Looking after the bike in cold weather

Dirk Gently

Bike has been in the shed the past 3 weeks. The estate has been iced over for about that time even if the main roads were ok until recently.

Is it enough just to let it tick over every few days? Hasn't been driven in a few weeks but I've had it running in the shed a few times. Starts up everytime and all seems ok with it. Temps in the shed will have been sub zero for most nights in the few weeks, well below zero on some nights.

KamiKazi

Cold weather is really only damaging to the battery in bikes, carb icing is the other major issue but that only happens when you're on the move.

Ideally after starting your bike from the battery you'd want to take it for a spin to recharge the battery, bikes generally don't produce enough voltage at tickover to recharge your battery.

Idleater

KamiKazi wrote: »

bikes generally don't produce enough voltage at tickover to recharge your battery.

I started mine, and ran it for 10 - 15 minutes last weekend when I knew I wouldn't be using it last week, and it started fine (having been idle for a week). I had the neighbours running out of the houses thinking WTF is he doing going out on the bike in this weather!:D

It looks like it'll be idle for another week at this rate. Will probably have to book it in for a service soon anyway.

Hotblack Desiato

clown bag wrote: »

Is it enough just to let it tick over every few days?

A lot of people do this (and with cars, too) but IMHO it's a bad idea.

Just idling an engine (or even revving it with no load) isn't going to get the oil very hot, you need to put the engine under load i.e. ride it, so you will get moisture and acids (produced by combustion) condensing into the oil and they'll stay there until the bike is ridden again, this can cause engine internals to corrode

Something similar happens to cars, this is why it's recommended that a car granny uses to just pootle up to the shops has its oil changed at regular time intervals even though the mileage is nowhere near requiring a change.

Better off to just let the bike sit there until it's ready to be used again. Then your only worry is the battery, get a cheap trickle charger (I use a 10 euro one I got in Lidl) every now and again to keep the battery topped up, the one I have says it can be left permanently connected to keep your bike battery topped up if it is off the road. An Optimate does the same thing but costs a lot more.

Thinkingaboutit

ninja900 wrote: »

A lot of people do this (and with cars, too) but IMHO it's a bad idea.

Just idling an engine (or even revving it with no load) isn't going to get the oil very hot, you need to put the engine under load i.e. ride it, so you will get moisture and acids (produced by combustion) condensing into the oil and they'll stay there until the bike is ridden again, this can cause engine internals to corrode

Something similar happens to cars, this is why it's recommended that a car granny uses to just pootle up to the shops has its oil changed at regular time intervals even though the mileage is nowhere near requiring a change.

Better off to just let the bike sit there until it's ready to be used again. Then your only worry is the battery, get a cheap trickle charger (I use a 10 euro one I got in Lidl) every now and again to keep the battery topped up, the one I have says it can be left permanently connected to keep your bike battery topped up if it is off the road. An Optimate does the same thing but costs a lot more.

My Dad is very much a believer in not letting a bike idle.