Hi,

Given the season, I thought I'd see how many of you keep going through the worst months on two wheels or do the winter storage thing until spring. 

Of those who give up til next year I'd be interested how many of you go through a routine of prepping the bike for storage, I've read a lot of tips online for winter prep, I wouldn't use them all myself but do try to do some, here's what I can think of off the top :

Engine oil change
Brake fluid change
Fuel stabilizer in petrol, tank full
Carbs drained
Battery off bike, into house w. charger
Tyres inflated high, on stands or roll bike each week to avoid flat spots
Wash down, dry and treat with WD40, FS365 or ACF50
Balloon over exhaust(s)
Plugs out, top end manually lubed w. engine oil, plugs back in
Lubrication service as per service schedule

I'm sure the list could just go on, I'd love to keep the bandit in service throughout but as I often leave work at midnight or later, it can get a little risky when the frost comes along.  While 4 wheels are available it definitely has become the convenient choice this month.

Nick

Hi Nick! (and welcome to the site)   I rode my bike through the Winter last year (including riding up to a Ski resort in a blizzard) and intend to carry on this year too, albeit with a couple of modifications.   a) In sub-zero temperatures, my oil pressure light would come on at low revs. To counter this I will be putting a lighter grade in (less viscous).   b) I have also just had both my wheels replaced (after 5K miles) as the nipples were seized and it was not possible to adjust the spoke tension. This Winter the whole bike will be liberally coated with ACF 50 which should help protect it against the copious amounts of 'salt' they cover the Highland roads with.     Other considerations are just to check your tyres have a full tread on them and if possible keep your tank full of fuel when in storage as you have already listed (as condensation can form on the inside of the tank and dilute your petrol). I also stick the trickle charger on just to help the battery turn the engine over on the extra cold days.   Hope this helps a little...   p.s. I had some of my best days out on those crisp Winter days... *sigh*                                                                                                                                                                               

welcome to the site mate, and nice new topic.   I ride all winter, always have since ive been riding.  Still riding to work everyday now.   Mind u, its much colder here in holland and we had a lot of snow last year, so im looking at getting a car for them sub-zero weeks this winter.  Was car searching yesterday actually                                                                                                                                                                             

Nice thread Nick...(oh, and welcome to the site too....) All i have to say is i'm glad that i happen to be an all year round rider myself also........reason i'm glad is i don't think i could be arsed to do all the necessary stuff (and maybe more) that you've listed!                                                                                                                                                                             

LOL @ Arfur      Same here Nick I ride all year round 7 days a week                                                                                                                                                                             

TeeCee wrote "as the nipples were seized" ........   So many jokes, so little time!                                                                                                                                                                             

Thankfully Harley do a Heated Bra......                                                                                                                                                                              

I don't use the bike as often through winter, but I still do use it.   Those clear crisp days with little traffic due to the cold can offer some of the year's best riding.   Christmas Day afternoon for example (remembering of course that I don't drink) can be superb for a ride out as the roads are totally dead.   Also, keep riding through winter and because you have to make your riding as smooth as possible, it helps your riding when the warmer weather comes again.                                                                                                                                                                             

Just out of interest, has anybody used one of those bike cocoons?   (Those hermetically sealed inflatable bike bubbles...)                                                                                                                                                                             

Doesn't that make cornering difficult?                                                                                                                                                                             

Cornering is a little more difficult I guess, but imagine looking like a snowglobe everytime you go over a speed bump - coool!!                                                                                                                                                                             

I'll admit to not really using my bike through the winter. And am afraid my bike gets none of the aforementioned care. He gets his winter quarters under the window with a waterproof cover and a an Oxford Stormex cover over the top. I start it every 10 days or so and let it run for 15-20 mins to get fresh fuel through the carbs, and if the weather is dry, a quick run round the block(say 10 miles or so). If it wont start, i trickle feed the battery for 24hrs(I have the adaptor thingy permanently attached) And thats about it if i'm honest. The mot is due in march, so it gets a service before that and we're good to go for spring                                                                                                                                                                              

A couple of people of the biker-babe site have written on there about how they winter their bikes in those bubbles a bit like a vacuum bag, not sure how good they are though. I don't put my bike up for the winter, didn't even do that when I had my 125 and was on L plates although I don't use it as much in the winter. I am on a training day on Saturday this week with Rospa, for slow riding, dropping and picking up a bike and how to walk with your bike which I think will be a good learning curve for the winter months not that I plan to drop my bike.                                                                                                                                                                              

Eep! Tell them to read the instructions, CG - they should be blowing air into the bag, not vacuuming it out!   I like the sound of that course! I often wondered if I would be able to pick my bike up on my own in the middle of nowhere - found out a couple of months ago! However I had read up on how to do it beforehand and there is certainly a technique to make it easier.... Please let us know how you get on with the course?                                                                                                                                                                             

i ride all year no problemo with milder weather dan sarf!! dont start migratin we got enough datty northrener's ere already!![this doesnt mean yu TC! x]                                                                                                                                                                             

My Honda 750 gave up the ghost Tuesday morning in the snow... (went onto 3 cylinders had to keep blipping the throttle to avoid getting stuck in traffic not easy with a slipping clutch and snow on untreated roads lol) throttled off at work then nothing.........went back to her at lunch almost flattened battery trying to get her to fire up......... called insurance as I've got roadside assist/recovery..... hoped he'd get it started again ("must be joking mate boss only gives us 20mins tinkering time and it's bloody raining too") I quipped put it in your nice big warm van and do it in there then ("mutter mutter jobsworth jobsworth..... not allowed to do that mate due to it being in a confined space oh and it'll take longer than 20mins probably to get tank off tinker and put it all back togeather.......") get me home then gumble.......grrrrrrr I've no power in my little garden shed and it's full of junk no room for bike, too bloody dark and cold tonight after work to get anything done, (I'll empty shed tomorrow.... erm tonight and get my camping gas fire in there extension lead and lamp and do open ignition surgery........keep you all posted   

Oh, nasty HR, I on occasion try to do something in the garage by camping gaz lantern (like you no mains) but it's a swine for sure.  Good luck getting her running again!

                                                                                                                                                                             

Given the choice these days I'd rather not ride through winter but have to,no car at the moment

                                                                                                                                                                             

Been there Oggy mate!!   Always remember getting the blowtorch out of the shed in order to defrost the frozen gate so that I can get the bike out to go to work!!                                                                                                                                                                             

bit milder here today sun's shinin but windy!![curry last night]