Is your bike ready for the long Winter Nap? Here’s the checklist you must follow
Winter is coming. And it’s your bike’s enemy. Just like you put on a coat to avoid catching a cold, your bike needs protection too. Here are five simple steps to follow if you want to avoid unpleasant repairs next spring.
Fill you tank with gas
Motorcycles fuel tanks are mostly made of steel. A small percentage is plastic or aluminium. No matter the material you need to fill it up before winter storage. The heating-cooling cycles generated by using your bike in cold weather may end up with some condensation. This phenomenon creates small drops of water inside your tank. By leaving it fully loaded with gas, it won’t allow the water to rust the interior or the fuel pump.
Keep in mind never to store your bike without fuel. Inside the fuel pump are small rubber o-rings that will dry due to lack of gas. This problem can cause gas leaks or engine stall.
Give the battery some attention
Motorcycle batteries have a limited life – at least two years. If you don’t give the proper maintenance, your battery might die sooner. There’s no need of rocket science procedures. You just need to remember to take and store it inside.
The best solution is to buy a battery tender for your motorcycle’s winter storage. It costs around $100, but it will help a lot. This tool is built to continue the charging and uncharging cycles when your bike is stored. Any battery tender comes with a can-bus connection that makes it even easier to use. You just have to mount the connection and plug it to the tender when you stop using the bike.
A cover will keep your motorcycle safe and dry
The motorcycle covers are very accessible, and you can find them very easy. You can choose between material thickness and colour. With $70 you can buy the one that meets your requirements.
No matter if you want to store it indoor or outside is recommended to use a cover. It will protect the paint job and will keep the dust and water away. Almost all the covers are hydrophobic and will keep your bike dry.
Attention, try to keep the cover away from freezing. It may easily crack and it might become useless. Never use it when your bike is hot, it will melt from the heat.
Leave the bike on the centre stand
For any long period storage try to keep the bike on the centre stand. If your bike doesn’t have one, you can buy a regular motorcycle stand for less than $100.
The reason you need to store it like this is simple. It keeps the front fork load even and it takes less storage room. Moreover, the tires will keep their round shape.
Lubricate your chain
The chain transmission motorcycles need more attention than the ones with shaft drive. It is important to clean and lubricate the chain at least at a 600 mile interval. This simple procedure will lengthen your motorcycle’s chain life.
Here’s the smartest way to clean and lubricate your motorcycle’s chain. Watch the video below
The lack of lube during the winter storage leaves the chain vulnerable to air humidity. It will end up rusting and it will be useless. The chain rubber o-rings also tend to dry out and tear apart from heating-cooling cycles. A simple chain lubrication will spare you from a lot of problems.