How To Winterise A Motorcycle And Store It Over Winter

If your motorbike is going to spend the colder months in a garage or under a cover, a couple of hours of preparation now can save you a flat battery, a corroded chain and stale fuel in spring. Here’s how to winterise a motorcycle properly, step by step, along with the paperwork to sort out if it’s coming off the road completely.

The First Step To Winterise A Motorcycle Is A Thorough Clean

Never put a bike away dirty. Salt from gritted roads mixed with dirt starts corrosion quickly, and damp grime left sitting for months gives it plenty of time to work.

• Wash the whole bike, paying attention to the areas that trap muck: under the mudguards, around the suspension and brake callipers, and the underside of the engine.
• Check that drain holes are clear.
• Dry it completely. A short ride to warm everything through helps drive out moisture from hidden corners.
• Apply an anti-corrosion spray to exposed metal, following the product’s instructions on which parts to avoid.
• Clean the chain and give it a good coat of lubricant to keep rust at bay.

If you do ride occasionally over winter, rinse the salt off after every trip on treated roads. Our guide to winter motorcycle riding covers staying safe if you decide to keep riding.

Choose Where To Store It

Where the bike spends the winter matters as much as anything else you do to winterise a motorcycle. The best place is a cool, dry, well-ventilated garage or shed. Damp is the main enemy, and a sealed space with poor airflow can suffer from condensation. A dehumidifier helps in a garage that tends to feel damp.

Use a cover to keep off dust, but make sure it’s breathable. A non-breathable sheet can trap moisture against the bike. If the bike has to live outside, choose an outdoor cover that is both waterproof and breathable, and add good security such as a ground anchor and lock.

Mice and other small animals like to shelter in quiet corners, and exhaust silencers and airboxes are favourite spots. Blocking the exhaust outlet and air intake with a bag secured by a cable tie keeps them out. Leave yourself a note on the dashboard so you remember to remove them before starting the engine.

Look After The Battery

Batteries lose charge more quickly in cold weather, and a battery left to go flat can freeze, which can cause permanent damage. Battery maker Yuasa advises keeping the charge up and topping it up if it drops below 12.4 volts.

Do You Need To Remove The Battery?

Not necessarily. What matters is keeping it charged. You can either:

• Leave it in the bike and connect a battery maintainer (sometimes called a smart or trickle charger) that regulates the charge so it can stay connected for long periods. Many riders fit a permanent charging lead so they can simply plug in.
• Take it out and keep it indoors in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and extreme cold, still on a maintainer or checked regularly.

Removing it makes sense if the bike is stored somewhere very cold or has no power supply nearby. Lithium batteries are different from traditional lead-acid ones, so check the manufacturer’s instructions and use a charger that is compatible. The same applies to some older bikes with sensitive electrics.

Fuel And E10 Petrol

Fuel is the part that is easiest to overlook when you winterise a motorcycle. Standard (95 octane) petrol in the UK is E10, which contains up to 10% ethanol. According to the GOV.UK guidance on E10 petrol, most motorcycles made since the late 1990s are approved to use it, but some mopeds, particularly those of 50cc or smaller, may not be. You can use the government’s E10 vehicle checker to confirm. E5 remains available as the higher-grade petrol at filling stations that sell two grades.

For storage, motoring organisation GEM Motoring Assist explains that E10 has a shorter shelf life because the ethanol can absorb moisture from condensation in the air space above the fuel. Its suggestions are:

• Consider filling up with super unleaded (E5) before laying the bike up, as it contains less ethanol.
• Fill the tank so there’s little air trapped inside, which also helps stop rust forming inside a steel tank. Don’t overfill it.
• If you use a fuel stabiliser, be aware there’s no set technical standard for these products, so choose carefully and follow the instructions.

Some owners of older bikes prefer to drain the tank and carburettors instead, especially where original fuel system parts may not cope well with modern fuel. Your owner’s handbook or a specialist is the best guide for older machines.

Tyres, Stands And Other Checks As You Winterise A Motorcycle

A bike standing in one position for months can develop flat spots on its tyres. The easiest fix is to lift it on paddock stands so the weight is off both wheels. If you don’t have stands, check the pressures every few weeks and move the bike now and then so the same patch of tyre isn’t always taking the load. A dark garage also protects the rubber from sunlight.

While you’re at it:

• Check the coolant is in good condition so it gives proper frost protection.
• Consider changing the engine oil before storage if it’s due.
• Use the downtime for jobs that are easier with the bike off the road, such as fitting heated grips ready for next winter. Our Lampa heated grips review covers one option.
• Clean and dry your riding kit before hanging it up, too. Our Bering Alaska jacket review and Merlin Codsall jacket review look at two jackets worth looking after.

Some owners start the engine every couple of weeks during storage. If you do, let it run until it’s properly warm rather than starting it for just a few seconds. Remember to remove any exhaust or intake bungs first.

SORN, Tax And Insurance

If you won’t use the bike on the road at all, you can declare it off the road with a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). The GOV.UK guidance on making a SORN explains that you can do this online, by post or by phone, and you’ll get a refund for any full months of vehicle tax left. You can’t use the bike on the road until you tax it again.

Insurance works hand in hand with this. GOV.UK says you don’t need to insure a vehicle that is kept off the road and declared SORN. If the bike isn’t declared SORN, it must stay insured even if you aren’t riding it, and the registered keeper of an uninsured vehicle can face a fine of up to £1,000, and the vehicle can be clamped or impounded. Talk to your insurer about what cover you need while the bike is stored before you cancel or change a policy.

Getting It Back On The Road In Spring

If you took the time to winterise a motorcycle properly in the autumn, waking it up again is quick. When the days lengthen, work through the bike before the first ride:

1. Remove the exhaust and airbox bungs and the cover.
2. Refit or reconnect the battery and check it’s fully charged.
3. Check tyre pressures, tread and condition.
4. Check oil, coolant and brake fluid levels, and look for leaks.
5. Clean and lubricate the chain and check its tension.
6. Test the brakes, lights, horn and indicators.
7. Tax the bike again if you made a SORN, and make sure your insurance and MOT are in place.

Take the first ride gently while you and the bike get used to each other again. Things settle, stick and stretch over winter, so a final check after that ride is a good habit.

You’ll find more seasonal advice across Beyond The Garden Gates.

Kaan Rassad

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