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Boom King · October 11th, 2011, 08:58 PM

Here's how I stored mine last winter:

1. Filled up with fresh gas and put in correct amount of Marine Stabil. Rode around the neighbourhood to make sure the stabilizer got into the carbs.

2. Put in fresh oil and filter. Follow the normal DIY oil change guide found on this site. You can choose to do this in spring if you want but I choose to do in winter as there may be contaminants in the used oil that I don't want sitting in my engine all winter. If you change the oil now, it is not necessary to change it again in spring provided it still looks good and is free of moisture.

3. Put the battery on a tender. Don't forget this aspect or you'll find that you'll have a dead battery come spring. This seems to be a cause of many "Why doesn't my bike start?" posts.

4. Make sure tires are at recommended pressures. If you store it outside, it might be a good idea to fill it up with extra couple of PSI as tires lose pressure with lower ambient temperatures. You can place the bike on front and rear stands if you're worried about flat spots. I put square pieces of carpet underneath them and rolled the bike back and forth a couple of feet every few weeks. There were no flat spots in the spring. Pieces of wood will also work.

5. Cleaned and lubed the chain.

6. Stuffed the exhaust with a rag to keep out critters. Note that mothballs also work as a deterrent for mice and other small rodents.

I did the bare minimum in my mind and my bike was fine in the spring. I had mine in an unheated garage. If you store it inside and choose to put a bike cover over it, make sure it's a vented one as condensation may be build up underneath since moisture in the air can't escape. That's a no-no. Notice I didn't drain the carbs. This will be an individual choice. Depends on what you feel comfortable with. If it's long-term storage, you should drain it. Mine was put away for about 3 1/2 months. Spraying metal parts and in the engine with fogging oil wouldn't be a bad idea also. Make sure not to get any on your tires or brakes. Another good recommend is lubing the clutch and throttle cables.

October 11th, 2011, 08:58 PM	#134
Boom King So, where's the reverse? Name: Anson Location: Ontario, Canada Join Date: Nov 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	Here's how I stored mine last winter: 1. Filled up with fresh gas and put in correct amount of Marine Stabil. Rode around the neighbourhood to make sure the stabilizer got into the carbs. 2. Put in fresh oil and filter. Follow the normal DIY oil change guide found on this site. You can choose to do this in spring if you want but I choose to do in winter as there may be contaminants in the used oil that I don't want sitting in my engine all winter. If you change the oil now, it is not necessary to change it again in spring provided it still looks good and is free of moisture. 3. Put the battery on a tender. Don't forget this aspect or you'll find that you'll have a dead battery come spring. This seems to be a cause of many "Why doesn't my bike start?" posts. 4. Make sure tires are at recommended pressures. If you store it outside, it might be a good idea to fill it up with extra couple of PSI as tires lose pressure with lower ambient temperatures. You can place the bike on front and rear stands if you're worried about flat spots. I put square pieces of carpet underneath them and rolled the bike back and forth a couple of feet every few weeks. There were no flat spots in the spring. Pieces of wood will also work. 5. Cleaned and lubed the chain. 6. Stuffed the exhaust with a rag to keep out critters. Note that mothballs also work as a deterrent for mice and other small rodents. I did the bare minimum in my mind and my bike was fine in the spring. I had mine in an unheated garage. If you store it inside and choose to put a bike cover over it, make sure it's a vented one as condensation may be build up underneath since moisture in the air can't escape. That's a no-no. Notice I didn't drain the carbs. This will be an individual choice. Depends on what you feel comfortable with. If it's long-term storage, you should drain it. Mine was put away for about 3 1/2 months. Spraying metal parts and in the engine with fogging oil wouldn't be a bad idea also. Make sure not to get any on your tires or brakes. Another good recommend is lubing the clutch and throttle cables.