After a winter off, most bikes need a charged battery, fresh fuel and a careful check of tyres, brakes and fluids. After a year or more, expect to clean the fuel system, change the oil and brake fluid, replace old tyres and, on a belt-driven Ducati, the cam belts. Don't just fill it up and ride.
After a winter
- Battery: charge it, or replace it if it won't hold charge.
- Fuel: top up with fresh fuel. Old fuel loses its quality.
- Tyres: check pressures and look for cracks.
- Brakes: check the pads, and that the brakes free off properly. Pistons can stick after standing.
- Chain: clean, lubricate and adjust.
- Lights and controls: check everything works before you ride.
After a year or more
Everything above, plus:
- Fuel system: stale fuel leaves deposits that block carburettor jets and injectors. A bike that won't idle after standing usually has gummed-up idle jets.
- Oil and filter: oil ages in the engine even when the bike isn't used.
- Brake and clutch fluid: it absorbs moisture over time and should be replaced.
- Coolant on water-cooled bikes.
- Tyres: check the date code on the sidewall. Old tyres harden and lose grip even with good tread.
- Cam belts on belt-driven Ducatis: they age whether the bike is ridden or not. See our cam belt guide.
- Seals and hoses: fork seals, fuel lines and rubber parts can perish.
Fuel for older bikes
Since September 2021, standard unleaded in Great Britain has been E10, which contains up to 10% ethanol. Most motorcycles made since the late 1990s can use it, but classic and older bikes may not be compatible. Use E5 (the super unleaded grade) in those, and check the GOV.UK E10 vehicle checker if you're unsure. Ethanol fuel left in a bike for long periods is a common cause of problems.
The paperwork
- Tax: if the bike was declared off the road (SORN), it needs taxing before you ride it on public roads. The exception is riding it to a pre-booked MOT test, and you still need insurance to ride it there.
- MOT: needed every year once a bike is three years old. Bikes built more than 40 years ago can be exempt if they haven't been substantially changed.
- Insurance: check it's active before you ride.
When to call a specialist
If the bike has stood for more than a year, won't start or idle, or you don't know its history, have it recommissioned properly. Ray Petty Meccanica recommissions Ducatis, Moto Guzzis and other Italian bikes, from a season off to decades in a barn. See Ducati servicing, classic Ducatis, Moto Guzzi and Desmosedici RR.