Winter Hybernation

Winter months are long and gruelling… so how should you take care of your bike?

- Dean Ellison

For most of us trackriders a UK winter can feel like an eternity, with British circuits generally closing to motorcycles for about four months, meaning it could be up to six months between the last race of this season and the first race of next season. So, for some of you, your bike could be stood still for just as many months as when you’re thrashing it around the track. With that in mind, it’s worth doing a bit of winter preparation before all the Christmas parties kick in and you forget about your beloved bike – it becomes too easy to say you’ll do it next week, then the next week and before you know it, it’s March, the battery is flat, there’s a coolant leak coming from the cylinder head and your first track day is just days away.

Ok, the example given is to the extreme, but just a few hours in the workshop now, could save days in the workshop next season. I’m a fully qualified motorcycle mechanic myself and what I highlight in this article is based on my own experience. I made some costly mistakes when I started racing and I’ve witnessed some expensive mistakes made by experienced teams and technicians, so I hope this helps. Everybody knows that batteries go flat, water in the cooling system could freeze (expanding ice can damage radiators and fundamental engine components), and that petrol could start to turn bad after six months stored in the same container, but there’s a bit more to winter preparing your bike and I’ve broke it down into sections. First of all though, give your bike a good clean with a power wash. Spray on a recognised motorcycle pre-wash and then jet wash it down, getting into the confined areas and blasting off the dirt, grease and general build-up of sticky grime, tar and rubber.

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