putting the bike to bed for winter !

so.......
whos wrapping the bike up and hanging the leathers up for the winter this year ?
sadly i have to use mine to travel from biggin hill to basildon for work every day as i dont drive a car. this will be my first full winter on the bike and im NOT looking forward to it at all x

 

My bike comes off the road when there's 4" of snow on the ground or a thick layer of wet salt.

 

Only 'cos you can't see over it.

 

thats me too (being a short arss lol)

 

same as me mate

 

i got stuck in heavy rain poor last week, my waterproofs wasnt so waterproof, and my boots filled with water stupid stupid stupid weather to be out .........ummm, shopping to be done at the NEC me thinks x

 

Once salt has been liberally splashed about the roads I tend to put the bike on optimizer, add a cover and pine for a few weeks.
The cold causes real pain these days, so I must admit to not going out as much as I could.

 

I used to go out all year round on my old bikes but not anymore.

 

I haven't looked at my Beemer for over a month...covered in a layer of dust by now Don't know where the time is going, soo busy with other stuff at the mo too.

 

My bike stays primed and ready. Anyway, riding on salty / dirty roads gives me the perfect excuse to clean it again (I love any excuse to sit in my man-cave with the bike for a couple of hours). If anyone out there needs some winter riding gear, I've got a bit of it spare if you unfortunately happen be the same size / shape as me.

 

I'm in Finchy's camp as far as (almost) looking forward to cleaning the machine again - but I just need the time to ride. I'm becoming a bit fed up with not being able to do so, actually. Life is work, work, work at the moment, weekends included so on the rare occasions I can throw a leg over, I fall prey to all the old Learner mistakes of tightness and being stiff on the bike, all of which is exacerbated by the cold or wet weather! I haven't even gone hunting yet for the mythical and mysterious Begum Alu mentioned on another thread.

 

you get used to it, Ive been doing it for 14 years now and it doesnt bother me riding every day at all. Man up!

 

Panel Man - what's Begum Alu? Sounds like something out of Star Wars.

 

Iv'e never 'winterised' a bike before, but this year as i have the luxury of 2, the Sportster is already in its 'winter parking' spot in the lounge but ready to be called into action at a moments notice. Ive invested in a can of ACF50 to coat the chrome n essentials but i need to clean the bike thoroughly first then spray it.

Ill use the CB1000R for those bracing winter rideouts. It'll also get a coat of ACF50 and regular cleans after winter rides. I hope Santa brings me the heated moleskin pants and socks ive asked for.

 

Finchy: I feel this is a case of the Blind led by the Partially-Sighted... The truth is, I don't know what is Begum Alu. Megawatt suggested it in response to JimG's proposal of using crunched up tin foil to apply Solvol Autosol and a quick spray of diluting WD-40 as an effective way to return downpipes to something approaching a presentable state. MW also pointed me at EBay as the best source for the stuff, but I haven't pursued it yet. Best check with him!

 

Ah righto, I'll ask 'Uncle Alan'. I jet-wash my bike at every opportunity and then spend hours with Duraglit wadding. My life's full of exitement.