Thx for all replies. Seems best (possibly) to not start it unless gonna ride it for a reasonable ride, to decrease chance of condensation etc. Charging it once a week seems ok (I don't leave it on all the time, but know there are numerous views on this also) and moving the wheel in 6th gear also? Cheers again, Andrew.
No! Start it for the love of God! (there may be an alternative view to this along shortly...). The basic gist, doc, is that you can pretty much do whatever you want with a modern bike. fifty years ago you'd be asking for trouble storing a bike, but times, metallurgy and rubber fetishes have moved on since then. Just try to give it a run when the weather's mild over winter, and the bike will be absolutely fine.
Starting it also allows you to check no nasty salt or condensation has crept in and corroding bits, while its ticking over. Learned that the hard way. There is one less 916sps in the world.
Keeping mine in the house, starting it is frowned upon by the 'trouble and strife' so I just disconnect the battery and spin the back wheel with it in gear from time to time to move the belts. However I'm not sure if the Pani has belts!? I'm sure someone will correct me on this?.
I start mine and let it run for about 30min mainly to move the belts and to stop the fuel gunging up my fuel system.
Never ran my bikes over the winter, just filled the tank and they live on a Optimate, no condensation in the tank, no fogging of the oil level sight glass, starts first stab of the button. As for flat spotted tyres, urban myth? Oh, and the first battery in my 749 lasted 9 years. Duke
if its only for four or five months over winter don't get too paranoid about it. Stabilisers in modern fuels are good enough not to start congealing in that space of time. If your machine is old enough (don't know about the newer stuff), just stick the kill switch on and turn it over for a second or two once a month. I agree about optimates- they ised to have an issue where the desulphate cycle could sometimes knacker a battery, but again, if you're unsure just charge it over night once a month or so- and that desulph cycle is perfect for knackering L-Ion batteries. Personally - I'd only start it if I intend to ride it for all the reasons above about condensation and moisture, but again with a modern engine you really don't have that much to worry about. Its about keeping it in persepctive, its easy for us to get over cautious and all nanny about our machines, yes we've paid good money for them and yes they're a ducati, but in essence they shouldn't be any more different than any other bike or car that's well looked after. If you know its going nowhere till march, park it up, give it an oil change, turn the engine over once a month or so, and kick your feet up and enjoy the fire with a glass of what you fancy. Come spring, with a full battery, it'll fire up and off you go.
Im not giving up yet.....verywindy here yesterday but still got out for an hr, been a few weeks since I had it out ( the bike of course )...started fist time on the button, no optimate hooked up yet, living in hope of a dry winter.
Im firmly in the leave it alone camp. Give it a good clean, brim the tank, add fuel stabiliser, pop it in the trickle charger, pop a cover over it and leave it alone. If you can, get something between the tyres and the cold floor (carpet or air even). If you can bring in in the house, all the better, but being in a cold garage wont hurt. Waste of petrol and energy firing it up once a week
Bike is in a wood frame garage (some bricks I guess) with plaster board walls and a carpet covering floor. Seems relatively warm (warmer than my previous brick garage). I brim the tank (although will try to ride bike if conditions allow) and charge battery weekly - only takes a couple of hours to be back to "two greens" on optimate. Thx again all replies.
Ditto I have done exactly as above for as long i have had bikes which is a very long time, plus all my bikes are sat on a thick wood base of scaffolding boards.
with my bitches ive always simply left them alone...my precautions have always been, place a carpet under the front tyre, get the rear on a paddock stand. give the bike a good clean everywhere, lightly lube the chain (without removing any excess)..i usually remove the side panels just to prevent accidental damage..then i bung a blanket over the bike, or an old quilt, then a waterproof, breathable cover..24/7 optimate. i think the main thing is to have a garage that is dry if not necessarily warm..dampness causes oxidisation on everything..if the garage was damp id go down the ACF50 route (or whatever that stuff is) and spray the holy bejesus out of everything.. i nearly came earlier this year when i first fired Bella the Bitch up...she hadnt been started for over two years..i got the immobiliser working again (spiked due to flat battery), made sure the battery was charged, turned her over on the kill switch a few times....paused for breath then went for it...she turned over lazily a few times, coughed, wheezed and started!!! for nearly 5 seconds!!! Probably one of my happiest Ducati memories, hearing her thumping away again after a couple of years...i went in and had a breew, coz i darent try again in case she disappointed me...an hour later, she was purring (banging and clattering) outside, making the foundations of the house rattle...happy days..:smile:
Just like to add that I back off the clutch springs and stick some placcy bags over the pipes with lacky bands. Brim the tank, wheels on carpet, disconnect the battery totally and warm store. Cover with lots of blankets (awww) If you get a nice winters day, 20 minutes you're back on the road.
If you thrash the nadgers off your bike all summer the tyres should be bald by winter and you won't have to worry about storage. On the condensation front that will be the least of your worries having thrashed the nadgers off it all summer. ....
