My bikes won't get a huge amount of use over the winter, although I try to get out if not freezing cold or roads aren't minging, even if ride is only 20 mind or so. However, it is inevitable that the bikes will sometimes be sitting around for weeks at a time - in these circumstances, should I wheel the bikes around to ease pressure on tyres and should I start them up - 10 mins or so to get em reasonably hot? Or leave em be? I charge the battery each week but don't leave the optimate on all the time. Any advice appreciated. Cheers.
Some ppls opinion will vary. Myself, one a week for 24hrs is enough re trickle charger (unless you have an alarm fitted ). Starting it every two weeks to get it to running temp wont do any harm (?). But this does nothing for belts unless you ride the bike (?). I read somewhere ages ago that a Duke doest get to running performance until 37kms...??!!
I think where you store your bike is more relevant than how often you start it, obviously the drier and warmer the better. Most engine wear occurs in the first few seconds after starting which would suggest just leaving it to sit. Whether belts benefit from being moved to different positions I don't know, but I suspect not. Tyres can be overinflated to prevent flat spots, but this is not really a problem if the bike is on a centre stand as it takes most of the weight. One thing I would certainly recommend is that if you start it get it to operating temperature before switching it of. Lead acid batteries benefit from regular use, optimate or equivalent or slow discharge and recharge occasionally to prevent sulphation.
Leave it alone Unlesss you going for a decent ride dont start it because the engine does not get hot enough and this causes condensation. Give it a couple of months and just see the "Water in oil" or "Has my head gasket has gone?" threads. Personally I leave it with minimal fuel in it. and once a fortnight I rotate the engine so the belts are not in the same position for to long. (Stick it in 6th and rotate the rear wheel) Im not a fan of optimates I think they do more long term damage so I maybe use it 3 times over a long period
I just let mine sit during the winter but it is in an attached garage where my central heating boiler is located. When the roads are clear I will give it a good run but always give it a good wash before putting it away again due to concern over invisible salt and put the charger on every couple of weeks for 24 hrs.
I do the same, except I have the tank full of fuel so as to prevent getting condensation in the tank and therefore water in the fuel or encourage corrosion in there. whats the thinking on minimum fuel? Is it about the fuel going off and varnishing up the injectors? Is this the greater of the two evils? mine is in a cold shed, so I spray them with FS365.
I just unplug my batteries. I start my bikes monthly and let them warm up good and proper in the garage. Both of em. Sounds like thunder. Proper revving once warm. At least 10mins. Never had any issues. Makes me feel better. Oh I also empty a tin of wd40 on them before I put them away. Then both are covered too. Then I mope away forlornly praying for the occasional nice winter day. I don't ride in the winter if I can help it. Salt kills ducat's. Ive done my winter commute thing in all weathers and frankly I always hated it. So I just don't.
I keep mine in the house nice and warm where I can just sit and look at it over winter (yes sad I know!). And when my other half asks me to do some cleaning and polishing guess where I start! :biggrin:
I sealed my tank with POR15 tank seal as I had a pin hole leak. So essencially my tank is plastic on the inside now
I think as it's your bike you can do as you damn well please with it. I don't do anything to my bikes over winter, maybe get out once or twice a month on them, and stick the charger on if it looks like being a decent weekend. Just keep it somewhere dry and try to get out on it every now and then, and no nasties will appear.
It's not worth starting up unless you are going for at least a 40 miler I reckon. starting up and warming up for ten minutes will only drain the battery if you do it too often and won't really heat the thing through fully IMHO. ...flat spotting the tyres?...isn't that something that used to happen to 1960's scalextric cars or dinky toy cars if you left them standing for ten years? Does flat spotting really happen to modern tyres if they are only left for three or four months?! I can understand an old 1960's or 70's tyre suffering if you left it...for a year or so...but four months?!... Cam belts might be a different story - so a 6th gear wheel roll sounds sensible to me...
The bikes hibernate in a nice dry warm attached garage. I strip them down and give them a good fettle whilst all the fairings are off, air filters, clutch out to clean, fuel relay etc etc. For years I have started them up and let them run for about 25mins with the occasional blips change the oil before the biking season starts. Last winter I decided that the condensation theory made sense! and decided not to run them. The 999 had always started on the button for years, but not this year. Oddly enough as the summer passed by it became better at starting again? I've decided to revert back to what I've always done and let them run once a month. Bounce the suspension now and again and turn the wheels. Always kept them on the optimate, 24hrs, 7 days a week for years and years and the batteries last longer than my car ones do.
So what's the story with plastic tanks? Why is it best be empty? My k1300s is full to the brim and now I am thinking I need to get out for a good ride or syphon it off into a Gerry can.
Modern fuel with ethanol can attract or hold water (I don't know the ins and outs) and that can attack metal tanks, so it's better to keep them topped up and wet. Or something like that. Conversely, it can also play havoc with plastic tanks, attacking the plastic and deforming it, so it's far more preferable to empty a plastic tank before storing. In either case you want to get it out of your carbs/FI if at all possible, cos it turns to jelly after a while too. Nasty stuff that ethanol.
