Parking up for the winter?
 

Any thoughts on this.. ?

I'm going to park the ST2 up for this winter. The bike has an alarm and immobiliser fitted. Should I just let the battery run it flat, or is it ok to leave it on the Opitmate permanently for a few months?

Maybe the bike is supposed to started occasionally?

Advice would be welcomed...

The optimate will keep the battery alive and the alarm working. Don't count on it firing up first time in the spring though, without resetting the Optimate and getting it to charge out of it's "long storage mode" - I had trouble with that.

As for starting occassionally, many will say do not because it will do more harm than good. If you do start it, run it up to temperature, rather than just start it and stop.

Definately don't let the battery go flat, use an Optimate.

2 arguments for starting/not starting the engine over the winter.

If you start it, it stops the valves/cam belts sticking in one position which long term may not be good. Also stops petrol 'gumming' up the injectors (or carbs) as it goes stale if the bike is left for a really long period. Modern unleaded does not last well.

However it you start the engine up and it doesn't get really hot, it can lead to condensation in the oil, and most wear takes place on cold starts, (hmmm Ducati rocker problems!) and its not really great leaving it ticking over for 15 minutes whilst stationary.

Personally even if you don't really want to ride it over winter its worth waiting for the odd dry, salt free day and taking it for an hours ride. Great fun as well, if you haven't been on it for a while.

These days I always lay the bike up for the winter. This is what I have done;
Take the battery off and given it a trickle charge once a month. I'd use an Optimiser if I had one.
Change the oil before laying it up.
Drain the tank and run the engine until it stops so there is no petrol left to gum up jets etc. This was fine with a carb bike but should be OK for an injection one as well.
Remove the tank and store it in the attic - a stable dry environment and well out of harm's way.
A squirt of thin oil down each plug hole, turning the engine a couple of times to spread it about.
A plastic bag over the end of each exhaust with and elastic band to seal out condensation.
A light spray of WD40 over exposed metal parts.
Push the brake cylinders all the way in to protect them from condensation.
Put the bike on stands to keep the tyres off the ground so they don't get flats on them.
Turn the engine over once a week or so to keep the belts from developing a "set".
That's all I can think of - apart from putting a cover over the bike of course.

Have to agree with most of the comments and can really endorse the get all the petrol out ideas, I have just spent weeks trying to get the virtually solid remains of old petrol out of a pair of carbs.

I also put redex through the last tank of petrol, as it cleans everything up.

Take the battery off and charge once a month, to keep it in good condition

Blimey Derek, how long do you lay it up for? I typically put mine away for perhaps three months, i fill the petrol tank right up and stick it on the optimate and thats it. It always fires up as normal when i come back to it as well.

I have ti agree with rocky hopper,only today i have prepped the 890 and baby R for the winter.
Tanks full to the brim ,on front and rear paddock stands,Chains off,cleaned ,greased and sealed in plastic bags,35psi in tyres,liberal spray of wd40 on mag swingarm and a really good clean and polish.
I put each bike on optimate week and week about.
Changed oil and filters ,pushed back calipers,cup of coffee and stand back and admire them!
Roll on spring or a numptsrudel !
Butch

That is really good.. thanks guys.

Or you could just ride it....................

That's what I'm going to do with my ST2.

BUT I am going to put the 888 to bed so it can hibernate for the winter, so I've found this thread really helpful.

The previous advice I'd heard was that the best thing to do was to find a big enough box, fill it with straw, put the bike inside and put it in a place where rats couldn't get at it....or was that the Blue Peter tortoise :puzzled:

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.