Not using bike for six months

[Bingo]

Its a year since I got my 2014 BV 350 and its likely due to other circumstances I wont get to use it for the next six months so I intend to take it off the road this week and sorn it. Its due an MOT in two days time so I guess there is no point in doing that until I can use it again in the back end. It will also be a year since it was serviced when it came from the dealer but its only done about 2000 miles in that time.

Apart from disconnecting the battery is there anything I need to think about before mothballing it? Should they be serviced annually anyway regardless of mileage?

[Symcity]

If you have an optimate charger you won’t have to disconnect the battery - with such low milage a full service wouldn’t appear to be necessary however perhaps you could consider changing the engine oil and filter

[Waldorf]

Earlier in the month, the MOT on the Jimny was due.
I telephoned the garage and discussed thge matter of an 'annual' service. When I said it had done only 1400 miles in the year, the man said they'd check levels and so on and do what was necessary if anything was but certainly not a full service.
I'd say much the same as Mr. Symcity.

[Bingo]

Ok thanks. Would you change the oil now or just before I put it back on the road?

Last summer I didnt use it for a couple of months and just disconnected the battery. I dont have 240v where its stored

[MrGrumpy]

My guess it'd be better to change oil before you run it - it will absorb water and other crap when not being used. There again, it'd burn back off pretty quick when you run it again!

[Bingo]

My guess it'd be better to change oil before you run it - it will absorb water and other crap when not being used. There again, it'd burn back off pretty quick when you run it again!

Its just fitting it in now. Ive left it too late to get it done probably.

[Data]

Hi Bingo, yes as a tech I'd say to change out the oil but you don't need to change the filter at this point. The problem with old oil even if it hasn't done many miles is that it deteriorates in the engine on a time basis not just a mileage basis. It is actually breaking down from the minute you put it in your engine, and in fact, even before that when it's in the tin on the shelf at the store. That's why there are use by dates for oil as well as recommended annual 'change the oil dates' irrespective of miles. After 12 months even with low miles you engine oil is not actually up to spec. Some of the additives in the oil actually have already turned to water and other additives that protect the engine from corrosion start to break down. In addition to that you will have unburned hydrocarbons lurking in the oil that are mixed with water that have accumulated from the oil breaking down process and from the combustion process and condensation. This turns to sulphuric acid after a few days and spreads itself around your engine. Old oil, even low mileage oil will have lost most of it's acid neutralising ability so leaves your engine exposed to damage. That's why the advice is to change the oil if the bike is going to be standing for extended lengths of time especially if the oil has already done several months in the engine. In reality you can put any cheap mc oil in the bike while it is standing. But change it out with the filter before you start riding her again. Good luck!

[Funkycowie]

I didn't ride my NC750x for over a year due to an Epileptic seizure and trying to get my license back, all I did was drop some fuel stabilizer in the tank and as it was over Winter brought the battery inside and trickle charged it every 3 months. It was and still is perfectly fine.

EDIT: I did change the oil about 2-3 months of being able to use it again though.

[Bingo]

Hi Bingo, yes as a tech I'd say to change out the oil but you don't need to change the filter at this point. The problem with old oil even if it hasn't done many miles is that it deteriorates in the engine on a time basis not just a mileage basis. It is actually breaking down from the minute you put it in your engine, and in fact, even before that when it's in the tin on the shelf at the store. That's why there are use by dates for oil as well as recommended annual 'change the oil dates' irrespective of miles. After 12 months even with low miles you engine oil is not actually up to spec. Some of the additives in the oil actually have already turned to water and other additives that protect the engine from corrosion start to break down. In addition to that you will have unburned hydrocarbons lurking in the oil that are mixed with water that have accumulated from the oil breaking down process and from the combustion process and condensation. This turns to sulphuric acid after a few days and spreads itself around your engine. Old oil, even low mileage oil will have lost most of it's acid neutralising ability so leaves your engine exposed to damage. That's why the advice is to change the oil if the bike is going to be standing for extended lengths of time especially if the oil has already done several months in the engine. In reality you can put any cheap mc oil in the bike while it is standing. But change it out with the filter before you start riding her again. Good luck!

Thats really helpful thanks. Do you reckon I could do this myself?

[Data]

Hi Bingo, dropping out the old oil is a pretty straightforward diy job, and refilling is easy as long as you stick to the right oil and put the right amount back in the engine. It's easy to overfill if you don't watch out! You only need some basic tools, but don't overtighten the sump plug or you may strip the threads (quite a common thing we used to see in the workshop due to over enthusiastic tightening by owners). Make sure the socket you use on the sump plug is a nice snug fit to avoid chewing up the plug which is made from alloy. You should replace the neoprene 'O' ring seal on the sump plug too but if the bike is only going to be standing I'd leave that until next time. So if you have some diy experience I'd go ahead and do this. There are some videos online showing how to do an oil change on the BV, just do a quick search.

Having said all this you can still elect to leave the old oil in the bike for the next 6 months if you want to, but it's really not the best thing to do for your engine. Some corrosion will take place, it always does in these situations. However, it's unlikely to be a significant amount as your oil is still most likely fairly clean. So if going this route take the bike for a nice long run before you store it away, to evaporate all the water out of the oil. This will minimise the risk from corrosion, althouigh anytime you run your motor you create water some of which goes down into the oil so make sure you ride a good 25-30 miles to get the oil nice and hot. I've major serviced used bikes that we had standing in the showroom for 8-9 months that had already covered umpteen miles on their old oil before we took them in and we sometimes noticed quite severe corrosion to cylinder bores and camshafts due to acid attack. Acid is one of the big killers of engines, especially engines used for shorter trips and where the bikes stand around a lot. After that we changed the way we looked after some showroom bikes by changing out the oil and filter early if they didn't sell quickly. However, much of the damage was happening during the bikes time with their previous owners.