Your pre-winter motorcycle checklist: store it or keep riding

Before putting your motorcycle away for winter, read its storage instructions and sort out any maintenance. Clean and dry it, prepare the fuel system and battery, then park it securely and leave yourself a restart note. If you'll keep riding, use the winter-riding routine instead and keep the bike ready between trips.

Storing the bike or still riding?

The checklist below is for winter storage. Read the storage chapter of your owner's manual before buying supplies. The instructions can change with the fuel system, tank material, battery type and length of storage. Honda's winter storage guidance, for example, explains why tank preparation depends on the bike.

If you're still using the bike regularly, go to the winter-riding section and use the pre-ride checklist each time. If you've removed the battery or covered any openings, undo that preparation before heading out on a sunny day.

Clean, dry and catch up on maintenance

Wash the bike before putting it away so you can see what's under the dirt. Use products suited to the finish, a gentle flow of water and the manufacturer's washing method. Dry it carefully, including the recesses you can reach, before covering it. Honda's cleaning guide explains how harsh chemicals and high-pressure water can damage parts and recommends lubricating the chain after washing and drying.

Choose corrosion protection that suits your bike and apply it only where the instructions allow. Keep oil, wax and protective sprays off brake discs, pads and tyres, and away from anything you grip or sit on. Note any treatment you'll need to remove before riding. If a braking surface gets contaminated, have it dealt with properly; don't try to burn it off on the road.

Read the maintenance schedule as well as the storage instructions. If the manual calls for an oil and filter change before storage, get it done. Check service dates even if you've hardly ridden the bike. On a liquid-cooled model, check the coolant specification and freeze protection needed for your storage location. Yamaha's winter guidance highlights this for unheated spaces. If you don't know what's in the cooling system, ask a workshop to test it rather than guessing from the colour.

Make a fuel and battery plan

Fuel: follow your bike's storage procedure

Don't automatically drain the tank or fill it to the brim. Check the specified storage level and leave the expansion space the manual requires. If it recommends a stabiliser, choose a compatible product, use the stated dose and follow its instructions for circulating it before storage. Run the engine outdoors, away from doors and windows, if the procedure requires it. Keep fuel work away from flames, sparks and heaters.

A carburetted bike may need extra fuel-system preparation that an injected model doesn't. Leave unfamiliar draining work to a workshop. Write down what fuel and treatment you used, when you added them and what the manual says to do after storage. Honda's winterisation guide is a useful starting point; your own model's manual sets the procedure.

Battery: choose the right charger and mode

Read the battery label first. Whether it's lead-acid, AGM or lithium, you need a charger and mode explicitly suitable for that battery, with the right voltage and capacity range. A matching connector doesn't prove compatibility. CTEK's seasonal charger guidance explains why battery size and type matter.

Follow the battery and charger instructions for connection, ventilation, temperature limits and whether you can leave them connected long term. Don't use a lead-acid recovery or desulphation mode on a lithium battery unless the battery maker explicitly allows that procedure. Stop and get advice if the battery is damaged, swollen or leaking. If you're removing it, follow the bike's procedure and check what that means for any alarm or tracker powered by it.

Set calendar reminders for the checks your battery maker recommends. Yuasa's motorcycle battery care guidance covers self-discharge, storage checks and suitable maintenance charging for its batteries. Starting the engine occasionally isn't a charging plan. If you have an electric motorcycle, follow its own storage charge level and temperature instructions for the traction battery; starter-battery advice doesn't apply to it.

Tyres, cover and storage space

Choose a secure, dry place with ventilation and firm ground. Use the manufacturer's storage tyre pressures. If the instructions recommend rotating the wheels or using a stand, choose a method you can carry out safely. A suitable centre stand or correctly used compatible paddock stand can help. Don't balance the bike on improvised supports.

Use a breathable cover that fits without flapping against the finish. Look underneath it from time to time for damp, leaks or signs of pests. Yamaha's storage advice covers tyre care, moisture and breathable covers. Let the exhaust cool before putting the cover on.

If the manual says to close an intake or exhaust opening, use its recommended method and add a clear remove before starting tag. List every closure, lock, charging lead and unfinished job on your restart note. Put it somewhere you'll see before reaching for the ignition.

Give yourself instructions you can use months later: “Battery removed; refit using manual page __”; “Exhaust cover fitted; remove before starting”; “Rear tyre needs assessment; do not ride until resolved”. Add the storage date, mileage, fuel treatment and next battery-check date. A tick beside “stored” won't remind you which steps to undo.

If you ride through winter

Keep up with washing off road dirt and salt, drying the bike, caring for the final drive and checking tyres, lights and controls. Test heated accessories and their wiring before relying on them. Keep the visor clear and your clothing dry enough to be comfortable. Honda's winter riding and maintenance advice covers visibility, grip, equipment and cleaning between rides.

Plan for daylight, the coldest part of the route and the ride home. Check official warnings and road conditions before deciding to go. If snow or ice is possible on the route, postpone or take other transport. Mild weather at home doesn't tell you what every road will be like. Heated grips help your hands; they don't give the tyres extra grip.

Use our route-weather guide to check the forecast while parked. When you take the bike out of storage, work through the post-winter and pre-season checklist before the first ride. Your progress is saved in this browser, and Print / save PDF gives you a copy to keep with your storage record.