who ever said "just leave the bike over winter, get on and go in spring".... i'll bloody shot ya buggers!!!

in Dec 2008 i finally (after 9yrs of bike only) pass the car test and get a micro-van. i stick to what i preach and made myself drive every day to get the XP under my belt...... my bike meanwhile has been in the shed, panels stripped off waiting for a new chain/sprok kit.
yesterday i finally had enough of driving and wanted to ride my bike. the bloody thing would not move! the sodding rear break has seized on, the chain is well fooked and i could not wheel it out the shed! to top all that i have weird white fluffy stuff (corrosion) GROWING off parts of my bike! this weekend i will be prying off the rear breaks, cut the chain off just so i can get the bike out side for a HOT wash!

so for those of you who think just leaving a bike to its own over winter with no prep...... !@*˙ƒ∂^¥!!!
and its snowing next week!

very good point lp
my dad paid the price on his zx6r the brakes did the same thing,
we had to pry them off the front and they never been the same again.

buger.. unlucky mate..

so can anyone give some good pointers for storing a bike for a period of time?

i think that the key point here is,unless you have a well ventilated but heated garage or shed then you need to store the bike over the winter months correctly.

downside being,that when there is a good sunny day(rare!!!!)you can't just roll the bike out the garage/shed and hit the roads

the haynes manual at the back has a good guide to storing the bike for the winter months,and also for getting it back on the road.



william

ok cheers, just got one today so will be having a good butchers...

i know how to "store" my bike, but i had intended to ride it every other day after a month of driving....

No real tips but would add that the modern semi-garage with tumble drier and washing machines are not the place to store your bike. I find I need to keep my switch gear WD40d to prevent sticky action due to having the above appliances next to my bike. Its amazing how quick the bike can be affected by damp air.

If you had washed the crap from it properly before putting it away it wouldnt have happened, the white fur and siezed caliper is due to the amount of salt on the road.

My RVF went in the shed in October and has been on an optimate until last weekend....turned the fuel on a minute of cranking and she fired up ran a bit lumpy for a few mins and then it was fine...

your right on the washing bit. thing is in the past it never got a wash during winter, always washed it just before Easter. this is the 1st time i have ever seen this gunk on my bike, however its the 1st time i have ever had a bike sitting in 9yrs!

i do also need to look at insulating the shed better. it is a metal shed with holes in it... doubt i can do anything to get rid/reduce the damp.

leopard_pagan wrote:i know how to "store" my bike, but i had intended to ride it every other day after a month of driving....

i know mate,i wasn't implying that...........what i was saying was,if you don't want things like that to happen you have to put the bike away for the whole winter.which is a bummer as most of us want to ride on the occasional good day.



william