With winter fast approaching, many riders are starting to think about putting their bikes away for the next few months. You might want to protect your bike from the weather, feel uncomfortable riding in icy conditions or simply not enjoy riding in the cold weather. 

However, if you are storing your motorcycle for the winter months, you’ll want to make sure it’s properly stored away and adequately protected, which is why we’ve put together this guide to properly store your bike.

Storing your bike helps prevent damage to the engine, tyres and exposed metal components, but not properly protecting it can lead to corrosion, flat tyres and damage to the battery.

Your bike can be at risk of damage when temperatures get below freezing if not stored correctly.  Cold weather can cause condensation and moisture to build up, leading to corrosion and rust. It can also cause your bike’s oil, coolant and brake fluid to thicken, damage battery health and reduce pressure in your tyres. 

If you’re new to riding, it can be hard to know what you need to do to look after your bike – especially in the winter. The key things you’ll want to focus on are: 

• Thoroughly cleaning your bike
• Getting the oil changed
• Checking coolant levels
• Checking tyre pressure
• Keeping the battery charged
• Elevating your bike
• Securing it inside your garage

We’ll cover these in more detail throughout the article, but by following these steps, your bike will be in much better shape come spring.

It’s always best to store your motorcycle inside over winter, as storing outside is significantly more likely to cause rust. However, if you don’t have a garage there are other options.  

If you have a garden, you could store it in a shed or motorcycle shelter, and if not, there are dedicated self-storage units or vehicle storage facilities you can take advantage of. Alternatively, you can use a water tight motorcycle cover – such as the Oxford Stormex. However, you’ll need to avoid storing your bike on damp ground, and block up the exhaust and air intake to prevent moisture and rodents. 

If your motorbike is being kept in storage and you have declared it SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification), you will not legally need to insure it. 

However, we do recommend taking out Laid Up insurance, which covers you for loss or damage to your vehicle as a result of fire or theft. 

To stop your motorbike from being declared SORN, all you need to do is tax it, as this automatically cancels its SORN status. However, before riding, you will need to make sure you have valid motorbike insurance and a current MOT certificate (if not exempt).

Before putting your bike away for the winter, you’ll want to make sure it’s been thoroughly cleaned. This helps prevent corrosion and degradation from road salt, dirt and moisture, and keeps your bike’s surface in good condition for when you need it again in the spring. 

To clean a motorbike, you’ll need:

The Muc-Off Motorcycle Essentials Kit includes brushes designed for spokes and rims, motorcycle protectant, a nano tech motorcycle cleaner and much more. Plus, it’s all kept in a handy draw-string tote, so everything you need to clean your motorbike is all neatly in one place.  

The Tru-Tension Luxury Motorcycle Bundle offers premium bike care, with products to remove grime, protect your breaks and tyres and shields paintwork. Designed specifically for motorbikes, this kit helps maintain your bike and maximise its performance – for only £50!

You’ll also want to make sure your motorcycle is in good condition before placing it into storage. 

It’s always best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to maintaining your vehicle, but as a general rule, you’ll want to get your oil changed, check fluid levels and tyre pressures to ensure everything is working as it should. 

You’ll want to change your motorcycle oil before storing it away for winter, as fresh oil will better protect the engine. Used oil could contain excess moisture that can cause corrosion over time. 

Every bike is different, so when it comes to changing your oil, you’ll need to consult your owner’s manual, source a service manual or take it to a reputable motorcycle garage. 

If you have a liquid-cooled engine, it will contain liquid coolant. This will need to be changed, but the frequency of this will depend on your level of usage and the make and model of your bike. 

You’ll know that your motorcycle’s coolant needs changing if:

• The colour is cloudy or rusty
• There are particles floating in the coolant
• It’s outside of normal levels

If you think your motorcycle coolant needs changing, consult a reputable garage. 

Once it’s warm enough to ride again, the last thing you want to find is a rust-covered motorbike. 

This not only looks bad but also impacts your bike’s safety and performance capabilities – which over a long period of time can damage your suspension, frame, and even the engine components. 

To protect your motorbike from rust, you’ll want to store it in a well-ventilated area, use rust inhibitors and wax painted areas. 

During winter, you should keep your fuel tank completely full and add a fuel stabiliser. 

A full tank leaves less space for air, reducing your risk of rust. Meanwhile, a fuel stabiliser will help prevent the fuel from oxidising and keep it fresh throughout the winter. 

To prevent rusting, you’ll need:

• Rust inhibitors: Rust inhibitors create a protective barrier on the metal parts of your bike, using chemical compounds to prevent oxygen and moisture from getting to the surface of your bike. 
• Wax: Wax isolates the metal of your motorbike from corrosive agents, protecting the metal and the painted surfaces from rusting.
• Fuel stabiliser: Fuel stabilisers can help prevent oxidation within the fuel tank. They can also disperse water molecules within the fuel to stop them from pooling and causing the metal surfaces within the tank to rust. 

ACF-50 was originally designed to protect aircraft from corrosion, having to meet rigorously high standards – and now it’s available for motorcycle use. 

It works by forming an active ultra-thin, clear film that kills existing corrosion cells and protects your bike from new corrosion forming. You can spray it, wipe it on with a rag or have it professionally fogged for complete protection.

The Lanoguard motorbike protection starter kit comes with Moto Grease – a high performing waterproof grease ideal for motorbike chains, linkages and bearings – and Moto Spray – a water repelling coating for the frame, electrics, chrome and exposed metalwork of your bike. Together, these products offer your bike a comprehensive protection from rust to keep your bike performing smoothly. 

Leaving your motorbike battery alone over winter could cause irreversible damage. Cold weather will speed up the battery drain. 

When a battery has been left in a discharged state for too long, sulphate crystals can begin to form on the battery’s lead plates, in a process known as sulphation. 

This is the main cause of battery failure, so you’ll want to keep your battery charged to best protect it. 

 Cold weather can reduce the capacity and performance of your motorbike battery. 

Typically, the weather begins to negatively affect a battery’s capabilities when temperatures get below zero. Plus, while a fully charged motorcycle battery can withstand extreme temperatures (up to   -59°C), a discharged battery can freeze at -2°C, causing permanent damage. 

Your motorbike’s battery will start to drain after a few weeks without regular riding intervals – although this process can speed up in cold weather or if you have an alarm attached. If you leave your bike alone for a few months without maintaining the battery, you may come back to a permanently damaged battery that can’t be recovered. 

If your battery has been discharged for some time, you may need to jumpstart it. To do this, you’ll need to use a car engine and jumper cables. To start, both the motorbike and car will need to be switched off. 

Connect the positive clips to the positive terminals of the motorcycle battery and car engine. Then connect the negative clips to the negative terminal of the car engine and any metal surface on your bike. You can then attempt to start your bike, and ride it for 10-15 minutes to charge your battery. 

If this doesn’t work, you may need to replace your battery.

 If you’re storing a motorbike for long periods of time, you’ll want to get a trickle charger. 

These chargers will maintain your battery slowly over long periods of time to prevent sulfation and battery drain. Here are a couple of our favourites:

The CTEK XS 0.8 is a compact, fully automatic 6-step charger designed to ‘connect and forget.’ It’s simple to use and comes with an easy-to-read display so you can check up on the charging process. 

The TecMate OptiMate 2 Duo Quad Bank Battery Optimiser is a charger-maintainer that’s ideal for all types of 12V lead acid and 12.8V/13.2V lithium LFP batteries. It can diagnose, recover, charge and maintain automatically for no risk of overcharging, and comes with a weatherproof battery lead and battery clip set. 

If you’re storing your motorcycle for a few months, it’s a good idea to get it off the ground. This removes the weight from the tyres (preventing flat spots) and reduces pressure on the suspension. 

If you keeping your motorbike elevated isn’t possible for you, other options include: 

• Over inflating the tyres to help them maintain their shape.
• Regularly rotating the tyres by moving the motorbike into different positions.
• Place a mat in between your tyres and the cold floor.

While these options can help, it is best to get your bike off of the ground where possible. 

One of the most effective ways to keep your motorcycle elevated is by using a paddock stand, as they can lift your wheels off the ground completely. Here are a few of our favourites: 

The BikeTek front paddock stand allows for the easy and safe lifting of your bike’s wheels. Supplied with front under fork adaptors, this paddock stand is robust yet simple to use – and only costs £41.67!

Oxford’s Zero-G Lite Rear Paddock Stand is well-suited for all kinds of bikes and has been scientifically designed to minimise the required effort. Plus, they’re lightweight themselves, weighing only 4kg!

When securing your motorbike in a garage, there are a few steps you can take to protect it. We recommend using a ground anchor and heavy-duty locks and chains, as well as a garage door defender. 

You can also alarm your garage and install a security camera, but a ground anchor is one of the most useful things you can install in your garage.

The Mammoth Thatcham Ground Anchor uses two layers of hardened steel to increase protection. You can install it in a garage as well as outdoors, and it has been Sold Secure Gold approved. 

The Oxford Beast Anchor is an extra-strong bolt-down anchor, built of hardened steel and double-layered for durability. This ground anchor is Sold Secure Diamond verified, having passed attack tests from tools including pliers, bolt croppers, a drill and a 90-second angle grinder attack – giving you protection from some of the most commonly used tools by motorbike thieves.  

 

So, there you have it. We hope this guide to storing your motorbike has been useful. If you’re off the roads for the winter, don’t forget you can get a quote for Laid Up Motorcycle Insurance direct from Lexham!