If you live in the one of the cold weather states as I do, then you face the yearly hibernation of your motorcycle. To get a head start on the next seasons riding a few basic steps taken during the initial storing will pay dividends in the spring.

If your motorcycle will be stored in an unheated garage or building you should lay down a piece of indoor-outdoor carpet for it to sit over. I do this and it seems to keep moisture from the floor due to temperature fluctuations from getting on the motorcycle.

I put a coat of wax on all exposed parts of the engine, frame, tins, front forks, lights, handlebars, wheels - in other words on every metal part that is exposed to the cold temperatures. For the leather saddle I use a good leather conditioner. When spring comes I just have to wipe the wax off and not only did it protect my motorcycle but after wiping it down itlooks good to go!

Keep the fuel tanks full during storage to prevent condensation from forming and contaminating the gasoline.

Buy a battery maintainer that charges your battery as needed during storage. They are inexpensive and your investment in one helps prolong battery life and insures that your motorcycle will start when it's time to ride.

If your motorcycle will be stored in a heated environment I recommend doing the same procedure as above, however it isn't as crucial as cold storage. Decide for yourself which procedures you feel will benefit you in your particular situation.

Before riding your motorcycle after taking it out of storage be sure to check the air pressure in both tires. Adjust the pressure to the manufactures recommendation. Riding on underinflated tires is unsafe and wears them out sooner than they should.

Check all your lights and replace any weak or burned out bulbs. Make doubly sure that your brake light is working. A burned out tailight, and especially a burned out stop light are major causes of cars running into the back of motocycles.

Test your front and rear brakes before riding to make sure they are still in operating condition after the storage period.

Do a maintenance check to see if any parts need tightened up, like a sissy bar or headlight housing.

After you've completed all the above and are satisfied the motorcycle is safe and is looking good - get on it and ride like you  stole it.