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Five Winter Storage Mistakes That Damage Your Motorcycle
Winter storage seems straightforward: park the bike, cover it, wait for spring. Yet service shops see predictable damage every year from storage practices that owners believe are correct—or simply never considered. Some mistakes are obvious in retrospect; others contradict intuitive assumptions about what protects machinery. Here are five common errors and their consequences.
Leaving fuel in carburettors destroys more motorcycles than winter riding ever could. Modern ethanol-blended fuels begin deteriorating within weeks, leaving varnish deposits that block jets and corrode brass components. Fuel-injected bikes handle storage better—their sealed systems limit degradation—but carburetted machines require deliberate preparation. Drain the carburettors completely, or run the engine until it stalls after closing the petcock. The five minutes this takes prevents the hours of carburettor disassembly and cleaning that await those who skip it.
Battery neglect creates expensive surprises. Lead-acid batteries self-discharge even when disconnected, and several months of storage can discharge them below the threshold where charging recovers full capacity. Lithium batteries handle storage better but aren't immune to damage from extended neglect. The solution is simple: connect a quality battery maintainer. Not a trickle charger, which can overcharge during extended connection, but a smart maintainer that monitors state and cycles as needed. A €50 maintainer prevents €150 battery replacements.
Storing with dirty chains accelerates wear dramatically. Grit embedded in chain lubricant is mildly abrasive during riding, but becomes seriously destructive when left to work on stationary components for months. The chain's slight movements from temperature changes and building vibration grind contamination into rollers and pins. Clean and lubricate chains before storage, not after. The spring cleaning that many riders perform should actually happen in autumn.
Pro Insight
Experience teaches lessons that manuals cannot. Learn from every ride.
Key Point
Take your time to understand the fundamentals before pushing boundaries.
Tyre flat-spotting concerns are often exaggerated but not entirely fictional. Modern radial tyres resist flat-spotting better than older bias-ply designs, and short storage periods rarely cause permanent damage. However, underinflated tyres stored for extended periods on cold concrete can develop subtle flat spots that manifest as vibration until the rubber warms and reshapes. Inflate to the upper end of the recommended range before storage, and consider rolling the bike monthly to change the contact patch position if storage exceeds three months.
Using plastic covers in damp environments traps moisture against surfaces you're trying to protect. Breathable fabric covers allow humidity to dissipate; plastic covers create condensation cycles that promote corrosion. If your storage space lacks climate control, the motorcycle is better uncovered than wrapped in plastic. Indoor storage with stable humidity remains the gold standard, but a well-ventilated garage with a breathable cover beats a sealed plastic shroud in any environment.
