Winterizing your motorcycle | GTAMotorcycle.com

Winterizing your motorcycle

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Tjf

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Is there a guide on the forums that deals with winterizing a motorcycle? If not can someone be kind enough to tell me everything there is to know? I just bought my first motorcycle so I really don't wanna dash out $300 to Kahuna to store it/do the winterizing.

Much appreciated!
 
oil change
battery tender
fuel stabilizer

you're welcome. invest the $300
 
Wash, wax, oil chain, change motor oil (if not fresh), fill up tank, add fuel stabilizer (though not really necessary for under 6 months), and cover with something that "breaths".

Trickle charge every 4-5 weeks, or keep battery hooked up to a tender. Keep tires off of direct concrete.

While I don't do it anymore, those with carbs may want to drain them.

Done. Everything else is just "good feeling" effort IMO.
 
I disagree that fuel stabilizer is optional.

Check all the posts in April for "my bike won't start". Most of them are for low batteries or for gummed up carbs, especially from Ninja 250's.
 
My underground parking is sort of heated and is warmer than outside. Would that be okay just to ride it every other day on the parking lot? It is 2 level, so enough length to ride around inside.
 
matthew said:
I disagree that fuel stabilizer is optional.

Check all the posts in April for "my bike won't start". Most of them are for low batteries or for gummed up carbs, especially from Ninja 250's.
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My experience is that you don't really need stabilizer for under 6 months. I've been riding since 1987, and this is just my personal experience. By all means, for a few bucks, it doesn't hurt to add stabilizer!
 
black_CG2 said:
My underground parking is sort of heated and is warmer than outside. Would that be okay just to ride it every other day on the parking lot? It is 2 level, so enough length to ride around inside.
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As long as you run it good and hot, and burn off all the moisture inside the exhaust, you're good to go!
 
black_CG2 said:
My underground parking is sort of heated and is warmer than outside. Would that be okay just to ride it every other day on the parking lot? It is 2 level, so enough length to ride around inside.
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park the bike and leave it for the winter. ridng around your underground everyday doesn't bring your bike up to operating temperature.
 
black_CG2 said:
My underground parking is sort of heated and is warmer than outside. Would that be okay just to ride it every other day on the parking lot? It is 2 level, so enough length to ride around inside.
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as has been stated you need to run it to "operating temp" which likely isn't feasible in your underground unless your going to ride it for say 30 - 45 minutes each time..lol I am sure building residents and management wouldn't be happy with that. Plus then there is the expense of the gas you would burn, and the hassle of lugging a gerry can to the gas staion for refills. It would be way cheaper to just park it and add the stabilizer. Plus of course do the battery tender, (or remove battery and put it in your unit, just don't set it on concrete floor as this will drain battery), it HAS to be on wood or some other surface lifted off the concrete, (the wood floor isn't thick enough).
 
so how does the battery tender work? I am a complete noob and I am looking up Google for answers. But this forum is much more helpful.
 
Pretty sure you just get a battery tender, (royal distributing $35) and you just plug to wall and connect to ur battery, leave it in all winter long. most tenders have an automatic shut off... I think?
 
Ride til December then it out in March. Oil change and a bit of stabilant and chain lube.
BAttery tender is a very good and cheap idea
 
Leave the oil. Change it in the spring.
Remove the battery and place it on a trickle charger/monitor indoors.
Fuel stabilizer is a must -there are hundreds of kijiji ads with gummed up carbs. You can buy pods of it for $2.
The last tank of fuel should be Shell Gold- no ethanol. Ethanol sucks up water from air and rots everything. Fill up the tank. Add stabilizer.
Run the engine until no water vapor is seen from the exhausts, turn off, then seal up the exhaust to prevent condensation (at the rear, and the tiny drain hole under the engine). This is optional if you have a stainless system.

In the spring:

Remove exhaust seals.
replace battery from indoor storage.
change oil/filter
drain tank, use gas in car, and replace with fresh gas.


Do this and your battery will last up to 8 years. you will not gum the carbs or have any fuel line issues and the exhaust should last the life of the bike.

If you have EFI, just add some stabilizer, but do not store with 10 percent ethanol fuel.

Cover is a good idea, but just use cloth.
 
Triple said:
My experience is that you don't really need stabilizer for under 6 months. I've been riding since 1987, and this is just my personal experience. By all means, for a few bucks, it doesn't hurt to add stabilizer!
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I've seen carbs gum up in 8 weeks. Corrosion is now a bigger issue due to ethanol in gas. The ethanol is not the problem, but if you store with it, it will absorb water.
 
black_CG2 said:
My underground parking is sort of heated and is warmer than outside. Would that be okay just to ride it every other day on the parking lot? It is 2 level, so enough length to ride around inside.
Click to expand...

These kind of shenanigans drive me nuts. Do not "winterize" your bike by running it for 2 minutes every week. It might do something for the fuel system, but it causes moisture to build up in the motor & exhaust instead of purging it, and it kills the battery. 3rd post in the thread is the easiest way to do it.
 
Don't run your bike around in the underground garage. I hear ya on what you're trying to do, but for the reasons stated by others. It's not feasible.

For me, it's pretty simple:

1) Wash Bike (mostly cause I just don't want dirt sitting on my bike for months)
2) If the bike was due for a chain clean, clean it
3) If the bike was due for a chain lube, lube it
4) On an empty tank, add a fuel stabilizer (cheap) to the tank as the pump and fill up with Shell 91.
5) Ride home
6) Bike on center stands or at least a rear stand. Keep tires off direct contact with contrete.
7) Cover with breathable cover. I use a flat sheet from wal-mart.
 
black_CG2 said:
My underground parking is sort of heated and is warmer than outside. Would that be okay just to ride it every other day on the parking lot? It is 2 level, so enough length to ride around inside.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't "winterize" if I was in a condo. There are always those beautiful 6-8c days once every two weeks, that you can fully ride around.
 
I find it mildly ironic to see it advised to use Shell 91 (ethanol free) in tandem with an alcohol based "fuel stabilizer". I don't see the point.
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