Clean it, then let it dry completely
Road salt left on over a winter does more damage than the winter. Wash, rinse, and let it dry fully before anything goes over it — a machine put away damp stays damp for months. Keep the cleaner off the brake discs and the chain, which nearly every product’s own exclusion list says.
Lubricate the chain before it sits
A clean, lubricated chain sitting for months is in far better condition in spring than a dirty dry one. Use a lubricant published as compatible with its sealing rings, and apply it after the final ride while the chain is still warm.
Deal with the battery, which is what usually dies
A battery left connected discharges slowly, and a discharged lead-acid battery deteriorates in ways it does not recover from. A maintainer holds it at the right voltage for months. Fit the ring-terminal lead to the battery once and leave it there with its weatherproof plug — a charger that needs the seat removed every time is a charger that does not get connected.
Get the weight off the tyres if you can
A paddock stand does it. Where that is not possible, keep the pressures at the figure in the manual and move the machine occasionally so the same part of the tyre is not loaded all winter. Concrete is cold; a board or a mat under the tyres is a small improvement.
Cover it with something that breathes
A cooling machine releases moisture, and a waterproof non-breathable cover traps it against every surface — worse than no cover at all. Breathable covers publish it. And never put any cover on a machine that is still hot, whatever heat-resistant panel it has.
What belongs to your manual, not to this page
Whether to store the tank full or empty, whether to change the oil before or after storage, what to do about coolant, and whether to start it periodically. Manufacturers publish different guidance depending on the fuel system, the tank material and the engine, and rewording it here would mean inventing an instruction for a machine nobody here has seen.
Spring, in the order that matters
Battery on and charged. Tyre pressures cold, and a look at the sidewalls and tread. Chain slack in the specified position. Brakes — lever feel, and a look at pad thickness. Lights and indicators. Then a short ride somewhere you can turn round, before a long one.
Questions riders send in about this
Is a heated garage better?
Dry matters more than warm. A cold dry space is kinder to a machine than a warm damp one, and condensation is the mechanism behind most winter damage.
Should I start it every few weeks?
Manufacturers publish different guidance and this page does not add its own. What is not in dispute is that a maintained battery and a dry, breathable cover help either way.
Last reviewed 18 September 2026