Ugh. I can't imagine putting the bike away for weeks or months at a time! I know the forecasters are calling for a milder winter in my area... maybe it'll be the same for you...
Covered the bike and hooked up the Battery Tender
I have been holding off on putting the bike away for the winter even though lately it has been miserable here with low temps and cold rain and wind, but last night it snowed and the temps are not expected to go over 32 for at least the next week. So the Stabil went in, the Battery Tender hooked up, and the bike cover put over the bike in the garage. Easy enough to undo if the weather changes but if it doesn't, the bike is ready for its winter nap.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
Doc you aren't reading and hearing the same forecast I am hearing. I am not that far away from you
I'm going with Ye Olde Farmer's Almanac and hoping for the best! https://www.almanac.com/weather/longrange/region/us/3Doc you aren't reading and hearing the same forecast I am hearing. I am not that far away from you
:grin:
Doc, Jan - March are our bad months.
Geeeeeze, I remember winterizing a bike in New England, have bike running, shut off gas. and let bike stall for lack of gas.
Fill gas tank and add some sort of additive or stabilizer. Then pull plug/s and shoot a few good squirts of motor oil into the
pug hole/s, then put plug/s back in but loosely and crank engine over to coat cylinder with oil.Support bike so tires are off
the floor and cover up with a sheet. It seemed to me that coating cylinder with oil was probably the best thing that one
could do and I suppose some would say, since bike was running when you shut gas off, it would have come to the same thing.
I don't remember if carbs had a drain plug back then in the 70's. I took the battery out and put in the cellar, where the temp
was always at least in the upper 60's. Remove chain and clean and oil it and service air cleaner and every month or so put
battery on a trickle charger which is usually around 2 amps, today it would be a .75 to .8 amp battery tender.
I can understand that different regions have weather that can be quite different, maybe shorter winters and a full blown
winterized bike is not required.
Fill gas tank and add some sort of additive or stabilizer. Then pull plug/s and shoot a few good squirts of motor oil into the
pug hole/s, then put plug/s back in but loosely and crank engine over to coat cylinder with oil.Support bike so tires are off
the floor and cover up with a sheet. It seemed to me that coating cylinder with oil was probably the best thing that one
could do and I suppose some would say, since bike was running when you shut gas off, it would have come to the same thing.
I don't remember if carbs had a drain plug back then in the 70's. I took the battery out and put in the cellar, where the temp
was always at least in the upper 60's. Remove chain and clean and oil it and service air cleaner and every month or so put
battery on a trickle charger which is usually around 2 amps, today it would be a .75 to .8 amp battery tender.
I can understand that different regions have weather that can be quite different, maybe shorter winters and a full blown
winterized bike is not required.
My 2 bikes are just sitting there, in my garage, with a very apparent 'forlorn' look on their 'LED' faces, knowing that the time for their 'sleep,' is imminent:crying: The IV drip of their trickle charger cables are ready to be lovingly inserted into their life support systems to insure a resurrection in the Spring:smile_big:
It is supposed to snow here this evening and all day tomorrow-Monday!:surprise:
It was 14 degrees Sat, when I DROVE to work and today Sun, it is 34 degrees:sad:
Das da vey et gose as they say in the 'old country.'
Sam:grin:
It is supposed to snow here this evening and all day tomorrow-Monday!:surprise:
It was 14 degrees Sat, when I DROVE to work and today Sun, it is 34 degrees:sad:
Das da vey et gose as they say in the 'old country.'
Sam:grin:
On the surface it seems like a crappy thing to have to do every fall here in the north. But there is an upside to it. Come spring time, the excitement to ride again is out the roof. It's like being a kid at Christmas time again every spring.Ugh. I can't imagine putting the bike away for weeks or months at a time!
True! There were several times last winter where I didn't ride for 2-3 weeks at a time and it was a joy to have a day or two of nice weather "spring" up!On the surface it seems like a crappy thing to have to do every fall here in the north. But there is an upside to it. Come spring time, the excitement to ride again is out the roof. It's like being a kid at Christmas time again every spring.
I will add that this summer may have been worse because the temps were fine but, damn, it just wouldn't stop raining. At least in the winter, you know what is coming...
--
While all the suggestions listed above have merit, one I modify is having the gas tank topped off. I know it's supposed to be that way so there won't be enough air for condensation. But I consider that the garage temps are not that variable that I'm going to have large changes in temps causing condensation, so I prefer draining the tank (1st choice) or leaving the level real low and adding just a little Stabil (2nd choice). Reason being that with a full tank in the spring, I either use 6 month old gas or drain/syphon-out the gas and discard it somewhere???. With little or no gas in the tank, I can start the spring with fresh gas.
I say that even though with my RZR left all summer in AZ, sometimes with a half tank of gas, I forget to put the Stabil in and when I return in November, it starts and runs fine. That is normally. This year someone tried to steal it and used a screwdriver to muck up my ignition switch and wires, so I haven't started it yet until parts come in. :sad:
--
While all the suggestions listed above have merit, one I modify is having the gas tank topped off. I know it's supposed to be that way so there won't be enough air for condensation. But I consider that the garage temps are not that variable that I'm going to have large changes in temps causing condensation, so I prefer draining the tank (1st choice) or leaving the level real low and adding just a little Stabil (2nd choice). Reason being that with a full tank in the spring, I either use 6 month old gas or drain/syphon-out the gas and discard it somewhere???. With little or no gas in the tank, I can start the spring with fresh gas.
I say that even though with my RZR left all summer in AZ, sometimes with a half tank of gas, I forget to put the Stabil in and when I return in November, it starts and runs fine. That is normally. This year someone tried to steal it and used a screwdriver to muck up my ignition switch and wires, so I haven't started it yet until parts come in. :sad:
--
Its been down to the low teens at night now, and even this morning, November 14th, its only 17 degrees here in Rockford, IL. But the weatherman says that we might see temps up to 50 by Thanksgiving! Truly weird Fall weather. I'm expecting about 20+ family members to arrive in the next few days for the long Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend, but should we see a real warm up, I plan on taking the bike out for a ride anyway. I love my kids, and my grandkids, but .... a chance to ride is too good to pass up.
I put two of my cars and the three vintage motorcycles into enclosed storage. While I put stabilizer into their tanks I will run them once a month, just like I've been doing with my cars each winter. The two stroke has been the most delightful one to start because even after a month of sitting I can get it to start on like the second kick. 
My fourth bike is my winter bike so it's going to soldier on through the ice and snow with my tush on it. I'm not going to let this cold weather stop me! Currently temps are holding around 21 degrees in McHenry, IL around the times I get off work...as you can imagine it's not been fun trying to get my winter bike running when it's so bloody cold out. lol
My fourth bike is my winter bike so it's going to soldier on through the ice and snow with my tush on it. I'm not going to let this cold weather stop me! Currently temps are holding around 21 degrees in McHenry, IL around the times I get off work...as you can imagine it's not been fun trying to get my winter bike running when it's so bloody cold out. lol
Atta boy! :thumbsup:... but should we see a real warm up, I plan on taking the bike out for a ride anyway. I love my kids, and my grandkids, but .... a chance to ride is too good to pass up.
Well I fired up the wood burning stove yesterday and shoved more wood in this morning. It's oh so nice and warm in here now. Our bikes and trikes are waiting for a slight warm up so we can go to our monthly breakfast this weekend. I can't say I look forward to wires hanging off me for the morning but do look forward to the afternoon ride home when it warms up some. I do like not having to put the bikes in storage and can still ride about 500 miles a month. That being the minimum.
I just parked the Suzuki. Put the plate on the Triumph. Waiting for approval for collector plate for the Triumph, and the 80 XS1100 Yamaha. Then I can get a multi bike plate for 3 of them, that can be moved from bike to bike. Meantime Yami with the side car stays running all year. When they start putting salt **** on the roads, I will use the XS400. If I get time I will remove and clean the carbs, Deep Purple is running okay, but not idling very well.
Meantime the tree guys will be here within the hour to drop a couple of big trees. If one goes the wrong way, this computer might be in its path.
UK
Meantime the tree guys will be here within the hour to drop a couple of big trees. If one goes the wrong way, this computer might be in its path.
UK
It's snowing like hell here in northern New Jersey.
Dammit! This **** isn't supposed to start around here until
January or thereabouts.
My bike is still out in the shed where I usually keep the garden
tractor with the snow plow. The plow tractor is outside covered with a tarp.
Dammit again! I usually move the bike to my workshop for
the winter and bring the plow tractor in where the bike is now.
This sucks.
Dammit! This **** isn't supposed to start around here until
January or thereabouts.
My bike is still out in the shed where I usually keep the garden
tractor with the snow plow. The plow tractor is outside covered with a tarp.
Dammit again! I usually move the bike to my workshop for
the winter and bring the plow tractor in where the bike is now.
This sucks.
4 to 8 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow. The bikes are all tucked away in the barn for their winter sleep.
Here we go. Hey, at least it's bike building time..
Here we go. Hey, at least it's bike building time..
I just read a "Common Tread" column which advocated changing oil BEFORE storage rather than in the Spring.
What's your opinion of this?
What's your opinion of this?
Snow? What's that? I rode 140 miles today but I do admit I had my "hotwire" vest on high.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Motorcycle Forum
A forum community discussing all bikes from Harley Davidson to Honda, Suzuki, KTM, Yamaha, and BMW. Come join the discussion about performance modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
