Public service: Winterizing your bike

[adouglas]

Winter storage is one of those evergreen topics. Every fall we get a thread about it, and every spring another one from someone who forgot and wants to know what to do.

Here's what has worked for me for many years. Caveat: Those who ride through the winter can ignore this. This post is for those who live where it snows. Included here are what to do, when to do it, and why.

Supplies: Battery tender, fuel stabilizer (make sure it says it can deal with ethanol), oil, filter, chain lube, cleaning supplies, stands and cover (both optional, both highly recommended).

In the fall:

- Plan to put the bike away around November 1. This might seem early, but there are at least two good reasons for it. Both have caught me out in the past. Don't make the same mistake.

1) Indian summer will blind-side you. If you're not familiar with the term, it refers to about a week of really nice weather in mid-autumn, following the cold snap that lets you know fall is really here. Beautiful riding weather. BUT it gets cold, gray and nasty really fast when it's over. It's a LOT nicer to do this fall maintenance when it's nice out than when it's gray and freezing.

2) Thanksgiving and preparation for year-end holidays will distract you. Before you know it, it will be the middle of January and the bike will have been sitting for two months or more.

- About a week before you plan to store the bike, start putting fuel stabilizer in the tank. You want it to have run fully through the fuel system.

- The day of storage, go for one last, really nice ride so you have a good memory to think back on. Plan ahead: you want to be home while you've still got a couple of hours of daylight left. Just before you get home, fill the tank and put stabilizer in.

- Once home, lube the chain while it's still warm, and change the oil and filter. It's not necessary to overfill the crankcase to "bathe" the engine in oil. Just do the usual.

- Clean the bike well. You want it looking great when you go for that first ride in the spring. You'll also be removing any potential corrosion-causing crud.

- Move it to your storage spot (ideally inside, in a heated place). Put it up on stands, let a bit of air out of the tires (optional - just a habit I've had), tie a plastic bag over the exhaust to keep critters out, plug in your Battery Tender, and cover it.

That's it. Next spring, all you need to do is fill the tires, unplug the Battery Tender and go. The bike will start up immediately.

- Take the opportunity to clean your gear. Remove your helmet liner and wash it. Clean your helmet and visor. Condition your leathers. Wash your textiles. Then store all of them properly.

During the winter:

If you're like me, winter sucks. It's boring. If you're lucky enough to have your bike stored in a heated place, you can use this time for some wrench therapy. Detail the bike. Safety wire something if you're a track junkie. Get ahead of things like valve clearance checks. Mod something. Get on and work on your body position. Make "vroom vroom" noises.

Or just go look at it. It's beautiful, isn't it?


In the spring:

- There will be a painful period of a few weeks between the last snow melt and the time the roads are fit to ride on. There's still a lot of sand, gravel and salt on the roads. Be patient and let the spring rains wash it away. If you don't, you'll get back and the bike will be covered with road salt. And it'll be too cold to wash it. Ick.

- Use this time to scout the roads you normally use. Take all your commuting routes and watch for potholes, broken/crumbling pavement, places where gravel and sand have collected, etc. Remember them. Blasting along on a nice spring day and hitting an unexpected patch of sand SUCKS.



Winter is coming faster than you think. Enjoy the good weather while you've got it!

[BlownWideOpen]

I just take my battery out and store it in my room. Don't trust battery tenders.

[Worldtraveller]

Or, if you're lazy like me. Change the oil, keep it on the tender, and start it up for ten minutes every week.

[BlownWideOpen]

Originally Posted by Worldtraveller

Or, if you're lazy like me. Change the oil, keep it on the tender, and start it up for ten minutes every week.

That would suck when it's -35 here, it would never start

[Somchai]

Why worry about the Winter - here's the solution

[JohnnyBravo]

Is year round riding here chief.

[LittleRedNinjette]

NOOOOOO!!!! Winter go away!!!

Good info though! Where the hell did the year go?? What was it, on warp speed?

[Rustitution]

Originally Posted by Somchai

Why worry about the Winter - here's the solution

what are those tires brand model etc I like the idea won't do it but would like to fantasize.

[Kayakzack]

Great post!

Question, with the addition of feul stab is there any need to drain the carb floats?

[Bigballsofpaint]

You can either make sure you have run the bike so that the stab is in the carbs (not just add it to the tank when you park it, it wont work its way all the way intot he carbs and such), or shut the gas off and run it dry.

[nickjpass]

I'm thinking about getting a supermoto/dual sport for the winter months. Not sure...

how about non ethanol gas? Is there really NO ethanol? I guess I'd still use a fuel stabilizer, just in case, it's only ten dollars.

[Klondike1020]

@adouglas and everyone else

HOW TO WINTERIZE YOUR BIKE
- drop your bike off at my address for free winter storage
- leave the keys with me
- come back in spring to a fresh tank ful of gas and neatly lubed chain
- disregard mileage disparity

any takers?


-------------------

Really though I like your step by step .

Dont you fog the cylinders ? and do you use stabil marine grade stabilizer with ethanol neutralizer?

[nickjpass]

Originally Posted by Klondike1020

@adouglas and everyone else

HOW TO WINTERIZE YOUR BIKE
- drop your bike off at my address for free winter storage
- leave the keys with me
- come back in spring to a fresh tank ful of gas and neatly lubed chain
- disregard mileage disparity

any takers?

will she be wheelied properly?

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Kayakzack

Great post!

Question, with the addition of feul stab is there any need to drain the carb floats?

Nope. None.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

how about non ethanol gas? Is there really NO ethanol? I guess I'd still use a fuel stabilizer, just in case, it's only ten dollars.

It exists but is very rare.

[Klondike1020]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

will she be wheelied properly?

sure will , free of charge. I am a full service operation you know.

[nickjpass]

Originally Posted by adouglas

It exists but is very rare.

Recently on a zx6r community in facebook people asked who had it, turned out it wasn't as rare as you'd think.

I use 91 100% gasoline from the pump.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Klondike1020

Dont you fog the cylinders ? and do you use stabil marine grade stabilizer with ethanol neutralizer?

I used to but haven't in a while. Depends on how long it's parked, I think, and whether the environment is heated. I've got a walk-in shop so I'm really not worried about condensation.

And yeah, despite the red Sta-Bil now claiming it's for ethanol, I still use the green marine stuff.

[Alex]

1. Move to California
2. Profit???

[nickjpass]

corrected.

1. Move to California
2. ...
3. Profit

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by BlownWideOpen

I just take my battery out and store it in my room. Don't trust battery tenders.

The battery will still lose charge and sulfates will form. Why don't you trust battery tenders?

Originally Posted by Worldtraveller

Or, if you're lazy like me. Change the oil, keep it on the tender, and start it up for ten minutes every week.

That's bad. Ten minutes of idling won't be enough to get rid of any condensation that might have formed. You need to go ride it properly if you take that route.

Originally Posted by Somchai

Why worry about the Winter - here's the solution

Originally Posted by JohnnyBravo

Is year round riding here chief.

From the OP:

Caveat: Those who ride through the winter can ignore this.

[Rustitution]

really good info. I try to ride in the winter so I tend to disregard this but now that I have 3 bikes I guess I have to park 1 or 2

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by Somchai

Why worry about the Winter - here's the solution

this plus a supermoto

great thread for all those who can't ride through the winter months, I'm looking at you canadians and those who survive snow that just won't melt ever. However there is another option if you're an idiot like me or live in a warmer area, just keep riding and be really loose on the bars, as loose as you can be considering how cold you'll be, when it's really windy with salt on the roads since you won't have much traction.

[snot]

I hope winter is over by Nov.
I will ride a few more times this year. Then get her ready, for a short winter.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by snot

I hope winter is over by Nov.

what would you do if I were to tell you that there's a place where snow never falls

[nickjpass]

Originally Posted by Sirref

what would you do if I were to tell you that there's a place where snow never falls

Explode

[snot]

I know but, in a few years I will be in TN! I hope...
Great roads and great weather...

[antiant]

What's this winter you speak of?

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by Alex

1. Move to California
2. Profit???

Originally Posted by nickjpass

corrected.

1. Move to California
2. ...
3. Profit

Um, how the hell are you profitting when comparing year round gas, maintenance, and insurance costs to those "lucky" enough to have a few months of solid savings?

I dunno about you, I go broke every time I go riding. My paycheck should be issued to me as a fuel card.

[adouglas]

Y'know, every time I hear a report on the news of the most expensive gas prices in the nation, California gets mentioned.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx

[cbinker]

Originally Posted by Somchai

Why worry about the Winter - here's the solution

you cannot post tires like this w/o a link.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by snot

I know but, in a few years I will be in TN! I hope...
Great roads and great weather...

I may be in nc in a few years, the housing market there is great and I have family there

[dcj13]

I just put the Ninjette away for the next few months. I’m not quite as thorough as the good captain, though. I’d lubed the chain and changed the oil and filter last month, so good enough for that kind of stuff.

Filled up the fairly empty tank with fresh gas, dumped the appropriate amount of stabilizer in, shook the bike like a madman, and took it for a 2 mile ride to where I store it. Shut the fuel petcock off about a quarter mile from the storage shed, parked the bike and let it run out of gas. Emptied the carb bowls using a 3mm allen wrench. Attempted a bunch of restarts with the petcock off until no more sputtering. Took the BMW out of the shed, put the Ninjette in the shed, locked the steering, put the big-ass chain and padlock on the back wheel (to the KLR250), hooked up the battery tender, and locked the shed.

Rode the K75 home: what a heavy pig! First couple of hundred feet (on grass, skinny sidewalk, past trashcans, etc., was the worst. After a couple of miles, felt normal again. The K75 is my winter hack: good to be riding it again!

[antiant]

Compared to my car, gas prices are cheap as hell for me. Win win! It all works out in the long run.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by antiant

Compared to my car, gas prices are cheap as hell for me. Win win! It all works out in the long run.

relative price difference between a higher and lower mileage vehicle is normal everywhere though. That said I don't have to worry about gas prices that much so long as I'm riding, gas in the truck is murder ~$60 for 400mi worth of gas as opposed to ~$10 for 200mi worth of gas in my 300

[antiant]

Originally Posted by Sirref

relative price difference between a higher and lower mileage vehicle is normal everywhere though. That said I don't have to worry about gas prices that much so long as I'm riding, gas in the truck is murder ~$60 for 400mi worth of gas as opposed to ~$10 for 200mi worth of gas in my 300

Everything is relative though within this context. Some people have higher paying jobs, cost of living, better fuel efficient cars, etc. It all equals out or hits you in a different way, imo. Some more than others and some very little.

[Hero Danny]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

Recently on a zx6r community in facebook people asked who had it, turned out it wasn't as rare as you'd think.

I use 91 100% gasoline from the pump.

91 is a waste of money for our bikes.

[Somchai]

Here is the forgotten link about the tires (they're at least for scooters) http://www.savatech.eu/?Itemid=304

And here's another one with m+s tires usable on the Ninja, which some guys in Germany successful use in the winter time http://www.reifenwerk-heidenau.de/mo...pic=59&lang=en

Also please remember that tires with speed index "Z" lose their grip in temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius (39 deg. F.).

[Flying]

Originally Posted by Hero Danny

91 is a waste of money for our bikes.

100% petrol is usually reserved for the higher octane blends.

From pure-gas.org:
Aren't certain brands ethanol-free?
No. All gasoline brands have both pure and ethanol-containing gasoline under the same brand names. For example, Shell V-Power ranges from 91 to 93 octane both with and without added ethanol. It just varies from station to station, and it's up to the station owner whether or not to sell pure gas. In fact, in Madison, Wisconsin there is a Shell station that sells 93-octane V-Power with ethanol at most pumps, but which has a single pump, at a higher price, dispensing pure 91-octane gas.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Originally Posted by Hero Danny

91 is a waste of money for our bikes.

I ALWAYS put in super. Its less than a dollar difference. That is not going to make or break me and i don't think its a waste at all.

Hell, i put super in my 2001 ford focus because it runs/feels a bit better. Again though, the price difference between a tank of regular and super for it is nominal, maybe 2 to 3 bucks depending on how low i am.