Triumphrat

Doc007 · 11-10-2007

I have put my bike away for the winter but am not ruling out a quick blast if the weather is particularly good. Therefore, I DO NOT want to completely disassemble her, wrap the bits in old newspaper and put them at the back of my sock drawer. I have put a battery tender on her and got both wheels in the air with the aid of an ABBA stand and ratchet strap.
So the question is this: what else should I be doing to ensure she is fighting fit come the spring? I have some ACF-50 which is a protective spray (as recommended by MCN) and am not sure which bits to protect. I sprayed the downpipes last year and the resulting smoke made me look like a firework going down the street.

TonUp · 11-10-2007

I only clean them, battery tender, fill up tank with fuel, and pitbull stand on the Triple and center stand on the others.

Ton Up!

KAH24 · 11-10-2007

I ride all year around in the South, but if I did live up North for 2 years a while back--and did store a bike for the winter. I did the following and would do it this way again if needed:

1. Take one last ride to warm up the oil.
2. Put several ounces of fuel stabilizer in the tank (I use StaBil) when the tank is half full. Fill the tank to the top as this mixes the stabilizer with the gas. Run for a few minutes/miles to get the treated fuel to run through your injectors. Shut her down and top off the gas in the garage.
3. Change the oil/filter (I use "Triumph" Mobil 1 15w/50 full synthetic)
4. Wash/wax the bike, clean/lube the chain, lube cables, and do any other maintenance/fiddling around.
5. Put her in the corner of the garage and prop up the front & rear end (I have Pitbull stands)
6. Put a dust cover or sheet over the bike if you wish.

My garage up North was heated/climate controlled as is my garage here in the South. I don't think it makes a big deal one way or the other as long as you prep the bike for storage this way.

I believe in changing the oil/filter before storing and then just riding off in the spring. I don't believe storing the bike with fresh oil/filter in the fall necessitates changing the stuff again in the spring. Oil isn't milk to me, if it was fresh when stored--it should be fresh in spring. I wouldn't store the bike with old oil/filter though.

Regards,

Karl

KAH24 · 11-10-2007

Oh yeah, and I plug up my Battery Tender to the pigtail under the seat.

NinjaRAT · 11-10-2007

I have always done as KAH24 indicated, but I've always pulled the batteries and brought them into the house, where they sat for the duration on tenders. Of course, if they have asteady current of juice, pulling them really isn't necesary.

This is my second winter down south, but I'll likely just put in some stabil, change the oil, and clean the chain for bore putting the S3 away. I'll start her up every few weeks and wot-not.

The Sprint will likely just get some stabil on ever fill up and I'll fit in a ride every few.

I really like the south!

hooliganrider · 11-11-2007

where can you get the abba stand in the US? I want a stand that gets the wheels off the ground while getting the pressure off the suspension for the winter.