winter storage

[richard kersten]

This doesn t pertain to me cause I live on the west coast but just curious how you snow birds store your bikes in the winter.

 

[danny318]

I be a man and ride in the winter

 

[Johnrg]

Pull battery and trickle charge on occasion. Drain fuel from tank or fill it up. Pull spark plug and add a small amount of oil and turn it over a couple or times and replace plug. Lube chain, Clean and spray some things with Boeshield which dries leaving a layer of wax and put bike on a stand with tires elevated. Cover if desired or roll into kitchen or living room.

 

[Mudvayne]

This doesn t pertain to me cause I live on the west coast but just curious how you snow birds store your bikes in the winter.

To be honest richard in the multiple new bikes I have owned over almost 40 years which includes everything from Honda z50's to Harleys to Crotch rockets and mostly dirt bikes I have never done anything but as already said charge battery and leave gas in the bike. I have never had a single problem at all except the odd bike leaks fork oil from lack of use! And I'm from Canada with a non-heated garage its closed in but not heated and its almost -20 here right now....lol

 

[MorganD]

 

[reveille]

I ride mine year round when the weather cooperates, I take full advantage. If it will sit for more than 2 weeks I run it for 15 minutes around the yard to keep things lubricated. I use the winter months to lube the bearings and install new things like a new Rekluse!

 

[EricV]

I'm in Virginia, and have a TE630. Regrettably the house I've been in for about 5 years hasn't got a garage (sure miss it) and my basement, owing to the stairwell/angle to get in, is not an option for getting the bike in. For the past 5 years my bikes have sat outside under a cover (chained down, etc. in a covered walkway tight next to the house.) Anyway- I've never used a tender, stabil, or anything and they always fire right up and work fine.

Now this year is different. I have made a way to get the bike into the house- it's in the corner of my kitchen. This winter I've got to get the clutch basket out to do the cup washers (common issue on the 610/630's), replace steering head bearings, bleed brakes/clutch, etc., etc. Also the first time I've tried the Battery Tender (decided to start as, owing to the rather sh*tty wiring routing of the bikes, I'd had a fray/drain- since patched- but charging isn't quite up to par...another thing I'll re-examine while it is in for the cold season.)

 

[bigmo]

A riding buddy rebuilt his four stoke and swapped tranny gears while his wife was out of town...in the kitchen. I use that picture for leverage every now and then...

I am lucky that St. Louis winters, albeit cold, are typically not white and our snow is gone in 3-5 days. We also get odd days int he 40's and even 50's from time to time so I can ride all year. In fact, some of my best rides have been int he dead of winter. 35 and sunny is a great moto day! 38, overcast and drizzle stinks...

I did finally invest in a CTEK charger and I am in love! I can keep everything in my garage with a battery in tip-top shape. They market themselves as the most sophisticated charger in the world and for once I actually believe the hype. My bikes fire up like new every spring, even those that have slumbered.

I dot he same as Reveille for my streetbikes that see little winter use. I fire them up and let them idle to operating temp about once every two weeks. My wife then complains that the garage smells like exhaust...if she does, I will show her EricV's post above and remind her I can move them int he kitchen...

 

[eel125]

This doesn t pertain to me cause I live on the west coast but just curious how you snow birds store your bikes in the winter.

I ride my bike to get to my snowmobile

 

[Tinken]

If carbureted, drain fuel & bowl. If EFI, fill full and add Startron/Stabil fuel stabilizer. Put fresh oil in. Switch from beer to whiskey. Stop staring at your bike.

ZipTy is located @4200ft. in Southern California, but it does snow here. Some of us ride year around, sometimes with heated grips and winter gear. Nearby mountain trail rage is upto +10kft.

 

[Phil Lamb]

So, is "trail rage" akin to "road rage"?

 

[ptkatoomer]

I would think that if a bike was going to sit for extended periods then that would be a good reason to use that "waterless" coolant like the stuff from Zipty. Wouldn't have to worry about corrosion setting in

 

[EricV]

My wife then complains that the garage smells like exhaust...if she does, I will show her EricV's post above and remind her I can move them int he kitchen...

Here 'tis. Now your wife raises the right consideration- as others can attest there is a slight gas smell but us bike types tend to love it. I can get away with it...my house is 100 years old and not nearly as efficient as it should be, so the house vents more than it should and there's only the slightest smell in the kitchen and nowhere else. With the heat cycling it clears up what little smell there is. The other thing in my favor is that the kitchen is the only room in the house I've not renovated, so it's got a sh*tty old floor, etc. and not really worried about the occasional miss of the drain pan/mat.