tips for winter

[markla]

Hi all i was doing a front brake pad change today and noticed the engine had condensation all over it and what
looked like white spots starting to develope is this corrotion,

would like to know whats the best way to keep my bike in good condition over winter.
the garage is dry but cold do i spray a can of wd40 all over it or wrap the engine in old curtains if i,m not going to ride over winter do i need to drain the carbs or turn off fuel tap start engine and let it run until it stops.

any help/tips would be appreciated i kept the bike else where last winter and i,m freaking out about what will happen to my pride and joy left in my garage this winter.

thanks in advance,mark.

[Burque73]

A recent post from another thread. I'm considering this treatment for mine but it's so dry here I just bring the bike into the garage and it's pretty well preserved.

Pledge, Pledge, Pledge, did I mention Pledge? I use Pledge to clean my windshield, headlight, mirrors, heck the whole bike to include exhaust. Nothing like Pledge lemon in getting the bugs off.

V

Maybe this is your answer. Couldn't hurt to try anyway.

[markla]

thanks but i,m a bit sceptical about furniture polish on my bike a mate of mine said there is a silicon spray i can use but wd40
would be ok for a short period of time am surfing the net at the mo so many products out there gets confusing.

[LAB3]

Pine Sol mixed 50/50 with water can't be beat for cleanup, it'll take minimal rubbing to get the corrosion off. As to a protectant, diesel fuel does a good job.

[Brendan W]

Us folk who live on Atlantic islands get this. Few cold days then, warm front and bike and all the tools in the shed are saturated. Rust follows like night after day.
We had a boiler in the garage for a few years and that made the problem go away. This year the new boiler is indoors and the old problem is back with a vengence.
WD-40 is not a long term solution. I dip in old engine oil and wipe dry. Fish oil looks interesting. I'm going to give it a try.

[Gorminrider]

I advise being careful with blankies or dropsheets in a winter shed...they get really damp in coastal climates. AND don't let them touch the ground anytime of year. Mice run up them and into the bike.
But if you find something that doesn't get damp, keep it handy to throw over when you go into the shed looking for a snowshovel...that is, keep stuff you might need AWAY from the bike.

Oils don't last so you have to renew 'em. They "float off" with dampness. Even axle grease- if there's any corrosion salts under the grease, it pulls moisture through osmotically, I think...which reminds me to say: wash the bike with warm water and dry it before any precautions...living near the sea as you do there's probably salt dust somewhere on the bike from summer....
Actually, pledge doesn't sound too bad on the fins ,rims and metal. It's a wax, it's cheap and will probably stick as well as anything I've tried.

easiest is Keep your tank full of Fresh new gas with stabiliser. Use the old gas up in your car or garden tools. You can drain the carbs or leave em full of stabilised gas...just draining bowls, you won't get it all out-there's quite a bit in passages but you run the bike "dry" before draining, this'll suck enough of these out it won't matter in spring.
I have empty tanks too. I spray em inside with "Fluid-film"(waxy sheep oil apparently). Pledge or wd40 I don't know...and I don't know for sure anyways but they don't seem any rustier than they were before. If you do this, it's good to seal them up...wax-paper under the cap even.

[markla]

Thanks for your replys i have now got a can of silicon spray and come the weekend i will be cleaning the bike draing the
carbs and give the engine a good coating then it will be regular checks to keep an eye on it, we do get the odd dry but cold day here in the uk through the winter but ill just have to wait till march before i.ll be able to ride again.

new clutch is on the list and anything else i come across so enough to keep me occupied.

[Steve]

Whatever you do, do NOT fire up the bike every once in a while to "warm it up" or to "charge the battery" or simply "because it sounds so good". Unless you can get out for about half an hour to get it up to FULL operating temperature, all you are going to do is to add condensation on the inside of the engine and the exhaust system. "Full operating temperature" is above the boiling point of water, so all the condensation will be burned off, preventing the damage.

.

[Grimly]

Many swear by ACF-50 as a winter protectant spray, even on those bikes in use throughout the winter.
I've never tried it, as the cost for a relatively small aerosol can puts me off, largely because of my tightness gene.
I'm looking for a homebrew concoction that might do the job for peanuts.

Something worth mentioning; Pledge and other furniture cleaners on the seat vinyl is a bad idea - firstly, because it makes the plastic slippery as hell when you get back on it, and that can lead to a hairy moment if you have to brake hard, but more importantly I've got a very strong suspicion that vinyl that's been treated with Pledge or Mr Sheen or whatever other furniture cleaner you have actually starts to degrade and crack quicker than it would otherwise have done.

[Brendan W]

To add to Steve's warning about starting up.
The dew point of exhaust gases is about 70C/160F.
At start up everything the gas touches will condense weak acid and it runs into the exhaust and the sump and and and.
This acidic water stays under the oil. In fact until the oil reaches 160F the gas will continue to condense on it.
As the oil gets hotter it will start to drive out the water.
This whole process probably takes a lot longer than you think.

[Gorminrider]

Something worth mentioning; Pledge and other furniture cleaners on the seat vinyl is a bad idea - firstly, because it makes the plastic slippery as hell when you get back on it, and that can lead to a hairy moment if you have to brake hard, but more importantly I've got a very strong suspicion that vinyl that's been treated with Pledge or Mr Sheen or whatever other furniture cleaner you have actually starts to degrade and crack quicker than it would otherwise have done.

Yes, it's crazy on a seat!
....but lots of car-people use it all over the place inside and out..as to damaging plastic, I think the old stuff might have but the newer formulations- I don't know. Pledge themselves say it's fine on vinyl.
I gather from looking around that it has silicone in it now.

[limeex2]

ACF-50 is cheaper when purchased it bulk. It works very good for corrosion removal and makes old plastic look brand new. As far as condensation, in Minnesota I run into it the spring. I leave the garage door closed, but I dont have the Atlantic ocean to deal with. Maybe instead of a heater how about a dehumidifier? You can also use a fan too.

[markla]

ACF-50 is cheaper when purchased it bulk. It works very good for corrosion removal and makes old plastic look brand new. As far as condensation, in Minnesota I run into it the spring. I leave the garage door closed, but I dont have the Atlantic ocean to deal with. Maybe instead of a heater how about a dehumidifier? You can also use a fan too.

thanks for the tip it has crossed my mind but think i,m just going to spray the engine and other shiny parts cover her up and hope for the best and just keep checking her over during the winter its only 16 weeks till spring, i think i can cope that long without riding her.

[markla]

so in the garage and i take the tank off and noticed where the coils are mounted if there should be a rubber tank cushion.

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[markla]

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for some reason i cant rotate the first pic not very tech savey