Motorcycle Winter Storage: How to Lay Up Your Bike for Winter

As riding season winds down, giving your bike some attention before storage should help protect it through the colder, damper months ahead. Motorcycle winter storage involves a variety of steps covering the engine, battery, fuel system, tyres, and bodywork, and completing them thoroughly could save time and money over the long term by helping you avoid repair bills and something unexpected when spring arrives.

This end-of-season checklist covers laying up a motorcycle step by step, so your bike stays in a suitable condition until your first ride of the new season. If you plan to keep riding through the colder months, our top 10 winter riding tips might help.

Why Is It Important to Prepare Your Motorcycle for Winter Storage?

Motorcycles are designed for regular use, so long periods of inactivity through the colder months might cause a range of problems that only show up when you go to start the engine in spring. Cold temperatures and damp conditions tend to affect several parts of your motorcycle at once, which is why winter motorcycle preparation involves more than just a quick wash and a cover.

Extended inactivity might lead to:

• Engine, battery, and fuel system problems: Untreated fuel might degrade and leave sticky residues that clog fuel lines, injectors, and carburettors, while a battery might drain or freeze in cold conditions if you leave it unmaintained.
• Broken parts and tyre damage: Rubber components, cables, and hoses might stiffen or crack over several months, and tyres resting in one position for long periods might develop flat spots.
• Rust and corrosion: Moisture and humidity settle on unprotected metal, and road grime left on the bike holds that moisture against paintwork, chrome, and fixings.
• Expensive repair bills: If you leave problems until spring, you might need a replacement battery, a fuel system clean, or new tyres, often costing more than the time and materials spent on winter preparation.
• Compromised road safety: Flat-spotted tyres, a weak battery, or corroded components might affect how your bike starts, handles, and brakes, which matters for your safety and that of other road users.

Working through an end-of-season checklist before storing your motorcycle for the winter should help you avoid these issues and leave your bike in a suitable condition for its first ride of spring. The sections below cover the equipment you may need and each step in order.

How Should You Prepare Your Motorcycle for Winter Storage?

Gathering your equipment before you start preparing to store your motorcycle over winter should help to make the process as simple as possible.

• Motorcycle cleaner, a brush, and a soft towel or cloth: for removing road grime and drying the bike thoroughly.
• Lubricant or metal-preserving spray: to protect exposed metal surfaces, particularly on the underside of the motorbike.
• Chain cleaner and chain lubricant: to remove grit and protect the chain while the bike is laid up.
• Anti-corrosion spray: for bolts, fixings, and other areas where moisture tends to collect.
• Fresh oil and a new oil filter: to replace old oil, which might contain contaminants that affect internal engine components.
• Anti-freeze (liquid-cooled bikes only): to protect the cooling system from freezing and expanding in low temperatures.
• Rags and mousetraps: to deter mice from nesting in the exhaust, airbox, or bodywork.
• A dry, warm place for your battery, and potentially your bike: to help protect the battery from cold and damp conditions.
• A breathable cover: to protect against dust and moisture while allowing air to circulate, which helps limit condensation.

Your owner’s manual should be your first reference for the correct oil grade and anti-freeze type, and a guide to motorcycle oil ratings explains what the numbers and specifications on the bottle mean. A specialist workshop might be suitable if you feel unsure about any step.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Store a Motorcycle for Winter

With your equipment ready, it’s time to work through this motorbike end-of-season checklist in order and set your motorcycle up for winter storage.

Clean and dry your motorcycle

Wash the bike with motorcycle cleaner and a brush, paying particular attention to the underside, wheels, and exhaust area, where road grime, salt, and moisture collect. Dry it thoroughly with a soft towel or cloth, including hard-to-reach spots such as beneath the seat, as any moisture left behind might contribute to rust over winter. Use the wash as an opportunity to check for loose components, leaks, and worn parts.

Give it a protective coating

Once the bike is completely dry, apply a lubricant or metal-preserving spray to exposed metal surfaces, particularly on the underside, and an anti-corrosion spray to bolts, fixings, and other areas where moisture tends to collect. Keep all sprays away from brake discs, brake pads, tyres, and the seat, as they might affect braking and grip.

Take care of your chain

Clean the chain with chain cleaner to remove grit and grime, then apply chain lubricant to keep it protected while the bike is laid up over winter. If your bike has a belt drive, follow the manufacturer’s cleaning guidance instead.

Pump the tyres up

Check the pressure in both tyres and inflate them to the level recommended in your owner’s manual, as some manufacturers suggest adding a little extra air for storage. Well-inflated tyres help reduce the risk of flat spots developing while the bike sits in one position for weeks, and resetting the pressure to the normal level before your first ride of spring completes the job. Our motorbike MOT (Ministry of Transport) requirements guide covers what else to check before your first ride of the spring season.

Swap old oil for fresh oil and add a new filter

Old oil contains sludge and other contaminants that may affect internal engine components when the engine sits idle. Changing the oil and filter before storage removes them and should help the engine run smoothly when you start it in spring. Use the oil grade and filter specified in your owner’s manual and take the used oil in a sealed container to your local household waste recycling centre, as used oil should never go down a drain or into household waste.

Fill or empty the fuel tank

The appropriate approach depends on your motorcycle, so check your owner’s manual before deciding. Metal tanks left empty might allow rust to form inside, so filling the tank to the top is a common approach. Fuel may deteriorate over time if left standing, so adding a fuel stabiliser helps keep it fresh and protect the fuel system. Follow the manufacturer’s dosage instructions, then run the engine briefly to help the treated fuel circulate through the fuel system.

Add the anti-freeze (if needed)

This step applies to liquid-cooled bikes only. Check the coolant level and confirm it contains anti-freeze at the strength recommended in your owner’s manual, as anti-freeze stops the coolant from freezing and expanding, which might damage vital components.

Take care of the battery

Disconnect the negative terminal first to reduce the risk of a short circuit, then remove the battery and store it somewhere dry and warm, checking the charge regularly and recharging it as required. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and wear gloves and eye protection when handling a battery.

Alternatively, if there is a power source at the bike’s storage location, connecting the battery to a trickle charger or battery maintainer helps keep it charged without having to remove it. Batteries drain more quickly in cold conditions, and a battery might lose capacity if you leave it flat for months.

Keep out the mice

Rodents look for warm, sheltered spots to nest, so plug the exhaust outlet with a rag and place mousetraps around the bike, out of reach of children and pets, to deter them. Attach a bright tag to any rag as a reminder to remove it before starting the engine in spring.

Jack up your bike to relieve the load on both wheels

Raise the bike on a paddock stand, centre stand, or jack so neither tyre carries any weight, which should help prevent flat spots and tyre deformation over winter. Position the stand carefully so the bike stays stable and secure while not in use. If you have no stand, roll the bike forward a few inches every few weeks to shift the contact point on each tyre.

Cover your motorcycle

Fit a breathable, well-fitting motorcycle cover to the bike, whether it is stored indoors or outdoors, to protect it from dust and moisture while allowing air to circulate and limiting condensation. Non-breathable tarpaulins might trap moisture against the bike, so a purpose-made motorcycle cover is a more suitable choice.

How to Choose Your Storage Location

Where you store your motorcycle matters as much as how you prepare it; leaving it outside for the winter might cause significant damage from rain, frost, and condensation, and make it more vulnerable to theft. Storing your motorcycle indoors over winter should offer the most protection, ideally in a dry, well-ventilated garage where temperatures remain fairly stable.

If indoor storage isn’t an option, a high-quality, waterproof, and breathable cover is a suitable alternative, as it should protect against rain and frost while allowing moisture to escape. For outdoor storage, these steps might help:

• Choose a sheltered spot: Park away from overhanging trees, where falling branches, sap, and bird droppings might damage your motorcycle’s paintwork or parts.
• Secure the motorcycle: Use a ground anchor with a disc lock or chain to deter thieves, as covered in our motorcycle security guide.
• Check your policy documentation: Some policies include a garaging endorsement, which might affect a claim if you keep the bike somewhere other than the declared garage. Read your policy carefully and confirm what counts as a garage for motorcycle insurance before you move your bike for winter.

For longer periods of laying up a motorcycle over winter, a volatile corrosion inhibitor (VCI) folding garage might be a suitable investment. Manufacturers design these enclosures to protect metal surfaces from corrosion inside a sealed space, and they fold away when the bike is back on the road.

Our guide to motorcycle storage covers further options for riders without a garage.

Common Winter Storage Mistakes to Avoid

Most problems that appear in spring trace back to a handful of avoidable slips made during motorcycle winter storage. Even careful motorcycle winter preparation might be undone by one of the following mistakes.

Leaving the fuel tank empty or untreated

An empty metal tank might allow rust to form inside, while untreated fuel might deteriorate over time, leaving residues that clog the motorcycle’s fuel system. Filling the tank and adding a fuel stabiliser helps keep the fuel fresh.

Ignoring the battery

A motorcycle battery left connected in a cold, unheated space might drain over the winter, and one that stays flat for months might lose capacity or fail when you try to start the engine in spring. Removing it and storing it somewhere warm and dry, or connecting it to a trickle charger or battery maintainer, should help keep it ready for the first ride of spring.

Parking directly on concrete

Leaving the motorcycle’s tyres in constant contact with a cold, damp concrete floor for months might contribute to flat spots and leave moisture around the wheels.

Raising the bike on a paddock stand or centre stand takes the load off both tyres. If you have no access to a stand, a wooden board or a rubber mat between the tyres and the floor is a suitable alternative.

Skipping an oil change

Used oil contains contaminants and acids that may corrode internal engine components when the bike sits idle for months. Changing the oil and filter before storage means the engine rests in clean oil, which should help it run smoothly when you restart it in spring.

Leaving the exhaust open

An open exhaust outlet provides mice with a warm, sheltered spot to nest and lets moisture into the exhaust system, which may lead to corrosion and blockages.

Using a poor cover

Cotton sheets and non-breathable tarpaulins might trap moisture against the bike, which encourages rust and condensation and undoes the work put into motorcycle winter storage. At the same time, a loose cover might flap in the wind and rub against the paintwork.

Keeping Your Bike Covered Year-Round with Devitt Motorcycle Insurance

In summary, these are the main points on how to store a motorcycle for winter:

• Clean and dry the bike thoroughly, then apply a protective coating to exposed metal and lubricate the chain.
• Inflate the tyres to the recommended pressure and raise the bike on a stand to help prevent flat spots.
• Change the oil and filter, and either fill the fuel tank and add a stabiliser or follow your owner’s manual.
• Add antifreeze to liquid-cooled bikes, and store the battery somewhere dry and warm, or keep it on a trickle charger.
• Plug the exhaust to deter mice and cover the bike with a breathable cover.
• Choose a dry, well-ventilated indoor space for motorcycle winter storage where possible, or use a waterproof, breathable cover and a ground anchor if the bike stays outside.
• Avoid the common mistakes: an empty or untreated fuel tank, an ignored battery, parking directly on concrete, a skipped oil change, an open exhaust, and a poor cover.

Preparing your motorcycle for winter helps protect it from moisture, frost, and wear, but it offers no financial protection if something happens, such as theft or damage. GOV.UK explains that if you keep a vehicle off the road, such as in a garage, it still needs to be taxed and insured unless a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) has been made. After laying up a motorcycle for the season, the next step is checking that it is suitably insured, and that is where motorcycle insurance helps.

Explore our motorcycle insurance options, find out more about 90 years of Devitt, or get a quote online to see what suits your specific needs and motorcycle.

These are brief product descriptions only. Please refer to the policy documentation, paying particular attention to the terms and conditions, exclusions, warranties, subjectivities, excesses and any endorsements.