Putting my bike away for winter

Change your oil and filter, run it warm and circulate and then park it after you do all of the other items mentioned. If you do this you will get rid of the acid buildup in you old oil that over time is not good to be left in the crankcase. Sorry you have to park it, but I know about that, I'm a 41 year Alaska Veteran whose brain finally thawed out enough to decide to get out of there. Happy New Year......

[tomo]

I agree with Keith, think you should run the engine once a week. I ride all year round in north east England, but use a !winter hack", my best bikes I keep off the road for the most part because they salt the roads over here and it corrodes bike parts very fast. Anyway, I keep the tanks full, but also coat the alloy parts with WD40 or similar. As the climates damp over here, I also put linen covers over them. I try to make sure I start them once a week, and let the engine warm up by keeping a fast idle (don`t warm up an engine by letting it just idle). This has always worked for me, but if you have to leave the bike for any length of time without firing it up, drain the carb float bowls to avoid problems with varnish gumming up the works. I speak from bitter experience on that one !.

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Whats is this snow stuff?

Alright I am gonna try this one more time
You do what?? to your bikes in winter??
Hard concept to grasp, we just ride em!!!

Dink

Move South !!

i dont store my bike, i ride it in the snow

2t experiment

Modern petrols keep blocking up the jets on my bikes (CBX1000Z, GS1000 Harris Magnum 1, GS1100 Harris Magnum 2, RC30, GPZ600R) even after a few weeks. The one bike that didn't have a problem, even after a few months lying idle through winter here in Scotland, was my old 79 PE250N. So this year on the last run before winter i added a small amount of two stroke to the petrol tanks of the four strokes. My theory/hope is that the two stroke is leaving a film on the jets and stopping the fuel residue forming. I'll find out in spring. Has anyone else tried this or noticed that they don't have a problem with two strokes?

It's too cold to ride during a Chicago winter. If it's not nice enough to ride at least 18 days out of a month, I put the bike away. With my bad circulation, I'm liable to lose a finger or two riding in the cold.

Anyway, the only way I know how to drain my tank is by letting the engine run, so that's not an option. So it's OK to just fill the tank and put some Stabil in it? Should I charge the battery periodically?

Also if you want your tires to last get them off the ground! I prop a board under my front fork (custom made board) to get the front wheel just off the ground. With the bike on the center stand both wheels are off the ground,but it never stays that way long cause I ride as long as there is no snow on the road. If you go to www.Z1 enterprizes.com they will tell you what to do also.

[snark]

...Sure, rub it in why dont you !!
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TXIronhead, I like the Marvel Mystery Oil too. I've put it in the fuel and the oil. Good stuff!

In Pittsburgh, we really don't need to store them either...its fun to go out into the yard (NOT IN THE STREET!) and do donuts in the snow!

I just could not resist:-D

Living in So.Cal, I've never had to store a bike

...Sure, rub it in why dont you !!
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TXIronhead, I like the Marvel Mystery Oil too. I've put it in the fuel and the oil. Good stuff!

Thank goodness I don't get no snow here! ....or there'd be snowmobile in the garage too ...and that's just what I need, another power hobby!:-D

[Jethro]

I've got insurance till friday. Then I'll be doing all this stuf.

Hey, is it a good idea to remove the wheels to a wharmer location? The bike's gonna have to stay in the shed, but I think I'll take in some parts. Seat, Battery, Tires?

Good time to clean my non-o-ring chain.

I wouldn't worry about the tires. Put it on the center stand which actually takes a lot of weight off the front wheel as well. People talk about flat spots and such, but my bike used to live in the driveway all winter under a cover (and a snowbank ) and never had an issue in the spring.

I've got insurance till friday. Then I'll be doing all this stuf.

Hey, is it a good idea to remove the wheels to a wharmer location? The bike's gonna have to stay in the shed, but I think I'll take in some parts. Seat, Battery, Tires?

Good time to clean my non-o-ring chain.

[bonanzadave]

This is most important "with gas that has no alcohol (oxygenated) in it"

All of our gas in MN is oxygenated. Ethanol I think. It starts to go bad in 2 weeks. I get gas for the Bike & Boat at a fleet and farm store with a pump thats NON-Oxygenated premium. The pump nozzel is too big to fit in a car filler spout. Its for recreational vehicles with no catalytic converters. Much more stabil than Ethanol