All I do with mine is put it on the centre stand (998 goes on paddock stand), give it a good clean, put a cover over it, and plug the opimate in.

From my experience over the last 8 or so years that I've had an optimate,
the bikes do not like being left for a number of months, as the battery seems to develop a memory. It starts first time, but will not start very well after that (very annoying when your late for a meet and stuck on a garage forecourt on your own...). I've had to replace a few batteries because of this.

As a result, I put the optimate on for a week or two, then leave it off for a couple. I also lift the covers and have a quick check over the bike including checking the tyre pressures once a month.

I don't bother to push the calipers back, or drain the fuel. For less than 6 months it doesn't seem to make much difference, but for a lot longer not draining the fuel is a recipe for disaster.

Probably doesn't matter too much for an injected bike but on a carbed bike the fuel in the float bowls will evaporate and leave a gum which can easliy block up the pilot or cold start jets, or worse one of the tiny drillings in the carb body.

I know what your saying Derek, but I don't bother to drain the bowls on my trials bike, or the lawn mower, and they are always fine the following year after 3 or 4 months of not being used...

Dunks - Anyone
I live in Switzerland and I hibernate my ST4s as soon as the high passes are closed at the end of October - it then gets woken up around Aprilish. All I do is fill the petrol tank up to the brim, plug in the Opti, spray WD40 on exposed bits, put its Ducati Performance Yellow Cover over it and say goodbye. Once a month I turn the front wheel to prevent a flat spot occurring.

Now I've done this every winter since '01 and believe it or not, it starts up every time first time on full choke first press of the starter - then we're off as soon as I can shut the garage door for a full days ride to blow the cobwebs off the ST4s and my brain.

Todate the bike has suffered no side effects from this hibernation process .- it's pointless taking about what we do on carbed bikes as it's not got any.

planing on riding mine unless salt on roads horrendous. good wash then spray of f365 should be ok.