Oil change after storage ??

Bit early for this question but I just thought about it and may as well ask the question whilst I'm here .

Should I change the engine oil before I start riding the bike again when the new season comes ?

I nor ally would change it with out a second thought , however my bike went of the road in September due to ill health an she had her 4k service the week before . Iv only rode the bike the 20 miles from the dealer to my house so the oil and oil filter was fresh when I took the bike if the road .

I had a quick spin around the block when my health improved ( just before the cold set in ) and the last couple of months she has been tucked up in bed in the garage .

What affect will the cold have on still sitting as new oil ?

Should I change it out to be on the safe side or will it be good to go when te wether warms up ?

 

Id leave it mate, run it when out next time then change it... Halfords are doing 4L Castrol Power One Racing 10-30 ATM for 35.00 or cheaper if you have a trade card!

 

I once heard to change the oil last thing before putting it away for the winter. Not sure if that's right or not but I never thought to question it

 

I always change my road bikes oil end of season, removes contaminated oil from the motor and leaves it stored with nice clean fresh oil, I only start the bike if I intend to ride it......ok so I may sneak a little exhaust note once....lol

 

That was the reasoning I heard behind it. Seemed to make sense. I do give mine a couple of starts and full warm ups over the course of the winter though. Just when I'm feeling sad or something

 

My local dealer told me to not start the motor unless you intend to ride it, just leave it alone and when you are ready turn the motor over a few times with the kill switch on to move the oil around the motor, then just start it up and ride it. Other thing I was told was neck the fuel tank to avoid moisture then drain out come spring and put fresh fuel in, you can use the ‘stale’ fuel in a mower or such like more basic motor. Having said that fuel should not go stale in six months if its sealed. Last year I forgot to drain it and the bike ran just fine.

 

Good info. I think I get nervous that it's not going to start and then give in to the urge to get it warmed up all the way. I'll just leave it this year. I've never actually had any problems with bikes not starting after the winter anyway. Shouldn't imagine that the Honda will give me any problems. Touch wood.

 

I think it was Arthur that gold us last year not to start it Just for the sake of it so iv not touched it apart from 1 quick blast after I came out of hospital .

Thanks for the advice guys

 

useful info there, have always started them in the past to let them warm through but after reading the last few posts think i will leave it sleeping for the winter this year.

 

Short term (a year) and long term (1-20 years +) are totally different things, firstly Shell etc say unleaded fuel has a shelf life of over a year! Filling the tank is good to help stop condensation forming and causing rust. Starting and stopping will cause condensation in the crank etc and is not good for the motor, also you leave harmful gasses etc in the cylinders etc etc.. Oil collects thousands of harmful elements over time so always best to change end of season and store with fresh oil. Long term storage involves using oil in the bores and grades of oil that are best for the preservation of engine internals some even grease cams and gears it means an engine has to be prepped for storage and then prepped for re-running. Always best to care for a battery by keeping frost free and fully charged. Optimizer's and chargers are again different things.. the only risk with optimizer's is fire and faults such as overcharging, acid leakage, failing to keep charged and so on. Mice like to nest in air boxes and fairings! They also like to eat wiring! I change my oil and coolant (if needed) also brake fluid each year too, place my battery on an optimizer lube up chain and any alloy cover with a light dust cloth and leave, I rarely start it.. also you can reduce tyre presure to help preserve the tyres, placing bikes on padock stands is a good idea, stands that unload suss are even better.

 

Nice one Arthur, I also forgot to say I block up the air vents at the front of the fairing and stick a rag up the exhaust tail pipe to stop little lodgers moving in, clean everything, remove the battery and stick it on the Optimizer in the kitchen so it doesn’t either go flat or get very cold. Grease the chain, up on the Abba stand, with the front off the ground with axle stands under the bobbins. Finally a little kiss on the forehead and a breathable cover over it to keep the dust off. That’s it, good night darling, see you in the spring.