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How to Winterize Your Motorcycle
By Harley | November 12, 2010
If you live almost anywhere other than the southern coast areas, it’s likely you’ll not be doing much riding for the next few months. So it’s important you take a little time to protect your motorcycle and ensure it is running the way you want it to come spring. If your bike will be sitting for two months or more, just a few simple but important chores will safeguard your investment and have you ready to go the first weather fit day this spring.
- Fill your tank with gas. Gasoline contracts when it gets cold and creates a vacuum inside your tank. To fill the vacuum, air will be sucked into the tank through your vent tube. Unfortunately, so will moisture in that air, which will condense inside your gas tank. This moisture will not only cause your bike to run rough come spring, it will also rust the inside of your tank.
So add a stabilizer such as ‘Sta-Bil’, and then fill the tank to the top. This will take care of any moisture and keep the gas from separating. Then run the bike for about ten minutes to let the Sta-Bil get into the carburetor and fuel injectors.
If you will be storing your bike for more than 4 months and have a carburetor, shut off the gas petcock and drain the gas from the carburetor bowls. (If you don’t know where they are, check your manuals for location of drain screws - if you have a fuel-injected bike, there won’t anything to drain.)
- Some like to detach the spark plug wires and remove the plugs when they winterize their bikes, while others see this as unnecessary. If you choose to, remove the spark plug wires and remove the plugs. Squirt no more than a teaspoon of motor oil into the cylinders. Crank the motor with the starter for a few cycles, to spread the oil then clean and gap the plugs and loosely put them back on to keep dust from settling there. Leave the plug wires off until spring, when you will tighten the plugs again.
- Change your engine oil, transmission fluid, and chaincase fluid. The fluids in your bike work to lubricate your engine and its moving parts as you ride. But those fluids are also waste collectors for all the dirt, water and acid created by the combustion, heat and friction. Storing your bike with these chemicals will not only further break down your oil, they may serve to corrode the metal surfaces. Changing the oil and filters now will protect your engine and have you ready to ride come spring.
- Remove your battery and attach a battery tender. Even when it is not in use, your battery will gradually lose its charge. Certain systems on your bike will continue to run and eventually drain your battery. The easiest way to prevent this is to leave your battery in your motorcycle, but attach a battery tender which plugs into a standard power outlet.
- If your bike has a liquid cooling system, check its level of anti-freeze with a hygrometer, then drain, flush and replace antifreeze if necessary. (Every two years should be sufficient.) Low or empty antifreeze will cause your cooling system to rust or corrode.
- Clean your motorcycle. Carefully remove all road grime, grease, tar, stains, and bugs from painted surfaces, chrome, seals, and tires and dry everything thoroughly. It would be a good idea to then wax any exposed metal surfaces to protect the finish. Clean the chain (if you have one) and then spray off all the built up residues with WD40. Then lube the chain.
- Inflate your tires to their proper level. Then, if your bike is to be stored on concrete, get the tires up off the cold floor with a motorcycle lift or if that’s not possible, onto wood or carpet.
- Protect your tailpipe. Bugs and rodents like nothing better than a cozy tailpipe to nest in. To discourage this, stuff a clean rag in the end of your pipe, or cover it with a plastic bag (secured with a rubber band). Just don’t forget to remove the above as you’re preparing for your maiden spring ride.
Obviously, storing your motorcycle inside is the best, but sometimes this isn’t possible. If you must store outside, remember to put a cover your bike and make sure you have the tires out of the sunlight. If you protect your bike this winter you should be ready to enjoy your motorcycle this spring without any worries.
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