Winterize and Depression

[schlappy95]

Hey all, it's September and up here in Canada that means two things. Winterizing and depression.

The only thing that keeps me going in the winter months is watching hockey.

Anyway, I wanted to know what others do when they winterize their bike?

Let air out of the tires?

Park the bike on pieces of wood, so the tires aren't on the cold pavement?

Remove the battery and store it indoors?

Run all the fuel out of the tank or put fuel stabilizer in?

Etc etc?

Sent from my XT1563 using Tapatalk

Sent from my XT1563 using Tapatalk

[mike07nad]

Ride it!

[redjay]

Don't let the air out of the tires.
No need to park on wood.
Change the oil and filter.
Remove battery, store indoors and charge once a month.
Fill the gas tank.
Clean the bike thoroughly.
Don't start the bike again until Spring.

[Ridefree]

Hey Schlappy . This is what I do . I keep my bikes in a heated shop that I keep around +6 or better , depending on whether or not I'm working in there .

The very first thing I do is put Sea foam in the tank ( 1oz/gal ) Run the bike ( take it for a good spin ) to get sea foam throughout the entire fuel system . You can use whatever fuel stabilizer you choose . I prefer sea foam ( works for me )

I check my tire pressures to make sure they both are were there suppose to be . I kinda picky that way .

I give it a really good cleaning ( as if I'm in a parade the next day )

I park it in a safe corner in the shop where it won't get bumped or hurt in any way . I've always parked it on concrete and haven't had any affect from it .

I plug in a battery tender which I leave plugged in the entire winter . If your shop isn't heated I would remove the battery and charge it indoors .

I cover it up to prevent dust and other stuff from getting on it .

When spring rolls around I check all my fluids . Brake , clutch , antifreeze ect . I pretty much check the entire bike from top to bottom . Give it another wipe down and fire her up .

After I put my bike away for the winter I cry a little and then blow the dust off my winter hobbies and pray for a early spring .

Been doing this for ten years and have had no issues at all .

Hope this helps !!

[Peg]

Woo Hoo! For everywhere someone's talking about winterizing their bike - there's somewhere else in another hemisphere looking forward to early spring moving on into summer... That would be me!

Winterizing threads always cheer me up.

[Ridefree]

Hey Peg , we still have more than a month of riding here so be patient ....

I unfortunately went down last monday and dislocated my knee . My season is over but I'm already making plans for a better "next" season .

Enjoy the up and coming season ,

[Peg]

Originally Posted by Ridefree

Hey Peg , we still have more than a month of riding here so be patient ....

I unfortunately went down last monday and dislocated my knee . My season is over but I'm already making plans for a better "next" season .

Enjoy the up and coming season ,

It's warming up nicely down here, and we've been able to get the bike out for some much needed therapy rides about town several times already... Truth be told it's possible to ride year-round in NZ without too much difficulty, but you sure need some excellent water-proof gear & over-mitts. The spring weather can be volatile here on the west coast.

But the looming summertime is certainly the best of it... And I much prefer when my passenger finally thinks it's warm enough to ride along on the seat behind me - and the winter-time solo day rides finally turn into week or two long two-up journeys.

A wee brush with the big C has slowed her down just a little over winter, but I've reassured her that the new chemo hairstyle will be perfect for under a helmet coming into summer... We're looking forward to a better "next season" ourselves.

[MrMikey]

What I do.
Fill it up almost over full and give it a good dose of stabilizer and run it for 10 km or so to get it thru the system and to take the fuel down a bit.
Put it on my motorcycle jack to take the weight off the suspension.
Give it a good cleaning and wipe everything down with Turtle Wax ICE.
Armor All the seat and dash, anything vinyl
Plug in the tender.
Cover the rig up and roll it into the corner.
Sniff and tear up 'til next year.
Occasionally go and sit on it and make motorcycle noises during the winter............Mike

[LMP88]

I just put seafoam (6onz) before i go to the gas station and fill up for the last time. Once im back i Clean the bike, park it in the garage and plug in the tender. I Used to put a cover on but realized it wasn't a good idea(for me). Mines is a regular garage(not heated) but when i was there and turn my kerosene heater i noticed that the bike was sweating bullets(condensation) so now without the cover i just wipe it and keep on looking at the calendar to see how far march/april is....lol

[Top Cat]

I do not have a heated garage and live in NY State.
It is very cold in the winter and we get a ton of snow in my area of the Tug Hill.
I fill the gas tank and add Stabilizer.
Hook up the smart charger. That's it.
In the spring I change the oil and filter, wash the bike and ride.

[Ipse_Dixit]

Originally Posted by Ridefree

Hey Schlappy . This is what I do . I keep my bikes in a heated shop that I keep around +6 or better , depending on whether or not I'm working in there .

The very first thing I do is put Sea foam in the tank ( 1oz/gal ) Run the bike ( take it for a good spin ) to get sea foam throughout the entire fuel system . You can use whatever fuel stabilizer you choose . I prefer sea foam ( works for me )

I check my tire pressures to make sure they both are were there suppose to be . I kinda picky that way .

I give it a really good cleaning ( as if I'm in a parade the next day )

I park it in a safe corner in the shop where it won't get bumped or hurt in any way . I've always parked it on concrete and haven't had any affect from it .

I plug in a battery tender which I leave plugged in the entire winter . If your shop isn't heated I would remove the battery and charge it indoors .

I cover it up to prevent dust and other stuff from getting on it .

When spring rolls around I check all my fluids . Brake , clutch , antifreeze ect . I pretty much check the entire bike from top to bottom . Give it another wipe down and fire her up .

After I put my bike away for the winter I cry a little and then blow the dust off my winter hobbies and pray for a early spring .

Been doing this for ten years and have had no issues at all .

Hope this helps !!

This is pretty much what we do with ours. We're in Northern New York, with an unheated garage.

We pull the batteries and hook them up to a tender inside.

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[dhuttonkc]

Not a single suggestion included a complete oil change before storage.....? Including the side drain plug and filter. Very important to me to not store motor oil with all of its collected contaminates in the crankcase over winter. Top off brakes and clutch master cylinders to eliminate as much air (contains moisture) as possible.

Why wait until Spring time to freshen fluids?

A spray wax to prevent corrosion, and an air permeable full cover that won't trap moisture. A quick wipe with a rubber/plastic lube on all cables and hoses to minimize drying out.

Cover the outlets of the exhaust to prevent rodents from camping out. I put a plastic dish scrubber pad in the outlet of each pipe. One spring start up I shot about four mice and their winter harvest of seed, cotton cleaning cloths, and grass clippings out of the pipes. What a stinking mess....!

From time to time I put mine on a frame jack. On and off the stand in five minutes and no flat spots on tires from extended periods of storage.

Rather than leave mine on a battery tender I plug the battery tender into a power strip with a timer that runs the strip for one hour each week. The bike (Lithium Fe+ battery) and my power tool battery chargers, rechargeable emergency flashlights (Lithium Ion), and Sunday car (AGM) also with Battery Tender on that four foot strip. I don't completely trust automatic float chargers and have concern for their ability to survive line volt spikes. I have lessened that possibility by being "ON" only one necessary hour per week. The current timer is a 7 day/5 event outdoor rated pin type timer. It runs the power strip on Friday afternoon. NOT a digital timer designed for indoor christmas lights. In the event of a power outage I don't lose the interval setting. The clock may be interrupted, but the chargers will be "live" for one hour per week regardless.

When we sold lead acid batteries (common and popular Yuasa and others) we would recommend storing them above 40F and below 70F, preferably on a rubber block or a piece of wood. Charging to 2amps draw once per month tended to be sufficient. If charging or maintaining while in the bike make sure the drip tube on the side of the battery is intact and routed correctly or you may spill acid on the bike frame and eventually on the floor. Eats the heck out of some epoxy floor finish. Don't ask how I know. One hour trickle rarely causes this to happen since the charging temp stays so low and there is little expansion of electrolyte or offgassing. It used to be advisable to remove the m/c seat when storing the bike (if the battery was under the seat as it is on the Vulcan series). This would minimize the local collection of offgas of acid fumes during the charging cycle. I NEVER had difficulty with connections under the seat of my %%%% that carried its battery behind a side cover away from electrical busses and other connectors. Moving to the Li-Fe+ battery eliminated that concern for me on my motorcycles.

40 years of riding, I have learned a few things about storing a bike. But continue to learn new things.

Will, this winter, experiment with a "smart" outlet at that power strip location to see whether it will handle the load.

Then an IFTTT program to charge only when the temp on Saturday is forecast to be above 40.

OR...

"Alexa, charge the motorcycle for a hour....." the night before an outing in mid-winter/early spring ought to be just about right.

[redjay]

Originally Posted by dhuttonkc

Not a single suggestion included a complete oil change before storage.....? Including the side drain plug and filter. Very important to me to not store motor oil with all of its collected contaminates in the crankcase over winter. Top off brakes and clutch master cylinders to eliminate as much air (contains moisture) as possible.

Why wait until Spring time to freshen fluids?

A spray wax to prevent corrosion, and an air permeable full cover that won't trap moisture. A quick wipe with a rubber/plastic lube on all cables and hoses to minimize drying out.

Cover the outlets of the exhaust to prevent rodents from camping out. I put a plastic dish scrubber pad in the outlet of each pipe. One spring start up I shot about four mice and their winter harvest of seed, cotton cleaning cloths, and grass clippings out of the pipes. What a stinking mess....!

From time to time I put mine on a frame jack. On and off the stand in five minutes and no flat spots on tires from extended periods of storage.

Rather than leave mine on a battery tender I plug the battery tender into a power strip with a timer that runs the strip for one hour each week. The bike (Lithium Fe+ battery) and my power tool battery chargers, rechargeable emergency flashlights (Lithium Ion), and Sunday car (AGM) also with Battery Tender on that four foot strip. I don't completely trust automatic float chargers and have concern for their ability to survive line volt spikes. I have lessened that possibility by being "ON" only one necessary hour per week. The current timer is a 7 day/5 event outdoor rated pin type timer. It runs the power strip on Friday afternoon. NOT a digital timer designed for indoor christmas lights. In the event of a power outage I don't lose the interval setting. The clock may be interrupted, but the chargers will be "live" for one hour per week regardless.

When we sold lead acid batteries (common and popular Yuasa and others) we would recommend storing them above 40F and below 70F, preferably on a rubber block or a piece of wood. Charging to 2amps draw once per month tended to be sufficient. If charging or maintaining while in the bike make sure the drip tube on the side of the battery is intact and routed correctly or you may spill acid on the bike frame and eventually on the floor. Eats the heck out of some epoxy floor finish. Don't ask how I know. One hour trickle rarely causes this to happen since the charging temp stays so low and there is little expansion of electrolyte or offgassing. It used to be advisable to remove the m/c seat when storing the bike (if the battery was under the seat as it is on the Vulcan series). This would minimize the local collection of offgas of acid fumes during the charging cycle. I NEVER had difficulty with connections under the seat of my %%%% that carried its battery behind a side cover away from electrical busses and other connectors. Moving to the Li-Fe+ battery eliminated that concern for me on my motorcycles.

40 years of riding, I have learned a few things about storing a bike. But continue to learn new things.

Will, this winter, experiment with a "smart" outlet at that power strip location to see whether it will handle the load.

Then an IFTTT program to charge only when the temp on Saturday is forecast to be above 40.

OR...

"Alexa, charge the motorcycle for a hour....." the night before an outing in mid-winter/early spring ought to be just about right.

I mentioned changing the oil and filter in post #3

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by dhuttonkc

Not a single suggestion included a complete oil change before storage.....?

That's because some of us do it in the spring.
I have done it that way for many years, no problems whatsoever.
88,000 miles on my 2007 and 51,000 on my 2008 so far

[twowheeladdict]

Originally Posted by dhuttonkc

Not a single suggestion included a complete oil change before storage.....? Including the side drain plug and filter. Very important to me to not store motor oil with all of its collected contaminates in the crankcase over winter. Top off brakes and clutch master cylinders to eliminate as much air (contains moisture) as possible.

Why wait until Spring time to freshen fluids?

Not everyone reads all the literature on proper motorcycle storage, and let's face it, most bikes die for many other reasons than oil caused issues.

I have yet to keep a bike past 60,000 miles so for me it doesn't really matter, but I don't have winter storage. My work schedule is such that some bikes might sit for a month or more before I get a chance to ride them. The one with me on the work trip gets the most use.