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[Thack]

Netshubby writes: "She obviously got mixed up between house insulation and wiring insulation!"



Ah, that will be it! And quite honestly it's a serious indictment of our education system when a mouse doesn't know the difference between thermal and electrical insulation. I expect she'll be using formula milk for her babies, too. What is the world coming to?

[Exile]

This obviously needs further investigation. However, I bow to superior knowledge and will indeed leave the bike alone for the time being. I've heard the old saying, that the engine doesn't know when it was last started. Theoretically then, it should start as normal regardless of the length of time it has been still..



My main worry was lubrication....


I'm going to look round for info. Google is a wonderful tool...

[Thack]

Fair comments, Exile, but I would not say "superior" knowledge. We are each just offering the benefit of what knowledge and experience we have. That's all.



In reality some of us start them regularly, some of us don't, and both methods seem to work fine. It is absolutely true that the engine is just an assembly of steel and aluminium - it doesn't "know" anything. All it does is follow the laws of physics.



Some bits do deteriorate with age (so in that sense "know" the passage of time), but the only ones relevant to us are the petrol and the battery. I've heard loads of horror stories about storing petrol for more than a couple of weeks, but I can honestly say that the last time I left a bike alone for six months it started and ran just fine on the petrol in the tank. Any shortcoming in performance wasn't discernable to me.



You don't need to worry about lubrication. The engine won't go rusty inside over the winter.

[PeteF]

I don't ride in the winter as I'm old and arthritic and can't keep warm.
My winter lay-up consists of;
Clean the bike as normal and check points, plug, pressures etc.
Change the oil and filter before the end of the season.
Fill the petrol tank
Drain the float bowl.
Squirt a bit of oil in the cylinder, kick over a few times and leave piston at TDC
Take the battery off (this is kept together with other batteries and the battery maintainer is swapped between them on a weekly basis)
Cover bike with a cotton sheet to keep the dust off.
I then leave it alone till the weather warms up.

Others have outlined the harm caused by starting an engine but not warming it up thoroughly. This is especially true in cold damp climates.

[Norm]

Can't understand what this is all about, winter layup, snow,ice, what is this stuff, but I have seen pictures of it.

[Michael]

Er, original question anyone? Rough running causes... not how to store a bike/wreck a bike over winter!!! Will see how things are tomorrow when I take her out.

[zippy]

Noone has mentioned dirty plugs yet - Astounding! Repeatedly cold starting an engine and stopping it before it is thoroughly hot will carbon foul the plugs until they start randomly shorting, then wont spark at all. There wont necessarily be anything to see at the plug tip. In my experience it was more often than not up in the top of the plug - and uncleanable. Try a brand new clean plug.

[Michael]

Cheers Zippy, will check before heading out this morning.

[Michael]

Ok, swapped the plug over for a new one. Here (hopefully!) is a pic of the old one...








Any thoughts on its condition? It was brand new just before the bike stopped getting used over winter.




Now, new plug in and the bike started easily and ran great... for 10 minutes. Then the popping, hunting and erractic running began again. At exactly the same point in my ride as normal... and they lasted for around 5 to 10 minutes, then the symptoms vanished again. Bike was fab for the rest of the ride. What on earth is going on?!

[Michael]

Woops... sorry for the extra large pic!!!