laying up my s2r

[S4Rs-Tone]

having not had a bike for 22 years, and this being my first duke i need assistance, question 1 , if i want to lay my 1000 mile only duke up for the winter what should i do to it ie, oil down sparky hole etc. question 2 , if i want to use on the odd good day over the winter am i causing it unfair aggro. hope you can help.

[manwithredbike]

I've only had my ducati for less than a year now but have had bikes most years out of the past 25. In winters of the recent 8 or 9 years i've garaged them without 'winterising'. I've started them up 1 or 2 times a week and run them till warm for 30 mins or so. I have never experienced any real probs except for maybe the odd dodgy battery in freezing conditions after a week without starting. I'm gonna do the same with the duc this year, hoping for the best. Is yours in a garage?

[S4Rs-Tone]

thanks, and yes it is garaged.

[JMo]

Just leave it in the garage, and ride it when you want to - only thing you ought to have to do is check the tyre pressures if it's been standing for a couple of weeks...

I've had some great winter rides over the past 3 years...

xxx

[Scotty]

your filthy JMo ,

im semi convinced its only worth messing about laying up if it realy is for 6 months+
but they do say they like to be used regulary like

same as laying any other bike up, nothing extra special to be done.

[Shauns4]

main thing to watch is unleaded fuel going off and gumming up the injectors, not sure how long it takes to go off but I would guess more than 6 months but a bottle of fuel stabilser is only a few quid.

Shaun

[SazzaG]

Just do what I do. Leave it in the garage for 3 months without any prepping, then wheel it out in the spring and marvel at how it starts first time!

However, don't do what I did 2 years ago, and leave it for 3 months without washing it first - all those weeks for the salt to eat away at my bike.....

Saz

[carr01]

I would strongly recommend connecting the battery to a trickle feed charging unit,I have one, I think it's called Optimate..around £40.00 from most bike shops. Starts first time and wont cook the battery. Of course you will need to have a mains supply in your garage.

[mikef4uk]

Stick an optimate charger on it, fill it full of fuel (stops the tank rusting) watch the weather carefully for a rainy spell (washes the salt away) followed by a dry couple of days and get out there! as a previous post said, you get some nice riding days in winter. I usualy start mine every couple of weeks if I don't get out on it.

[Gilps]

I always recommend filling the tank up to prevent rusting, but I think that the S2r is plastic.

[mikef4uk]

I always recommend filling the tank up to prevent rusting, but I think that the S2r is plastic.

You sure? my S4 and S4R both had steel fuel tanks?

[JMo]

S4 and S4R did/does have a metal tank, S2R has a plastic tank (Like the 2005 620's) - I imagine all 2006 bikes will end up having plastic tanks...

xxx

[mikef4uk]

S4 and S4R did/does have a metal tank, S2R has a plastic tank (Like the 2005 620's) - I imagine all 2006 bikes will end up having plastic tanks...

xxx

Thats probably a good thing then, I did here of a few instances where the steel tank had cracked/split around the rear mounting/hinge piece. Still learning stuff at my age!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mr C]

I use mine over winter, Dry days of course. The cold denser air give more power too