Here's a little paper I did for some customers a few years ago on the subject...YMMV and all that...
Winterizing your motorcycle—how to not spend money on having me fix your carburetors in the Spring!
The practice of properly storing your motorcycle for the Winter is good for a number of reasons. First, you'll be able to start it right up in the Spring, which is nice. Second, since the worst thing for a motorcycle is sitting around for long periods of time, the least you can do to make the long rest not cause any harm to the bike is to properly store it. Third, batteries and other parts that need replacement after improper storage are expensive—you can stretch their useful life-spans by not simply ignoring them over the Winter.
So, what constitutes "proper" storage then? There are quite a few different things you can do to make the long Winter's nap less troublesome, a few of which are considered mandatory, and many that could be considered Really Good Ideas. For purposes of this article, I'll break them into two groups: "Must-do's" and "Probably-should-do's".
Must-do's
Fuel preparation and stabilization
Gasoline will (and does) evaporate while sitting, leaving a particularly troublesome residue if left untreated for very long. After the volitile components of the fuel have evaporated, the liquid remaining smells like varnish, won't burn, and will block passages in the carburetors and fuel system. What to do:
· Treat the fuel system with gas stabilizer, making sure to add it to fresh gas.
· Ride the bike with the treated fuel for at least 20 miles before shutting down.
· If practical, drain the carburetor(s)--completely. If this is not practical, then...
· Leave the carbs full of treated fuel, making sure to turn on the gas occasionally during the Winter to replenish the evaporated fuel with fresh.
· Top off the tank before storing to prevent rust from forming in the tank.
Battery charging and maintenance
The useful life of a motorcycle battery is usually between 2-5 years. At a cost of $35-$150 per battery, it makes a lot of sense to not volunteer to buy one every year or two because it didn't survive the Winter. So, how do we go about maximising our electron investment? Here's what to do:
· If practical, remove the battery from the bike, removing the negative cable first. Leaving the battery in the bike really won't matter, but it will mean that you have to spend time in the garage instead of the house tending the battery.
· If there are caps on the top of the battery, remove them carefully and fill each cell with distilled water such that the level is just above the tops of the plates inside—look for the marks on the side of the case. If it is a sealed battery, don't worry about this step.
· Connect it to a maintenance charger/maintainer. Leave it plugged in and on. Battery Tender is one name brand, but there are many others on the market.
· If you don't have a maintenance charger, use a small (1 amp or less) charger for a few hours every 2-3 weeks during the Winter. Avoid over-charging.
· Alternatively, you can just connect the battery leads that come with the maintenance charger to the battery while in the bike, route the cord somewhere convenient, and then just plug it in when you park the bike in the garage. Easy!
Probably should do's
Oil changing
Oil is the life blood of your motorcycle's engine. Dirty oil is not good to let sit in your motorcycle's engine over the Winter. Why? Because after oil is contaminated with the products of an internal combustion engine, it carries those corrosive properties with it until it is drained. Water condensation, combustion residues, and material particulate from the clutch are all present in used oil. Kept operating, the net effect of these elements on an engine are minimal. Leave heavily contaminated oil to sit for extended periods inside your expensive engine that is chock full of precision parts however, and it's better for both your wallet and your blood pressure to just change it before storage. If it makes you feel better, you can use any cheap oil for the Winter nap, just change it again in the Spring to your favorite (incredibly expensive) brand and all will be well.
Engine fogging
Spraying a coating of aresol spray oil into the cylinders goes a long way toward insuring against any corrosion or sticking between the piston rings and cylinder walls while idle. The recommended procedure on most brands of fogging oil is to run the engine while spraying the nozzle into the airbox, keeping it alive as long as possible while the fog of oil chokes out the spark and kills the engine. I prefer a different method however. Since the fogging action of the aresol oil is such a think haze, just remove each spark plug and spray liberally into each cylinder before replacing the plugs—job done!
Intake and exhaust care
The last air filter I removed from a customer's bike had bird seed in the air filter. Each pleat was neatly stuffed with tiny seeds of promised Winter provision for some tiny rodent. I don't know how they get in there—but they do. Plastic bags over the ends of the exhaust and rags stuffed into any available intake passages will help to frustrate the little buggers. The best tip to keep rodents away from your ride is to keep anything they might consider food far away from anything you don't want them to hide it in.
Surfaces
Wash and wax your ride before storage. Spray WD40 on the chrome surfaces. Use Armor-All on the rubber and vinyl—leather treatment on the leather. Clean the fork tubes of all dirt and baked on bug guts. Clean the bike, baby!
I hope you have enjoyed reading my litle treatise on motorcycle storage tips. Above all, please remember that a properly executed storage strategy will have you revving your engine the first time you try it in the Spring. Having no storage plan is pretty much guaranteed to frustrate both you and your wallet, and even if it starts after the first Winter, it's just a matter of time before it just won't anymore.
All the best,
Shane
