Like it or not, Winter, in all its glory, is almost upon us, and it's time to start thinking about whether to tuck the faithful two-wheeled friend snugly away for the winter or to keep riding on through. There will still be plenty of great riding days with crisp, chilly sun sparkling on the frost, but equally, some days will just be hard work and you may consider moving to the Bahamas.

1. Clean As A Whistle
Your motorcycle may have covered many balmy miles for you over the summer, but now it's time for you to give it something back with some proper checks and maintenance. The first thing to do is to check it all over carefully to see if it has sustained any damage over the summer. The UK roads are gritty, dirty and peppered with a multitude of potholes, so inspect your bike, particularly the chain and cables, for dirt and grime which has bounced up onto them, and clean and oil everything you can. There are lots of specialised motorcycle cleaning products out there, so choose some good quality cleaners, it really is worth it and will pay dividends in the Spring if you put in the hard cleaning yards now, particularly if you are storing your motorcycle over the winter. Remember to be careful not to get oil on your brakes for obvious reasons. 
Check your light bulbs, to be sure that they are still working, and if you need any new ones get them now, so that you are ready to hit the road running in Spring. 
Here's a checklist of useful products you might need for cleaning your bike:

Light Bulbs
 
2. Tyre Time
One really important early winter job is to have a close look at your tyres to check for anything sharp which you could have picked up on the road, which may have become embedded in them. If you find anything, take it out and then replace or fix the tyre. Give them a good clean as well and while you are doing that look for excessive wear anywhere on them and make sure the tyres are still in good nick and have good grip. If you think they are on their last legs, get some nice new ones so you are ready for the slippery winter roads or for coming out of hibernation next season. Once you've established that they are good to go, fully inflate them and make a note to check them occasionally and re-inflate when necessary over the winter if you are storing your machine. It's a good idea to change the bike's position from time to time to distribute the weight between different parts of the tyres over the winter. If you have a motorbike stand use that, but if not then a wooden plank will keep the bike nicely raised off the cold concrete to help preserve the integrity of the tyre rubber. A tyre gauge is always a good investment, if you haven't already got one, that way you can easily keep an eye on your tyre pressures.

Tyres and Tyre Accessories

3. Battery Blues
Take your battery out and give the terminals a good clean. If yours is getting on and has become a tad troublesome it may be time to invest in a new one. Batteries can be a bit touchy, they prefer nice warm dry places and can misbehave if they're not looked after properly. It's a good idea to use a battery charger to make sure that your battery remains fully charged. There are a lot of good chargers out there, smart trickle chargers keep the battery ticking over all winter if your bike is hibernating, so it's ready for the off once the days get warmer.

Battery Chargers
Batteries

4. Oil's Well That Ends Well
Once you've checked and cleaned your motorcycle, then it's time to think about lubricating and oiling everything that needs it. This will protect it from damp and condensation and make sure that everything comes out rust free and in good working order, after the winter. Lubricate the chain, cables, stand – basically if it moves, lubricate it – apart from the abrasive brake parts obviously. ACF50 anti-corrosion formula is a great protective option for winter maintenance and will prevent corrosion eating the metal during the winter. Check your manual to ensure that you are using the correct lubricant on the correct parts of your bike.
Lubricants

5. That Petrol Emotion
Ok so if you're not going to be riding anywhere over the winter, strangely enough, this is the time to fill your tank and add a fuel stabiliser. This simple tip will stop moisture from condensation filling up your half empty tank and causing a build up of rust and general crud. Note here though that some bikes are sensitive to fuel going off in the float bowls so be aware if this could be a problem for your bike, in which case you will need to empty the petrol out before you restart your bike.
Fuel Additives

6. Oil Together Now!
If you are overwintering your bike in the garage remember to change the oil first, draining off the old dirty oil which could turn acidic if left in the bike over the winter. Clean or replace the old oil filter and fill the bike with nice clean oil to keep it happy in hibernation.

Oils

7. Got It Covered
Invest in a good quality cover for your bike – think of it as a quality winter coat! Cover your bike and try not to leave any access points for determined creatures who might be tempted to overwinter on your bike and snack on cables or seat covers.
Covers
 

A Stitch In Time...
Saves nine! It might seem like a chore to have to do all this work on your motorcycle if you aren't even going to be able to get out on it until Spring hits, but you will be saving your future self a world of pain. It's much better to leave your motorcycle safe and sound and correctly stored, with all the proper maintenance done, so that it will not deteriorate over the winter and will wake bright eyed and bushy tailed, come March, ready to vroom into action.Plus if you are planning to ride on through the winter then you should still do all the aforementioned things to give yourself a good head start against the vicissitudes of the winter weather.
Do you have any winter motorcycle tips you'd like to share? If so let us know on Facebook or email us at [email protected]