1. Battery
Batteries last an average of four years, if you maintain them. If you’ve kept yours on a trickle charger over the winter, it should have held its charge but if you forgot, do it now. If nothing happens when you hook it up, it may be too far gone to be brought back to life and it’s time to order a new one.
If you have a wet cell battery, check the electrolyte levels and top up as necessary. Sealed and gel batteries are maintenance free.
2. Tyres
First a quick visual inspection to check for tread depth, embedded objects, damage, and cracks. Then check the air pressure and inflate to the manufacturer’s recommended settings. Generally they will have lost air pressure with time, especially in cold weather.
3. Chains and Sprockets
Check chain for play and adjust if required. Check sprockets for wear. Chains and sprockets should be cleaned and lubricated.
4. Lights, Horn, and Wiring
Make sure the garage gremlins have not been at work over winter. Check wiring for signs of wear, corrosion, or damage. Test headlights, brake lights, turn signals and flashers to make sure they work. Honk the horn.
5. Cables, Hoses, and Controls
It’s unlikely that these will have deteriorated over winter, but it’s a good opportunity to check for fraying cables, corrosion, or damaged coverings. Make sure cables work smoothly and lube if required. Check brake hoses for cracks or signs of leakage.
6. Fuel
Modern fuels seem to go off fairly quickly, so hopefully, when you put the bike into storage, you added some fuel stabiliser to the tank, or maybe you drained the tank and the carbs?
If there’s still fuel in the tank, open the cap and take a sniff. If the fuel has gone stale it will smell quite rank. Stale fuel should be syphoned out and replaced with fresh.
When you turn on the tap, check for leaks and overflow if the floats are sticking.
7. Start Up
If you feel too much resistance when trying to kickstart your bike, stop immediately! Remove the plugs and kick it over a few times. If it throws oil out the plug hole, the crankcases may have filled with 2-stroke oil, indicating failed oil line check valves.
If you’ve got this far and your bike has started and filled the air with a blue smog, then it’s time for a ride. Take it easy, t’s not just the bike that’s been in hibernation, your riding skills may need waking up too.
Have a great riding season and hope to see you at some events and rallies.
, I dragged the H1F out of the garage today. Filled it with fuel and put the tap to prime and it pissed fuel all over my drive, turn it quickly to on and the flood stopped. Left it to evaporate for a bit and it kick off after a few kicks ?? 
Mike
