Topic: Winterizing and Bike Storage

[sparty]

How many of you guys winterize/store your bike during the snowy months?  What do you typically do before storage?  I’ll be getting mine ready for storage once the roads become too icy to ride safely or my nuts freeze off.

Sparty

[ProTeal55]

1. Jack the air pressure up in the tires alittle
2. Park the bike on carpet or something to prevent tires from flatspotting
3. Top off gas tank with good fuel and add Sta-Bil to insure the fuel doesnt turn to water over time
4. Run the bike to get the Sta-Bil into the fuel system , then turn the petcock off and run the carbs dry (or untill the bike dies).
5. Get yourself a battery tender, and plug the bike in. This will maintain the battery at 12volts, and insure a easy start-up in the spring.
6. You could wax your chrome to prevent rusitng, but I dont worry about it (not allot of chrome on my scoot..)
7. Start the bike once in awhile and get to operating temp. I try and take mine around the block atleast once a month, to get things lubed and moving..

I have been following this steps for years, and never had an issue...

[cmorgan47]

change oil--i don't start it after this as i've read about acids forming too much
stabil in the tank
drain the bowls*
battery inside....charge it when i remember
fogging oil in the plug holes--rotate crank a couple of times
extra air in, and some of the car's tire stuff on the tires
wash and quickie wax job

*this is a point of contention between a friend and me.  he feels that storing the bowls dry is as bad since you get that white powdery crap in them.....moot point for me this winter as i'll be pulling them back off to do a bit of fine tuning, but curious as to what others do.

[BobbyR]

1. I empty the Gas Tank and fill it with Kerosene which does not oxidize like gasolene and leaves an oily film behind.
2. I empty the Carbs and fill them with Marvel Oil.
3. I fill the cylinders with a foam made for storing outboard motors. You can use other oils.
4. Change the Oil.
5. Oil the chain with heavy oil.
6. Put a Tender on the Battery.
7. Put a heavy coat of paste wax on every painted and metal surface.

[sparty]

1. Jack the air pressure up in the tires alittle
2. Park the bike on carpet or something to prevent tires from flatspotting
3. Top off gas tank with good fuel and add Sta-Bil to insure the fuel doesnt turn to water over time
4. Run the bike to get the Sta-Bil into the fuel system , then turn the petcock off and run the carbs dry (or untill the bike dies).
5. Get yourself a battery tender, and plug the bike in. This will maintain the battery at 12volts, and insure a easy start-up in the spring.
6. You could wax your chrome to prevent rusitng, but I dont worry about it (not allot of chrome on my scoot..)
7. Start the bike once in awhile and get to operating temp. I try and take mine around the block atleast once a month, to get things lubed and moving..

I have been following this steps for years, and never had an issue...

Pro,

With all of my previous bikes, I have put the battery on a tender, add sta-bil to the tank, and cover it with an old bed sheet.  I too would take it out for a spin if it was dry.  But all of these bikes were modern sportbikes.  I'll follow your advice for my CB.

Thanks,
Sparty

[cmorgan47]

2. I empty the Carbs and fill them with Marvel Oil.

the bowls?  how so?

[OldSchool_IsCool]

  *pout* do I haveta put it away?? 

[cmorgan47]

*pout* do I haveta put it away?? 

[from your profile]
Location:    Michigan

yes.....soon.

[my78k]

This is also in the FAQ too...just thought I'd mention it...

[hymodyne]

I read that you should deflate the tires somewhat, and put the bike up so that the tires aren't touching the ground
top off tank
I use synthetic oil, so I didn't drain last season, no problem on start up
I take battery out and store out of elements
probably not a bad idea to oil throttle and clutch cables

hym

[ieism]

If you start it a bit more often, like twice a month and try to take it out on a ride a few times during the winter your bike will be happy.
I tried adding fuel additive and running the carbs dry a few years, but twice the bike wouldn't start or would run like crap after winter.
I plan on riding it the whole winter this year. Maybe charge the battery once.

[Jinxracing]

I live in Southern California, so I have no idea why I remember this... 

A tip from Cycle World a few years ago where someone mentioned hooking their battery charger up to the lightbulb circuit on their electric garage door opener. That way you get a three-minute or so charge whenever you open or close the garage door–no overcharging! Of course, this is assuming you don't have a Tender and DO have an electric garage door opener...

[BobbyR]

2. I empty the Carbs and fill them with Marvel Oil.

the bowls?  how so?

You empty the bowls through the bottom drain. You fill the bowls through the fuel line. When you drain the gas the vapors can and will condense on the walls of the carbs, so you want to flush them out. Marvel is a carb cleaner of sorts but it is gentle on rubber parts and given time it will dissolve some crud. The strating is ok if you can really ride the bike and get it really hot and blow out the condensation that will form. I have an unheated garage, so when she cools down in cold weaher, condensation will form on the warm surfaces. This is not a problem on the outer surfaces which will will dry, but internally is a different story. I leave the paste wax on over the winter, and I use a sheet to keep off the dust.l

[Bob Wessner]

and I use a sheet to keep off the dust.l

Likewise. Anything cotton will allow some air ciruclation. And dust begets moisture, which begets rust, so anything that will keep it off helps.

[aptech77]

Put Seafoam in tank (alot) and run it through a few min. Then drain the bowls, hook up a battery tender, cover the bike.

[rt]

and I use a sheet to keep off the dust.l

Likewise. Anything cotton will allow some air ciruclation. And dust begets moisture, which begets rust, so anything that will keep it off helps.

As Bob said, anything cotton will do, ie old bedsheets. Never use anything leather. When I stored my 550f in a far-off corner of my workshop some years ago, I covered her with some of my old Welder's leather aprons and left her untouched for about 8 months. When I finally uncovered her she was a total mess. Heavy corrosion on steel and aluminium parts plus a mouldy seat bench cover turned her from a roadworthy bike into a kind of iffy restoration basis. Seems my well-meant leather protection acted like a sponge...

For winter storage I ususally
- top up- but leave the old oil in
- top up the fuel tank - close petcock
- put bike on center stand and jack up the front wheel (so both wheels are off ground)
- do a thorough clean and wax
- cover her with some cotton rags

Every two weeks (-ish) I let the starter spread some oil around and put the battery on the charger for an hour or so. I never had a battery tender so I don't know what it does for battery life.

Prior to my first ride I drain the oil, put some budget oil in, start her up and let her run until the engine is warm, replace that budget stuff with quality motorcycle oil and change filters, plugs, points etc....   

[750goes]

don't you guys ride in winter

how long is winter

I knew we were the lucky country...just going for a walk in the cool of the evening - its 20 degrees celcius - lovely...

beautiful one day, perfect the next......

is this enough rubbing it in

come on  it's hard to go fishing if no ones biting - 

[rt]

Grrr...just when I thought you were a nice guy....   

Winter here usually means messy and hazardous storms of snow, sleet and freezing rain one day, freezing fog and sleet the next day, followed by long rainy periods.... yukky

We save our 20 degs for summer! 

[750goes]

Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't complain, you guys got the better deal - you got George Bush -we only got Georges Bum Chum..

 

[dusterdude]

Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't complain, you guys got the better deal - you got George Bush -we only got Georges Bum Chum..

 

uh oh

[tramp]

you know ,just reading about putting my bike away gets me all choked up
i love winter but hate putting the bike away
just remember how good it will be to be back in the saddle again

[kghost]

Whats this "winter" you guys keep talking about? 

[sparty]

Whats this "winter" you guys keep talking about? 

I envy the guys who have decent riding weather year round, but don't rub it in...

Sparty

[spitfire]

The one thing that worries me about storing the bike over winter is the top end drying out (metal on metal contact), so before firing it up make sure that the oil has gotten to the cam, turn it over with the kill switch on until a while after the oil light has gone off.

Cheers

Den

[Dave K]

Spitfire, I do as you do but never start the bike. I don't need combustion acids eating up the exhaust system. Just kick the motor over or use the starter to build oil pressure, but have the kill switch on off. When I did start my bike during the winter when it was new in '73, I went through a new exhaust system every year. This is now how I have done it since about '76 and no problems to date. Also for me, when the winter road salt hits the road, my bike is put up for the winter.
     Actually all I do is top off the tank, change the oil and lube the chain, put lots of oil in mufflers while they are hot, remove the battery and place it on a charger, center stand the bike and wait for the spring rains to wash away the salt. No troubles in 30+yrs., except for the mufflers until I stopped running the bike.