)

And don`t forget to spray with anti corrosion of your choice.
 
I always run the fuel dry as non leaded tends to gunk up when left for long periods
 
personaly i put in the fuel some fuel stabiliser'plug in the optimate,cover her up and fire her up every 2 monthe til the fan comes on
 
i like to put the bike on axle stands and spray the whole thing in chain wax, a good coat should take 2 - 3 large cans.
 
A use acf 50 on all the metal parts except the discs. If yer were leaving it for months and not firing it up I'd run it out of petrol, or do whit charley t does and use a stabiliser. A was also told that pushing the pistons back into the brake callipers was a good idea.
 
ffs lads... how long is this lay up goona be?

or is there an ice age looming no ones told me about..

ride it. clean it. keep it in a dry house.

or Vasaline !! i like a Vasaline.
 
Wrap up warm and get out on it as often as you can!!!! You`d be surprised how much fun you can still have in the middle of winter, yeah the bike takes more cleaning than in the summer but its worth it just to get out.I use FS365 spray liberally over the mechanicals and furniture polish on the bodywork. Keeps it looking good and the muck comes off better. I go stir crazy if I can`t get out for a blast. Makes the butties at your fave cafe taste even better when its cold!! Gonna get some heated grips before the winter hits. Any recommendations? Might put some handguards on as well they keep the wind blast and rain off a bit.
 
When I was younger, I would have a blast over to the lakes in mid winter, I would be so cold I could hardley get off the bike never mind stand up.
We used to look for a pub with an open fire to help us thaw out.

Now, if I was to fall off when I was that cold, I would shatter into a million bits.
The old bones cant take it.

Its gods way of telling us to stop being so stupid.
 
garry said:
i like to put the bike on axle stands and spray the whole thing in chain wax, a good coat should take 2 - 3 large cans.
Click to expand...

i,ve also been told its a good idea to get rid of the summer air in your tyres, as this will condense differently with the winter air now available.
 
garry said:
i,ve also been told its a good idea to get rid of the summer air in your tyres, as this will condense differently with the winter air now available.
Click to expand...

What if the air was put in in the winter and just topped up in the summer? Do you only take out, say 5% of the air and hope it was only the summer air that came out? Worse, what if you have a real mixture of air from all seasons? How do you check these things? This is worrying...
 
Sparky are you crazy? Seasonal air should never be mixed as it can change the tread pattern! If you do insist on filling your tyres in the winter it is wise to use mediterranean air from your local Shesso garage.

---I'll be using ACF50 and doing a few runs on it over the winter.
 
Wow some tips here. Has anyone tried catching farts and filling their tyres wiht them?
Being a lazy ****, my bike gets a cats lick, a quick spray with Halfords equivilent od acf50 and a cover chucking over it.
I did hear that when a bike/car engine is first started, anytime, there is no oil being circulated for a second or 2, so in my view starting to let it run is going to cause damage, so why not just leave it till you are going out? Ok, shoot me down in flames.:thumbup
 
A ken it's no like mi, bit for once I thought a wee bit aheid. I bottled some o the hot air being talked at the last Fud Fest. Okay the was some ********* mixed in with it, but I have managed to filter it awe oot. I might hae some spare ower the winter months as I'm often in company o Rico (my secret supply). Let me know how much yi need and I'll work oot a price for yi.
I've also got some o the BS left. This is good for the garden, or chatting up the burds.
 

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