Okay ladies and gents, Time for me to pack my trusted steed away for the winter, I have persevered through the last few weeks, but alas it is time (I know I know, poof etc but I'm also not stupid). Now I don't have a brick built garage, my love is in a locked wooden shed in my garden. It's a large shed, fully floored and is completely dry. I have filled her up and added 3/4 of a can of Putoline, shaken the bike about a bit and let her idle for ten minutes. Battery now off and connected indoors to my Optimate4. I now have two questions that I would like your esteemed advise on; 1) What can I spray all over her to protect the obvious bits? 2) Should I then cover her or leave the air to circulate? I say this because last year I covered her with an expensive Motrax cover, but come March she was covered with white mould spores. It was not permanent and wiped off, but still somewhat worrying. Advise please chaps...
As above mate. If the sheds dry and you get mould air circulation will definitely help. I've got one of those 100 watt tube greenhouse heater in my shed. It doesn't keep it warm as such but it evaporates off any moisture in the air and keeps my tools completely rust and mould free. It goes on in November and goes off in April. I've insulated it with rock wool, walls and roof, and hard boarded over it. A proper cosy lair it is. When I finally get around designing my bespoke 'bike shed' I'll be doing the same in there.
Spray it with putoline silicone even under and around the exhaust i dont cover mine at all and although it is a brick built garage a have put in two air bricks for through air ventilation and you never get a spec of dust the main thing is not to worry and just keep an eye on it .
Giv', that's twice today I've seen putoline and I've never heard of it before. Care to enlighten me, mate.
Yup its top stuff i can get it from my local bike shop Millenium in st Helens i think its a massive company maybe from europe but the oil / silicone even chain wax is top quality thats why i can use my bike all year subject to being to cold as i spray everything even the fairings and then spray a bit into a plastic top and then paint the stuff on the little bolts around the brakes ect then after the ride massive amounts of cold water (not hot) as this reacts with the salt then air dry with a leaf blower and set a little hot fan in the garage for half an hour and then respay with the silicon .i also use and will get some more Sunday a product from scott oiler which is a spray which looks like antifreeze when you spray it on but is super cool as salt cant affect it and as before wash respray game over i don't cover the bike as i like to see if there is any condensation or mice knocking around also i have a thing about streching fabric tight over the paintwork and forming minor scuffs you can't see .
I've used putoline oil in my last bike and honestly loved it. The motor sounded much sweeter and the gear change was slicker. Putoline is recognized more in the off road scene.
Putoline make lots of stuff, top end gear, but their petrol additive stops the fuel in your tank going off during storage, it stops it separating and gumming up your bike's internal bits. You fill petrol to the top with it so your tank does not rust on the inside during the storage period. The trick is to let your bike idle with it in until it get up to at least 80+ running temperature before shutting off for the winter. One small can does 25 litres of petrol (ie. pour 3/4 can into a full tank), get it on ebay for peanuts. Tried it first time last year and my bike ran like a dream this spring, although I did refit the battery once a week throughout and started her up for ten minutes.
Mine sits in the garage with an optimate attached to the battery, throw a few old bed covers over the top to keep the dust off, run it once or twice over the winter period untill warm, never had a problem to date...
