Laying my SV up for 6 Months

[soldiermp]

Guys,
would like some advice. Am of to Afghanistan for 6 months shortly, and am going to have to lay my Pointy up for the time that i'm away, I have a rear paddock stand and cover, but am wondering what else I will need to do? should i disconnect the battery, cover the bike in WD40 etc? any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers ! Jon
:smt072

[pencil shavings]

yep, disconnect the batery, put it on a inteilgent trickle charge. Drain the fuel. Give it a good clean then WD40 or AC50 (called somthing like that, does what WD40 does but better)

Im sure others will be along to say other things you should do.

[neio79]

ACF-50, after you have given it a good clean and polish.

Cover it up and up on a stand for the time you are away.

[FG1]

Or you could leave it at RAF Northolt and I'll give it a quick spin now and again for you...........:D

[Biker Biggles]

The main things are to lube everything up,drain the fuel and find some way of looking after the battery.If it is going to sit on its wheels I would also put an extra 20 psi in the tyres to prevent flatting.

[Tiger 55]

would like some advice. Am of to Afghanistan for 6 months
Keep your head down!

Advice over...

[Wayluya]

Why don't you ride it out? :cool:

[sinbad]

I thought twas better to leave it brimmed and put one of those additives in?

[soldiermp]

Geezers, thanks very much for the advice !!! tiz allways appreciated !!

Regards Smudger !!

[muffles]

When I did something similar a year or two back (the laying up not the going to Afghanistan!) I put the bike up on front + rear paddock stands, and just before I ran it so the tank was mostly empty. I also put it on an optimate - didn't need to take the battery out for that, as long as it's charging it, it can stay on the bike using the supplied connectors.

From what you've written I'd just get a front paddock stand and charger - sounds like you need the charger anyway, and the front paddock stand is useful on occasion outside of this use.

Btw when it came to start it again I bought 5 or 10 litres of fuel and transported it in a jerry can back to the bike - it started after filling it with that, as the gone-off fuel in the tank mixed with the fresh fuel (this was why I emptied it out as much as possible, so I didn't get too much gone-off fuel and have to drain it out).

[sinbad]

When I did something similar a year or two back (the laying up not the going to Afghanistan!) I put the bike up on front + rear paddock stands, and just before I ran it so the tank was mostly empty. I also put it on an optimate - didn't need to take the battery out for that, as long as it's charging it, it can stay on the bike using the supplied connectors.

From what you've written I'd just get a front paddock stand and charger - sounds like you need the charger anyway, and the front paddock stand is useful on occasion outside of this use.

Btw when it came to start it again I bought 5 or 10 litres of fuel and transported it in a jerry can back to the bike - it started after filling it with that, as the gone-off fuel in the tank mixed with the fresh fuel (this was why I emptied it out as much as possible, so I didn't get too much gone-off fuel and have to drain it out).

That's the point of putting in one of those fuel stabilising additives, the fuel doesn't go off, and because you've brimmed it you don't get moisture (which is inevitably trapped within an empty or partially empty tank) corroding the tank from the inside. I've read of people removing metal tanks for this very reason and pouring some oil into them, then rotating it so that the inside is covered and protected before storing it.

I know what I would rather do.

[muffles]

That's the point of putting in one of those fuel stabilising additives, the fuel doesn't go off, and because you've brimmed it you don't get moisture (which is inevitably trapped within an empty or partially empty tank) corroding the tank from the inside. I've read of people removing metal tanks for this very reason and pouring some oil into them, then rotating it so that the inside is covered and protected before storing it.

I know what I would rather do.

Well it's a personal choice, isn't it? I knew about both options and chose not to spend any extra on fuel stabilisers and filling it up to the brim. Bear in mind there's always moisture in there so it's not a new situation, just a longer period. Up to you whether to accept that or not - if the metal's going to rust it'll rust regardless IMO.

I'd say if you were that bothered you should do the full shebang - drain the tank and let it dry, fill the engine to the brim with oil, put it on paddock stands, etc.

[sinbad]

Well it's a personal choice, isn't it? I knew about both options and chose not to spend any extra on fuel stabilisers and filling it up to the brim. Bear in mind there's always moisture in there so it's not a new situation, just a longer period. Up to you whether to accept that or not - if the metal's going to rust it'll rust regardless IMO.

I'd say if you were that bothered you should do the full shebang - drain the tank and let it dry, fill the engine to the brim with oil, put it on paddock stands, etc.

Yep, I just thought since advice was being offered that it might as well be a bit more comprehensive. I don't see it as a particularly expensive option either, three or four quid for enough to treat a tank and the fuel is perfectly fine to use when you come back to it. Plus if you run some through the engine then you don't have fuel degrading in the system either which is also potentially problematic.

I don't think I'm at all paranoid or unnecessarily over cautious or anything. Besides which, you went to a bit of trouble to lay your bike up too right? What with the running the tank down, and the fetching of the new fuel by jerry can, I'd say your efforts to take care of your bike are above and beyond:
"if the metal's going to rust it'll rust regardless IMO". :)

For the record, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, or that you did anything wrong, just offering my humble thoughts to the forum - as we all are. ;)

[muffles]

Sorry, didn't mean to come out quite like that...I did go to some effort, but for me the main thing was I didn't want to play about with draining the tank, so main thing I was avoiding was leaving fuel in there without an additive. I only went with emptying it as I had done by the time I laid it up, and couldn't be bothered to fill it up then buy additive, etc... :D

[punyXpress]

Brim it! When you come safely back the fuel will be worth more than the bike.