[Frag]

Hi guys,

There is a lot of experienced ride around here ...so here I ask.

I am used to keep my motorcycle in a warm garage during winter, but long story short ... mine will need to stay in a cold shed this year.

Is there any special treatments for our babies? Keep tank full or empty …oil in the cylinder … leave the battery on … remove it.

Feel free to advise!!! I will get some -35 degree Celsius around here (-31 F).

Thanks!

 

[venjurak]

I keep my bike in an unheated garage. Normally, I would top off the tank, put some STABIL in the gas. Turn the petcock off. Put the battery on my battery tender, put my bike on a stand to avoid flat spots on the tires and finally put my cover on it to keep dirt off. Problem this year is that my motorcycle jack that fit my old VTX will not fit the new Stryker frame. The stryker is wider by a couple of inches. So, this year, I intend to move the bike forward and back about 6 inches once a month to avoid flat spots. Next year I intend to weld some 1/4 inch flat iron onto the existing lift bars of my jack to widen it by about 4 inches, then cover the bars with some carpet.

 

[MY LIFE]

Everything that Ven does I do, but I also change the oil before winter storage and just run it when you do your stabilizer. Reason is if you keep the older oil in the engine the acids from the old oil are sitting there all winter. I use cheap oil for this, because in the spring I then put in the good stuff. I also spray all my chrome with a spray wax and leave it on.

 

[bozzly]

Everything that Ven does I do, but I also change the oil before winter storage and just run it when you do your stabilizer. Reason is if you keep the older oil in the engine the acids from the old oil are sitting there all winter. I use cheap oil for this, because in the spring I then put in the good stuff. I also spray all my chrome with a spray wax and leave it on.

So you change your oil at the end of the season to fresh oil for sitting, never ride the bike and then change the oil to fresh again in the spring. Sounds like overkill even if it is cheap oil.

 

[MY LIFE]

Ya it might be. But I've heard from the old timers that you should never leave old oil in a bike over winter in cold climate areas. I ride to the dealer in the spring and have a tune up just to make sure everything is OK for my riding season. So that the reason I don't dump in the good stuff.

 

[Skwerlee]

is all of this stuff necessary if say...you fired her up and rode around the block a few times once a week? the coldest it gets in Texas is usually the high teens.

 

[qwen3579]

is all of this stuff necessary if say...you fired her up and rode around the block a few times once a week? the coldest it gets in Texas is usually the high teens.

This is what I plan on doing.

I think we can get away with that down here in TX but some of those up north may see nothing but snow all winter.

 

[MNStryker26]

is all of this stuff necessary if say...you fired her up and rode around the block a few times once a week? the coldest it gets in Texas is usually the high teens.

You guys shouldn't have to worry about storage down there! No fair that you can ride year-round.

 

[Skwerlee]

is all of this stuff necessary if say...you fired her up and rode around the block a few times once a week? the coldest it gets in Texas is usually the high teens.

You guys shouldn't have to worry about storage down there! No fair that you can ride year-round.

sweet! i think it's totally fair!!

 

[Skematik]

is all of this stuff necessary if say...you fired her up and rode around the block a few times once a week? the coldest it gets in Texas is usually the high teens.

You guys shouldn't have to worry about storage down there! No fair that you can ride year-round.

sweet! i think it's totally fair!!

X2! I grew up in upstate NY, but now down here in TX...... I'll agree that it's fair .... since now I'm down here able to ride almost year round and all. lol

 

[74novaguy]

It snows where I live... but for winter storage it looks like its staying at corbin... j/k but I put my bike on a stand so the tires are not on the ground. Battery tender and top off the tank. add stabil to the gas. Ill start it about every other week and let it warm up. On the nice days during winter we get a couple Ill take it out.

If you plan on just letting it sit for Four months or longer without starting or riding.
1. Remove Battery put on (may want to do this after filling with gas and stabil.
2. Put on a Stand so tires are not on the ground.
3. Fill take with gas and add stabil run for a bit so it would get down to the aux tank and fuel injectors.
4. shut off petcock(dont need to but its always good to move valves so they don't freeze).
6. pull spark plugs and spay some WD-40 in the cylinders then re-install plugs.
7. Wash bike and wax everything including the brake rotors (helps eliminate rust).
8. Lube cables
9. once a month I would rotate the engine over so the valve springs dont settle from being compressed in the same spot. (with the spark plugs loose you could do this with the rear tire in gear.)

 

[The_Joker]

Storage.......WTF for.....I only envision storage for a couple days, if it's "Storm Watch 2011/12" on the news, which might just be a drizzle that causes massive flooding .......Don't image the temps getting much lower than 50-60 during the day in the brutal winters I have to endure (at night it might get lower : ).......She'll be going out regularly during the winter months...... 8)

Although, there doesn't seem to be any forum West Coast Group rides here on the Best Coast......winter storage.....ain't happening for me ;D

You people need to move........

 

[MY LIFE]

This is only for us poor F#$%#'s who live where the snow blows and the cold blows even more.

Another note to winter storage which I only learnt last season that works great. If you store in a unheated cement floor, place your bike on a piece of carpet. It helps keep the moisture off the bike. The bike would always be frost up before this and then last winter I saw no frost the whole winter. This should be done even if you use a motorcycle jack. One other piece of advice....always keep your kick stand in the down position just in case the lift should ever fail.

 

[wes]

I live in CT, and it stays in the garage (not heated, but insulated) I would stabilzer it, no battery tender, and let it run for 10-15 min every week or so while I smoked a butt... Some people did say this was bad for it, condensation and what not building up inside.... so I am kinda at a loss on what to do now...I never had any problems with my R6 when I did this....so I dunno.

And if there was no ice on the roads, I would take it out around the block for a quick spin

 

[Natedog]

Way too early to start thinking about this. :-\

 

[SmokenJoe]

I use Sea Foam instead of Stabil. Little more expensive but have never had a problem in the spring with bike or lawnmowers starting.
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/wc...ge//N3233/large/6410004_sef_sf16_pri_larg.jpg

 

[bozzly]

I use Sea Foam instead of Stabil. Little more expensive but have never had a problem in the spring with bike or lawnmowers starting.
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/wc...ge//N3233/large/6410004_sef_sf16_pri_larg.jpg

+1, This is all I use. I believe this is much better than stabil but that is just my personal opinion not facts.

 

[Mr monte]

is all of this stuff necessary if say...you fired her up and rode around the block a few times once a week? the coldest it gets in Texas is usually the high teens.

I ride year round but not as often in the winter. If you take a 15-20 ride every other week you should be good. The important thing is to get to operating temp. I do this to all my bikes, cars, & trucks year round.

 

[goodwell163]

I ride all year long too... the only time she will be parked is when its icy... my truck gets horrible gas mileage so i will deal with the cold... lol

 

[richard3]

Man I am glad I live in Cali, year around riding, Oh well you guys get to enjoy your snowmobiles, I miss them.