Winter storage prep...

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I would love to hear the routines followed by fellow bitogers to store their precious motorcycles over the winter.

For small engines I double up on stabilizer, add some MMO, and top up the tanks to full. They start every season without any fuss.

Not sure if I can follow the same routine with my bike.

So let's have it... what do you all do.
 
I did what you did but when spring came around I'd roll start it in 2nd or 3rd, beats grinding away at the electric start.

Had an 82 Virago, two carbs, at least one would work without fuss then the strong vacuum of running on one cylinder would pull the other one into compliance.

On Valentines day I ran a HF trickle charger, otherwise, no attention whatsoever.
 
Down here we do not bother to store them. We get some nice days from time to time and we crank them up and ride them for a couple hundred miles. Gets the oil hot and new gas in the tank. And we beat off the winter time blues.

Come on down South.
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Sta-bil in the gas, tank full, fresh oil, tires fully inflated, battery on a maintainer...that's it.


I do all this, but give it a good cleaning and wax also. Then I cover it with a good bike cover.
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
I would love to hear the routines followed by fellow bitogers to store their precious motorcycles over the winter.

For small engines I double up on stabilizer, add some MMO, and top up the tanks to full. They start every season without any fuss.

Not sure if I can follow the same routine with my bike.

So let's have it... what do you all do.


I just put stabil in gas or marvel mystery oil, works for me in the Harley,,,PS,,you can ride it in the winter, bundle uPPP
 
As long as there's no rain, snow or ice on the roads I ride mine. Guy's on snowmobiles shoot down the roads at 60 mph so guess I can put the snow gear on and do the same. The bad part of motorcycling in the winter is condensation, need long rides to get that out of the oil.

Other than that I would do whats already mentioned in this thread.
 
Up here even on nice days I am reluctant to ride in the winter. We use so much salt in the winter that on dry days when it is warm enough dust/layer on the roads gets up into everything. I usually wait for a few good rains to clean the salt and sand off the roads before busting mine out.
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
I would love to hear the routines followed by fellow bitogers to store their precious motorcycles over the winter.

For small engines I double up on stabilizer, add some MMO, and top up the tanks to full. They start every season without any fuss.

Not sure if I can follow the same routine with my bike.

So let's have it... what do you all do.


Run it out of gas and add a QT of 50:1 premix (no ethanol) run it for a minute and good to go.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Up here even on nice days I am reluctant to ride in the winter. We use so much salt in the winter that on dry days when it is warm enough dust/layer on the roads gets up into everything. I usually wait for a few good rains to clean the salt and sand off the roads before busting mine out.


Very good point that I should follow, thanks !
 
My lay-up routine is:

- park bike in garage
- remove key
- plug in battery charger
- walk away.

I don't decisively lay-up, I tend to just not ride in the cold and/or wet (largely for the salt reason mentioned above). I might go out if a nice day presents itself, or for necessity (car unavailable, annual road worthiness check etc) but in reality it tends not to be ridden from October to April. It always starts and runs cleanly and has done for 12 years using this routine.
 
I ride in winter when there's no snow or ice and temps are above forty.

Always keep tank full when in garage. Plug into battery tender plus. Keep light sheet cover on bike.

That's about it.
 
Try to ride ,but if the salt is heavy I don't. Keep both of them on a charger , and I like to run them down a gal or so . That way if I get a chance to ride a little . I will stop and put a little gas in it . I put berrysmans b12 every winter .
Jake
 
For our 50cc scooters:
1. Trickle charge battery
2. Ride to gas station
3. Fill with non-ethanol 91
4. Add Stabil (normal storage dose)
5. Ride home
6. Change oil while warm
7. Pull spark plug, put a few drops of oil in
8. Install spark plug and turn over engine with ignition switch off a couple times
9. Drain carburetor
10. Inflate tires slightly above normal
11. Clean exterior and cover it

Depending on the length of our winter, scooters will hibernate 6 months...
 
Sorry for you guys having to store your bikes. I'm fortunate enough to be able to ride year round, though Dec, Jan and Feb we have some cold days, we quite often have 50 degree days in those months so I normally ride some even in those months. I do use 93 non ethanol and a little sta-bil in the winter.
 
When riding in the cold, keep in mind that tires need to be normally warm for good traction. Tires get warmed mainly by flexing. Don't run high air pressures, and maybe even drop a pound or two below the sticker pressure if you aren't fully loaded.

For a winter layup, I'd change the oil, fill the tank with stabilized fuel (full to prevent condensation & rust), run a few minutes to get the stabilized fuel into fuel system, air up the tires. Battery on an automatic trickle charger all the time or one day a month, doesn't matter.
 
Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Depressing talking about storing for winter. Want more summer.


Yessir!

Got a really nice weekend coming up.. plan on putting another couple hundred miles on the bike
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Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Depressing talking about storing for winter. Want more summer.


Yep, the summer was short here in Michigan and July was cool with crummy weather. Oh well time to get the snowmobile ready
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Trickle charger, I dose the gas with blue anti-enzyme stuff, start it every week or so, it's jacked up off the front and rear tires with normal pressures. LOTS of mothballs strategically stashed here and there to keep the mice from nibbling. A little spray silicone here and there, then cover it and I have inside storage. Other than that, I do nothing. I keep the bike pristine to begin with and observe all NAVAIR procedures to maintain proper corrosion-control.
 
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