Winter Storage

[Mr.S2R]

So it is nearing winter, and I don't particularly like riding in the rain, and the cold.  Just wanting some advice on how best to keep my bike in storage until spring/summer.

I am already looking to get one of those battery savers.  Anything else?

cheers 

[loony888]

front and rear stands to keep the tyres off the ground, battery tender, drain the fuel out of it.
i reckon winter is the best time to ride, especially after the early morning dew has burned off.

paul.

[Mr.S2R]

front and rear stands to keep the tyres off the ground, battery tender, drain the fuel out of it.
i reckon winter is the best time to ride, especially after the early morning dew has burned off.

paul.

thanks for the advice - just a question or two - why drain the fuel out?  just out of the tank itself? wouldn't it be best to keep some fuel in for the seals on the injectors etc?  I got a paddock stand for the rear, make sense to get the front up too.

oh yeah it maybe lovely in winter where you are, but here in my little country town it is just plain cold and miserable, and when it eventually rains it buckets (you all know this little country town as Adelaide  )


cheers
jason

[mattyvas]

Winter storage!
Com'on, there is no snow that falls in our cities unlike the Northern Hemi.
Storage, I'm with Loony winter is a great time to ride.
I do agree riding in the rain ain't no fun but then that is always the way with most of the folks on here.

But I guess if you need to store it, Loony's suggestions are on the money.
Don't know if you'd need to drop the oil also.

[Mr.S2R]

Winter storage!
Com'on, there is no snow that falls in our cities unlike the Northern Hemi.
Storage, I'm with Loony winter is a great time to ride.
I do agree riding in the rain ain't no fun but then that is always the way with most of the folks on here.

But I guess if you need to store it, Loony's suggestions are on the money.
Don't know if you'd need to drop the oil also.

haha yeah I know sounds soft! I look at it as a risk analysis also - far greater chance of going down the road in wet conditions.  I rode back from Phillip Island after MotoGP a few years back on my old Pantah along the Great Ocean Road in the pouring rain.  That is when I found out my newly purchased rain proof jacket was actually a sponge.  That experience soured my winter riding - but I digress...

I am about to change the oil anyhow and put a new filter on it. 

[FIFO]

What winter,12 weeks at the best with global warming.
And here in Sydney winter is generally dry and summer wet,
And summer too hot to ride

Probably put it on stands,and a battery tender once a week.
And on  nice sunny winters day's take it for a spin at least a few times over winter


BTW I recently bought an old Honda CB400 with 12000klm on it been sitting in a garage 20 years with a full tank of fuel un started.
I just drained the fuel changed the oil ,new battery  and it ran perfect

[mattyvas]

But that's a jap bike.
Remember we're talking Ducati-Italian here!

Oh did I say that.....

[FIFO]

But that's a jap bike.
Remember we're talking Ducati-Italian here!

Oh did I say that.....

Have Faith my son

[loony888]

leave the oil until you take it out of storage, change the oil and filter then. you should drain the fuel, a low tank will attract moisture which will rust a steel one and contaminate the injection system on them all. Fuel has lots of additives these days and goes stale quickly, best to drain it and run it till it stops, the convenience of having fuel in the bike will be outweighed by the fact that it will run like shit and probably need the injectors ultrasonic cleaned.


paul.

[Mr.S2R]

But that's a jap bike.
Remember we're talking Ducati-Italian here!

Oh did I say that.....

yeah I agree - just helping a friend get her CB400Four up and running - same thing, drained fuel, new oil, and away it purrs.

My mates MHR (no not a MH900e) sits in storage years at a time, always has troubles when he goes to get it out...be it battery, carbs, fork seals

[Mr.S2R]

leave the oil until you take it out of storage, change the oil and filter then. you should drain the fuel, a low tank will attract moisture which will rust a steel one and contaminate the injection system on them all. Fuel has lots of additives these days and goes stale quickly, best to drain it and run it till it stops, the convenience of having fuel in the bike will be outweighed by the fact that it will run like shit and probably need the injectors ultrasonic cleaned.


paul.

thanks again Paul - that has made it a lot clearer.  Just another question (sorry about all the questions!) but my Monster is a 2006 S2R 1000 - would it have a plastic tank?  And the is there a drain tap near the injectors, or do I just disconnect the hoses? I know Australia has the worst fuel in the world - and the highest boiling point.

[loony888]

i'm fairly sure yours has a plastic tank, not sure if there's a drain on the tank or not, you may want to drop the main line from the tank and drain it that way.

paul.

[monstermick58]

Gee, I thoughjt that you would fill the tank to the top just to stop the corrosion but that is with a steel tank, I also would drop the oil out and put in new as the old oil is full of contaminants, wheels off the ground like people have said also bungs in the mufflers and also the air box to stop any hornets or wasps getting in, maybe a light spray of WD-40 on the engine area.






                                 Mmick

[Mr.S2R]

ah thanks for reminding me about the exhaust mick.  reminds me of a flying huntsman I saw come shooting out of a Conti when my mate went to start his old bevel.  was hilarious at the time as it landed on another mate standing behind the bike!  The other thing with fuel in the tank Mick is sometimes it starts to form a gum or residue, and can block fuel lines, carbs etc if left too long in you tank.

[suzyj]

Just stick it on a resistance trainer thingy with the rear wheel up in yer loungeroom, and ride it while you're watching motoGP on the telly in the middle of the night.

At least that's what ppl seem to do with their pushbikes over winter...