Storage

[Spacey86]

Hi there, just when i thought my day could not get worse, i got a letter throught from the police, saying that my licence has been revoked.  So my bandit 400 is going into storage till i serve my ban. been done for speeding for the last time

So what is the best thing to do to the B4 , before it goes into storage, to try and ensure that it stays in the best condition mechanically whilst i am not riding him??    

[PaulVS]

I'm sure there's more... but here's what I do:

Wash the bike and make sure it's completely dry.  (no water collecting anywhere)

Lube the chain.

Completely fill the tank with gas and add gas stabilzer (Stabil) to it.  Run the engine for awhile to make sure the stabilizer gets into the carbs.  (This is the most important thing!)

Check the tire pressure.  (I also like to keep the rubber off of cold concrete floors, so I put some wood or folded cardboard under them.)

Pull the battery and keep it inside. (Preferably on a battery tender.)

If you are keeping it in a garage... just put a bed sheet over it.  (Don't cover it with plastic... the moisture will collect under it and oxidize the bike.)  

If you're keeping it outdoors, buy a good motorcycle cover.  (You also might want to give a light spray of oil to parts that could oxidize outside.)

If it's going to be stored for several months... some people recommend pulling the spark plugs and adding a couple drops of motor oil into each cylinder.  Then replace the spark plugs.

[Red01]

That's a good list, but for long term storage (and I assume license revokation isn't a short term gig), I'd add a fresh oil & filter change to the list. It's bad to store an engine with used oil in it. The byproducts of combustion in used motor oil form acids and can cause internal corrosion of parts.