Winterizing Your Motorcycle

Well, the colder weather is approaching and many riders will be putting their babies away for the winter. Here are a few steps you need to take before storing your motorcycle for a long period of time. These simple steps will save you money on repairs and keep your bike looking and running great.

Fuel

The most important thing when letting your bike sit for any period of time is to make sure you add fuel stabilizer to your fuel (preferably one designed for use on gasoline with ethanol). Gas these days is not designed for long term storage. When gas sits for long periods of time, it breaks down causing it to leave a film and gunk up a carburetor. Even worse, gasoline with ethanol that hasn’t had fuel stabilizer added to it while actually attract water from the moisture in the air causing issues with rust. This isn’t a problem in a car since most cars are fuel injected and typically don’t sit for too long. When is the last time you left gas sitting in your car for more than a month (you’re lucky if it lasts a week these days). However, bikes are another matter, if it isn’t your primary source of transportation, a bike can sit for weeks at a time during the winter allowing the fuel to breakdown and foul the carburetor. A fouled carburetor will cost you a couple hundred dollars or more for a motorcycle shop to properly clean it out.

Luckily, adding fuel stabilizer to gasoline is very simple. First, add the proper amount of fuel stabilizer (read the directions on the bottle) and then fill up your gas tank as high as it can go (this prevents rusting of the fuel tank itself). Run the motorcycle for a while to get the stabilized fuel into the carburetor. Next turn off your fuel while the bike is running to get all the extra gas out of the carburetor. Finally, drain the carburetor bowls of any fuel (this step is very important since the bowl houses floats and needle valves which are easily clogged by old, untreated gas).

Prep the engine

Now that the engine is warm, when was the last time you changed the oil and oil filter? It only takes a few minutes and should really be done before you store it. Oil begins to breakdown and turn acidic after use thus it should be swapped out so that fresh, clean oil is left sitting in the crankcase for long periods of time.

Remove the spark plug from each cylinder on your engine and squirt in a tablespoon or so of engine oil into each cylinder. Next, turn the engine over a few times with your starter (you did let it run out of gas didn’t you?) but be sure to cover the spark plug ports with a rag or they might spray you and your bike with some of that oil. Now, if the spark plugs look good and are gapped properly, put them back in. Otherwise, replace them with new, properly gapped plugs.

All of this is to help protect the engine’s cylinders from rust. In the worst case, a piston ring could rust to a cylinder wall causing serious damage and expense.

Keep you battery healthy

Your battery will naturally drain down to nothing if left unattended for a long period of time. If it is left for too long, you will have to replace it. To prevent this expense, install a trickle charger on your battery like the Battery Tender Jr. It is small but intelligent enough to not over charge your battery and uses a quick disconnect plug so you don’t have to go into your bike every time you want to hook it up. Doing this will keep your battery healthy between rides and save you money on new batteries.

Coolant

Check your radiator fluid (coolant/anti-freeze) with an antifreeze tester (available from local auto parts stores for usually less than $10). If the coolant mixture is not sufficient for the temperatures you will be exposing your bike to, drain your system and replace it with the proper coolant mixture (go ahead and replace it anyway if you haven’t done so in the last couple years).

Clean the mean machine

No one likes a rusty bike. If you clean and wax it before you store it, you reduce the possibility of rust. But be careful, if you wash your bike before storing it, you must get it completely dry or you will promote rust instead of preventing it (be very careful not to get water in the muffler or pipes). Clean off all the bugs, tar, mud and whatever else you have been meaning to clean off when you had time! Polish the chrome, aluminum, stainless steel, etc. with a good metal polish. While your at it, clean/lube the chain (if you have one) and cables. Basically, clean your bike like you were planning to sell it then step back and admire all of your hard work.

Park it

Make sure you find a warm, dry place to park your bike. Keep it out of the elements! And while you’re at it, put a breathable/vented motorcycle cover over it to keep the dust off but allow any built-up moisture to escape.

Final thoughts

We hope this helps take the pain out of storing your baby for an extended period of time (not just winter but any time you have to leave it alone for more than a couple of months). Just remember, If you spend a little time prepping you bike for winter storage, when you want to ride it in the spring it will be ready for you!

Note: If you think you can’t manage all the steps above (it isn’t really that bad), you can follow just a few of the steps and still keep your bike in great shape but it will take more of your time. Just like the steps above, you must…

• Add fuel stabilizer to your bike’s full gas tank (read the bottle’s instructions)
• Install a battery tender to maintain the battery
• The coolant mixture must be checked to make sure it is sufficient for the temperatures the bike will experience during storage
• Store the bike properly in a warm, dry environment
• You must run your bike for 15-20 minutes every couple of weeks to keep things working properly

She Rides
5925 Atlanta Hwy, Suite 300
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 967-2453

www.She-Rides.com

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