Bike Shifting in Mico Layout

Mico Layout has older company layout houses, and some families who own them are leaving for years: a posting abroad, a long contract in another city, retirement to be near children. The house stays theirs, furnished and locked, checked occasionally by a relative. The bike in the porch has to be decided too, and the usual mistake is to leave it exactly as it is.

A bike left standing for two or three years without preparation suffers. Petrol goes stale and gums up the carburettor or injectors. The battery drains flat and won't recover. Tyres flatten and crack where they rest on the ground. Rubber seals dry out. Rust spreads on the chain and bare metal. Rats and insects move in. When the family comes back, the bike that was worth something needs an expensive rebuild before it runs.

There are two good options.

The first is to send the bike to someone who will ride it. A sibling, a cousin, a friend in the same city or a relative elsewhere. A bike that is ridden stays healthy. Write down who has it, sign a short note allowing them to ride it, check that the insurance covers them, and agree who pays for servicing and the policy renewal while you are away. If they live in another city, we carry it there.

The second is to lay it up properly. Before you leave, fill the tank fully with fresh petrol and add a fuel stabiliser, or drain it completely, depending on what your mechanic advises for that bike. Disconnect the battery, or remove it and leave it with someone who can charge it every few months. Put the bike on its centre stand, or on blocks, so the tyres are off the ground or at least shifting weight. Oil the chain. Cover it with a breathable cover, not plastic. Put a few mothballs or a rat deterrent nearby. Ask the relative who checks the house to start it once every couple of months if possible.

Our storage in Bangalore is a third option, if the porch isn't secure or nobody can check on it.

Decide who holds the papers. A laid up bike still needs its registration certificate, and someone must renew the insurance or decide to pause it. If a relative will ride it, they need the RC copy, the insurance and a signed note from you saying they may use it. Keep the originals in the locked house or with a trusted person, and photograph everything before you leave, so a renewal or a police check can be handled while you are overseas.

Our Mico Layout packers page explains closing up a house you are leaving empty for years. This page is about the bike in its porch.

An electric scooter left for years needs its battery managed. Most makers advise storing the battery at around half charge, disconnected, and topping it up every few months. A battery left at zero for years may never recover. Check the maker's advice, and name the model and how its pack is fitted when booking.