The winter storage period is also an excellent opportunity for bikers who get lazy with their cleaning to get up off the sofa and reach for various cleaning and maintenance products. But before you get down to the cleaning, make sure to increase the air pressure in both tyres by about 0.5 bar and, most importantly, to completely fill up metal tanks with petrol. This prevents the tank from rusting on the inside during the winter. A petrol additive such as MOTOREX FUEL STABILIZER staves off oxidation, prevents deposits and ensures the engine will spring back into life after an extended time off the road. To achieve this, the additive will need to be present in the entire fuel system. You will therefore need to run the engine with FUEL STABILIZER in the tank for a few minutes, so that the additive can also take its protective effective in the float chamber, for example, in vehicles with carburettors.

After riding off-road, it makes no sense to apply oil to motorbike parts that are still caked in dirt. The dirt needs to come off first. In this case, only lots and lots of water can help you and, if necessary, a steam cleaner. After that, we recommend MOTO CLEAN UNIVERSAL or MOTO CLEAN PLUS by MOTOREX. This specialist motorbike cleaner is simply sprayed onto the dry, cool vehicle, left to work for a maximum of three minutes, and then rinsed off completely with water. Because of its high potency, it’s especially well-suited to removing stubborn dirt, such as insects, brake dust and tar. Cleaner such as this should not be used in direct sunlight.

The vehicle should also be dry for all the other jobs, so give it a good wipe down with a chamois leather and blow into difficult-to-reach places with pressurised air, if you have any, to remove moisture. Before lubricating moving parts, you can first see to the battery, so that the bike has a bit more time to dry off fully. The best contact can be achieved with MOTOREX ACCU PROTECT spray. To do this, disconnect both battery terminals – first the negative terminal, as then it won’t short circuit if you accidentally touch a metal component with the positive terminal – and clean with a cloth and fine sandpaper. Then screw the battery terminals back in, starting with the positive terminal, and apply a thin layer of ACCU PROTECT. As many motorbikes have components such as clocks or alarms that permanently consume electricity, it is advisable to leave the negative terminal disconnected over the winter. If your bike is stored over winter in a free-standing garage, where the temperature is known to fall well below zero, then you would be better off removing the battery and storing it in the basement, in the dark. A battery storage/charging device may also be a sensible investment, as it extends the battery’s life and means that it will be immediately ready to use next spring.

Now it’s time for the chain, pinion and chain ring. For these jobs, it's wise to cover the floor with a big piece of cardboard or similar, so that it doesn’t get dirty. Firstly, heavy grease deposits need to be removed. The best way of doing this is by hand, using an old cloth or brush. Then spray CHAIN CLEAN DEGREASER onto the chain, chain wheel and – if easily accessible – the pinion and leave the degreaser to work its magic. If necessary, you can use a brush to help with this. Once this is done, the dissolved grease deposits can be wiped off with a cloth and the chain can be sprayed with chain spray, such as CHAIN LUBE OFF ROAD, CHAIN LUBE ROAD STRONG or CHAIN LUBE RACING by MOTOREX. For bikes with a centre stand, this is extremely simple; for bikes that only have a side stand, you can’t manage this with only one pair of hands.

Lubrication of moving parts and joints must not be neglected. An all-purpose oil spray that prevents or repels moisture penetration and creates a highly effective protective film, such as JOKER 440 SYNTHETIC or INTACT MX50, would be suited to this purpose. The cans are supplied with a long spray nozzle to help you get into difficult-to-reach places. Which specific places are difficult to reach depends on the bike model. As such, only parts such as the centre and side stands, gear lever joints, shift linkages and foot brakes, hand brakes, moving connections in mechanical clutches and the throttle actuator on the carburettor are worth mentioning. A drop of oil is also good for the ignition lock, seat lock and helmet lock. Exercise caution when oiling cables. If they already have a self-lubricating Teflon layer, this effect will be nullified by spraying oil onto them.

Once the mechanics of your bike are ready for winter storage, you can start thinking about the visual aspect. Painted surfaces, chrome and metal parts can be treated with the MOTO PROTECT maintenance and protective spray: spray some MOTO PROTECT onto a cloth and rub it onto the parts until it leaves a nice protective film. As the spray is oily, it should not be sprayed onto the handlebars, seat or tyres. The surfaces will be protected from corrosion by a light, oily film, which can then be removed easily next year with a special cleaning product.

It would also be wise to proof the leather seat and saddlebags. That's what PROTEX SPRAY is made for, as well as proofing biker gear such as boots, jackets and trousers. The spray can also be used for proofing breathable fabric suits.

Last, but not least, comes the question of whether to cover up a bike indoors. If the bike will remain dry over the winter, then a simple bed sheet will probably suffice. If it has to remain outdoors over the winter, then you’re going to need a waterproof tarpaulin. A somewhat more expensive option would be a breathable tarpaulin cover. These have the advantage of being able to wick away moisture that condenses beneath the tarpaulin. If you go for a plain old tarpaulin, make sure to air it out now and then, so that moisture underneath doesn't collect for too long.