These stills are taken from our 'Winterizing' video which can be purchased from our ebay shop

How to prepare your bike for Winter storage A.K.A. 'Winterize your bike'

Preparing your bike for storage over Winter is, of course, a simple process. Why then do so many of us forget to do it properly or even at all. I think it's because the riding season doesn't have an official 'That's it lads, Summers over, put your bikes away' day. We're never quite sure if we're going out again or not. In an attempt to help people make the conscious decision to prepare their bikes and not have to strip and clean their carbs or replace their tyres or battery we've written this guide which accompanies the video.

CLEANING

The most important clean of the year is the last one, if you've braved the road salt then make sure you rinse your bike off thoroughly with COLD water first.

Then using a water based degreaser such as 'Jizer' and a small brush get into your nooks and crannies and soften up the encrusted dirt. I use a hose at this point to get rid of the degreaser and the crud you've softened before washing the bike with hot soapy water. I would recommend against using a pressure washer as they do tend to remove stickers and any flaking paint to aggressively, stick to a normal hose wherever possible.

With the bike still wet get some service spray like 'duck oil' and coat all the hidden away parts. If you're storing the bike in damp conditions use duck oil everywhere and ignore the polishing part later on.

Note:

If you have any leather parts, don't cover them with Duck oil, take them off and store them in the house all winter so they don't get moldy.
Don't cover your brake disks unless you're going to remove your pads first and store them off the bike.
Duck oil will wash off easily in Spring, but make sure you concentrate on your disks, using some brake cleaner after normal washing.

FUEL

Fill your tank with nice fresh fuel, leaving a little gap at the top.

Mix in some Fuel stabilizer as per the makers instructions.

Run your bike until it's fully warmed up and then turn it off.

Turn off your fuel tap if you have one and drain the carbs (Fuel injected bikes skip this step)

OIL

Use oil contains contaminants so it needs to be changed before storage, I always change my filter at this point too, so that it doesn't need doing when the sun is shining.

It's important not to run your engine again until spring as this will just contaminate the oil again.

BATTERY

Simple. Take you battery off and store it in the house.

Two things kill batteries

• Cold
• Being constantly charged/discharged

Only leave your battery on if you've got an alarm and really can't avoid it. If this applies to you, you've probably got an automatic battery charger attached too. Everyone thinks these are great, except me it seems. The people I know who use them tell me at great lengths how fantastic they are, but then also add that they still have to buy a new battery every year. It seems obvious to me that a battery being constantly discharged by an alarm is also being constantly charged by an automatic battery charger, and this is bad for your battery. Of course I may be wrong, but that doesn't stop me having an opinion.

POLISHING

If your storage is dry you can use polish instead of duck oil.Polish all the paintwork, exposed alloy and chrome work with a good automotive polish.

If your storage is damp I'd recomend using Duck oil everywhere, but you will have to clean the bike again come Spring time.

CHAIN

Adjust your chain, why, well you may as well when it's cold rather than when the first nice day arrives and you still have all these little jobs to do. You need to lubricate it with good thick wax, don't use dry lube as this won't protect your chain from corrosion.

TYRES

Your tyres will deteriorate if left cold for too long. Check your pressures are correct and if possible get your wheels off the ground. If you can't then roll the bike onto cardboard or wood and make sure you roll the bike around every couple of weeks taking care not to leave the tyres in the same position each time.

SECURITY

Use a good thick, high quality chain and lock through a good solid ground anchor. Make sure you route the chain through your frame or swinging arm rather than a wheel which could be removed easily. Try not to leave the chain hanging on the ground as that just makes it easier for thieves to attack it.

COVERING

I use an old Hollow fibre duvet or two as it gives the bike a bit of protection and most importantly allows the bike to breathe. Waterproof covers will trap dampness and could be more trouble than they're worth. Avoid them if possible. Make sure the bike is completely dry before you cover it as well.

STORAGE

ventilation is the key to drieness, NOT HEAT! A good flow of air will dry any condensation that forms on the bike. A warm but wet environment will do more harm.

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You can also see exactly how to prepare your bike for winter storage by downloading our easy to follow step by step video, available from our ebay store, just click on the link below:

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