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Winterize Time

6K views 29 replies 17 participants last post by  2whl-hoop 
#1 ·
Live in Connecticut. Couple weeks of riding left. Going to put her away but want to do it right. It's a 2012 with 5,600 miles. She will be in my unheated garage.

What I know to do:

Oil Change
Oil/Clean Chain
Battery Tender
Air filter (maybe)

Not sure:

Drain gas or fill her up? Water condensation in empty tank? Bad for seals?
Okay for tires to be on cold cement?

Missing anything else to do?


If there is a thread already please let me know.
 
#2 ·
#3 · (Edited)
I see no reason to do anything with the air filter. As for the battery, my opinion is the best thing you can do for it is to take it out for the winter. That way there is ZERO drain on it. Still use the charger occasionally to keep it "topped off". Oil change is a good thing. Make your own decision on fuel level. I don't think the fuel injected engines are as prone to gumming up as the old carburetor systems. I do like to put fuel stabilizer in, not sure if it helps for 3 months but shouldn't hurt. The worst thing you can do is occasionally start the bike for 5-10 minutes and shut if off . Park it and leave it alone. Put the max air pressure in your tires stated on sidewall. This helps to avoid flat spotting ( should go away on first ride ). A couple layers of old carpet under the tires is good for this also. A centerstand takes almost all the bikes weight off the tires, but not everyone has one. Oil the chain real good. If you have a cover for it or an old sheet put it on. Keeps people from using it for a storage rack!

I don't worry about this stuff in Houston anymore, but I sure had to go thru it in WV!
 
#4 · (Edited)
I live in Minnesota, and here's what I did, just yesterday. Rode to work (not very often you get to to that here, in December), stopped on the way home and topped off the fuel. When I got home I added a few ounces of Sea-Foam to stabilize the fuel, drained the crankcase and refilled with fresh oil. Done.

I haven't pulled a battery for winter storage in years, and I haven't had a battery fail. Fuel injected bikes seem to start on the first crank or two even after sitting for a long period and even if the battery may not be 100%, I've never had a problem with them starting.
 
#30 ·
Last week I took the bike out for the first time: added about 5psi to each tire to get to the proper spec, inserted key, turned key and pressed starter button, rode about 25 miles or so to fully warm engine and hopefully get rid of any condensation in crankcase. :thumbup:
 
#6 ·
Used oil has contaminants from combustion byproducts in it that can combine with condensation to form acids. Change the oil before storage and ride on it come Spring.
 
#7 ·
Live in Connecticut...with 5,600 miles...will be in my unheated garage.

Oil Change
Oil/Clean Chain
Battery Tender
Air filter (maybe)

Drain gas or fill her up? Water condensation in empty tank? Bad for seals?
Okay for tires to be on cold cement?

Missing anything else to do?
North of you on Mass/NH border. Suggest oil change and filter (since it'll be due at 6K, anyway). A few ounces of StarTron in tank, fill 'er up, take her for a spin, return to garage and top off tank. Clean/lube chain, wash bike if so inclined. Put 'er up on centerstand, slab o' wood under front wheel and remove battery to warmer indoors (where you can periodically give it a few-hours zap with a Tender/charger). Stuff oily rag in exhaust port. To discourage mousies, I stuff those horrid-smelling dryer sheets all over the bike where there is wiring and potential chewables. Finally, I put a full-cover on for her long winter sleep.
 
#15 ·
So, this thread is relavent to my interests! I too am missing many days as the weather gets oogy. I recently acquired a battery tender, and I'm curious the proper storage methodology.

What I'm hearing is:
1) Don't bother with the tender. The cold weather won't drain the battery. Question to this - should I undo one terminal? Or should I hook up the tender? If I do hook up the tender, should I disconnect the bike electricals?

2) Fill up the tank, put some gas stabilizer in it. Question on this one - what if I want to go for a quicky ride during a warm spell. Is the stabilizer going to be an issue? (I'm guessing not. I'm going to burn it soon anyway.

3) Do an oil change now - My hindbrain says 'yes, if the parts are going ot be sitting still all winter, have them sit in CLEAN oil.'

I also like the "Don't bother starting it if you're not going to ride it. It won't benefit anything".
 
#13 ·
I can occasionally get in a ride on the weekends athough it is usually short. Why is it bad to NOT winterize the bike, and try to run it once a week ? I use Sea Foam in the gas, keep everything oiled.....

here is an interesting article on the subject.......

Motorcycle Winterization
run it, or ride it ?

simply starting and letting it idle isn't enuf, if your not going to ride it don't bother starting it,

1. idle doesn't charge like riding speeds
2. just cause water temp is warm doesn't mean the oil isup to temp and contaminates evaporated



 
#11 ·
Really? Is it "unhealthy" for the battery to be stored in a warm place and periodically (once monthly) charged for an hour or so?

(Yet ANOTHER reason for me to get my butt in gear and build some on-site/at home storage for my bike instead of keeping it miles away in a friend's garage/barn)
 
#16 ·
Winterizing

My mechanic changed my oil before I rode up to the place I'm storing it. His recommendations were pretty simple:

Throw in stabilizer and then fill the tank up and ride home. He suggested filling with a premium fuel without ethanol, but then admitted it probably didn't matter. For the battery, he told me just to leave it in but unhook the negative terminal, though I have a tender. If you take the battery out, leave it in the garage because colder temperatures are better for them.

For tires he suggested significantly overinflating them (like 80+ psi) to keep them from flattening, just drop the pressure in the spring. I thought this was nuts, but he stakes his reputation on it. In the end, I put the bike on jack stands anyhow, so I could clean the chain, and I hit it with Chain Wax.

Otherwise, simple stuff - I washed it thoroughly, waxed the paint, and treated the rest of it with Fluid Film. I'll wash that off in the spring.

The biggest pain in the ass was the jack stands, because they're not quite a perfect fit and I was slightly concerned about stability, but they seem to be doing fine.
 
#18 ·
The biggest pain in the ass was the jack stands, because they're not quite a perfect fit and I was slightly concerned about stability, but they seem to be doing fine.
Why not use a center stand? That'll lift the rear tire and carry a ton of the weight. I'd guess with that you'd end up not needing to overinflate the tires (very little weight on the front tire).
 
#19 · (Edited)
It's easy to winterize if you have a warm garage. Since I have one I usually don't do much. Clean the whole bike and just add Sea Foam or Sta bil in the fuel. Then I start them a few times over the winter.

If you had to leave them outside I'd buy a cover for them and remove the battery. UV rays seems to age the plastic. Batteries like cool weather, like in the 40's F. So it depends if your bike has a current leak that can kill it in no time. Filling the fuel tank sounds like a good idea too. A flat tire may make it do strage things.
 
#21 ·
<<A Battery stored between 5C - 10C will hold it's charge longer than if stored at room temp...>>

According to an online temp convertor that's 41 - 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I live at 5700 ft elevation where the night time lows are often in the 0 - 20F range (and sometimes the day time highs!), and I have difficulty conceiving that such temperatures are good for a battery. I usually remove a battery and put it inside for wintertime storage or use a battery tender which I have been told helps a battery compensate for extreme cold by generating a little warmth inside it, but I'm not certain if these are the best ways to deal with the situation.

My impression (perhaps incorrect) is that the previous comments about cold weather storage are not about temperatures as low as I experience, and any opinions about the best way to deal with these more extreme cold temperatures would be appreciated.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net
 
#22 · (Edited)
Mike, I am in Missoula and it gets a tad chilly here as well, been wondering the same thing as you......i figure, it cant hurt to put that battery either on a tender and / or keep it a bit warmer than the 20 degree temps my garage can fall to.
What part of Idaho are you in? I ride Idaho alot in the summer, just love it. :hurray:
 
#23 ·
.


I live a few miles east of Ashton, first town south of Island Park. I ride a lot in Montana and love riding there as you do in Idaho (perhaps a case of "the grass is always greener...."?). Actually, we are both fortunate to have such beautiful riding country right out of our garages. I always try to do at least one long ride in Montana each year, and last fall my wife an I did a ride from home up the Front Range, then east to the Bear Paw Battlefield monument, and then a meandering route home. If you are in this area please don't hesitate to contact me.

I'm on Happy Trails email list and by coincidence this morning there was a piece from them on winterizing in my inbox. I've copied and pasted the text below. I'm sure it's all good advice but I certainly don't do all of those things, but perhaps I should do more than I do.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net

From Happy Trails:

<<Every year we use our motorcycles from early spring until late fall, some with little to no maintenance, others with little more than a chain-lube, a clean air filter, and fresh oil and filter. Over the years we've put on several clinics in early winter to cover the things most riders fail to take care of. We have seen KLR, DR and DRZ swing arm bolts that had to be destroyed, as water and grime had caused corrosion which made removing them impossible.

The rear suspension needs to be cleaned and lubed. Wheel and steering head bearings should be checked and lubed. You might say, "Hey, my bike is new and doesn't need it for awhile." It has been our experience that all bikes have a universal lack of lubrication from the factory.

No matter what bike you ride the information here will be helpful for you, as most bikes have the same general points to cover.

1) Wheel bearings: Are they the OEM non-sealed type? How are the bearing seals? Most non-sealed wheel bearings have very little grease in them. After a few water crossings or overzealous cleaning with a power sprayer there's no grease left. If you remove the OEM wheel bearings I recommend you have new bearings on hand and ready to go. Grease your new wheel bearings before installing.

2) Steering Head: Check the front forks before removing them. If there is play in the steering head they need to be replaced. If you do not have a bearing press, have a shop make these repairs for you. If the bearings are good, then clean them, grease them and reinstall the steering head per service manual instructions.

3) Front forks: Now is a great time to service your front forks. If you don't have a service manual, get one before starting this process. Disassemble and inspect the forks. The bushings at the joint of the fork tubes have a Teflon coating; if they are showing a copper color replace them. Clean and inspect the forks, refill them to the correct level with the correct weight oil, and then reassemble. Note that your fork oil should be replaced on a yearly basis.

4) Rear suspension: Disassemble the rear swing arm; remove and inspect the rear shock. This is a great time to have the shock serviced, which should be done by a suspension expert. Clean and lube the shock absorber linkage. If the needle bearing grease is clean and not contaminated I recommend re-lubing without cleaning the old grease out. Be careful with the needle bearings, because if you lose one you need to replace the kit. When removing the swing arm bolt take care not to damage the threads. These bolts can become corroded over time causing them to seize up and making them extremely difficult to remove. If you encounter this, soak it with penetrating oil and let it sit. Note that getting it out may take several attempts. There are bearings inside the sleeve that need to be lubed. These are also needle bearings, so if they need to be cleaned be very careful. When everything is cleaned and lubed start your reassembly.

5) Antifreeze: Change the coolant in your bike.

6) Drive train: Check the final drive fluid and change if needed. Clean, check and lube the chain and sprockets.

7) Cables: Inspect, clean and lube all cables.

8) Brakes: Check brake pads and change brake fluid. Inspect the calipers, looking for excessive wear on one side and not the other. If they are not functioning properly you may need to clean and lube them or have them rebuilt.

9) Fuel: If you are storing your bike, use a good fuel stabilizer. It also helps to use a good non-ethanol gas when storing a bike.

10) Batteries: If the bike is not being ridden on a regular basis, use a battery tender to extend the life of the battery.

11) Tools: Depending on the type of bike you have you may need Torx bits, Allen wrenches, Phillips head and flat head screw drivers, a rubber or plastic mallet, bearing and race drivers, Metric wrenches and sockets, a Torque wrench and a shop manual.

12) Supplies: Cable lube, waterproof grease, anti freeze, fuel stabilizer, shop towels and cleaning solvent.>>
 
#24 ·
Most modern cables are Teflon lined including all V-Stroms. Leave them alone. Grease the barrel ends instead.
 
#25 ·
You beat me to it Liketoride2. I am on the Happy Trails list too and saw the e-mail. (off topic - thumbs-up on their center-stand).
My winterize program is a little different - the bike is my primary commuter and I'll keep riding. But, when it warms up I'll take some time and do some of the maintenance.
Maybe I'll get to the point at which the freeze warning light will burn out - that would save me from another distracting light on the panel ;)
I Virginia, I'm hoping for an easy, mild winter...
 
#26 ·
I live a few miles east of Ashton, first town south of Island Park.
I used to camp & fish Henrys Lake and I.P. reservoir but since moving from Billings to Missoula I ride mostly in the Idaho to the west of me, would like to make it back through your area sometime, will give you a shout when I do.
Thanks for the list from Happy Trails, it is definately more than I am doing but maybe some things there I should be paying more attention to in the future.
I take it you have a '12 strom ? I have the Adv model and sure enjoyed the bike its first year, hoping for many more to come.....
 
#27 ·
Oil in the cylinders

Checking the manual, it mentions to remove the plugs and add a bit of oil to the cylinders and cranking before storage. Then, in the spring remove the plugs, turn the engine a few times, and then re-install the plugs. No one mentioned this on this thread. Does anyone do this? Is it necessary ?

I did not put Oil in the cylinders when I put my bike away in late October, just the gas stabilizer... should I do it now?

cheers,
CJ
 
#28 ·
I'll only fog or add oil to the cylinders if the bike will be stored for over a year. Just start the bike, it will be fine.
 
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