New to Winter Storage

[galaxy]

So I just recently moved to an area where I'm going to have to deal with a real winter. I left sunny CA where literally all year riding was possible. I never even had to think about any type of storage or winter care or sitting for looooong periods of time.

My main question is with the oil and cranking...when you guys store for the winter, do you crank your babies up from time to time or do you just let them sit for the duration? I know if are going to crank it up, let it run until completely and thoroughly warm, but just wanted to get some insight. Thanks guys. If it matters, the bikes will be parked in a room temp room all winter. They'll probably never get colder than 60-ish.

 

[brandini]

A battery tender and rolling the bike a few feet so you don't flatspot the tire with it sitting in the same spot for a long time and you should be great.

(starting multiple times would cause more wear than not stating it at all- only due to it being stored in a nice place)

 

[dwendt44]

What he said.

 

[boraticus]

I also agree with the above recommendations. Run the bike so that it's well into it's operating temperature so that any moisture in the oil is cooked off. Put it in it's storage location, pull the battery or put it on a tender and put a breathable cover on it if you want to keep the dust off. If it has a steel fuel tank, you might want to fill it with fuel and turn the fuel valve off. That will reduce chances of condensation in the tank.

 

[brandini]

Oh and I forgot some sta-bil just to be safe.

 

[charleshickman]

I agree with the other posts. When I lived in cold climates, I would also change the oil just before storing. Fresh oil, no contaminants, seem worth the cost before storing for any length of time.

 

[Errtt]

Fresh oil, stabil in the gas with a full tank, battery tender.
Some will plug the exhaust and wrap up the air cleaner to prevent creatures from finding a new home.
If you do run it, as mentioned, it should run long enough to burn off any condensation in the crankcase.
I hear some are using MMO as a stabilizer, so this winter I'm running it in the tanks just in case one of the bikes sits for a month or so.

I'm in California where I usually ride both bikes a few times a month - even then, I don't do short trips. I'll make sure I take an hour just to ride around, sometimes more. But one may go up for sale this spring so I'm trying to keep the miles low. Hope the MMO keeps it fresh.
I use synthetic oils in both bikes.

 

[va3ux]

Does anyone use a "fogging oil" in the cylinders, as recommended by some manufacturers ?

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: va3ux
Does anyone use a "fogging oil" in the cylinders, as recommended by some manufacturers ?


Used to fog engines. Stopped doing it due to not seeing any difference from doing or not doing it. So, why bother?

If I were looking at multi-year storage, salty conditions such as overseas shipping I'd do it, but in cool relatively dry storage, I wouldn't.

 

[ABerns]

My procedure tends to be:

1. Ride to the gas station, fill up the tank COMPLETELY, and put in Sta-bil.
2. When home, change the oil.
3. Drain the float bowls of the carbs.
4. Fog the cylinders with some Sta-bil Fogging Oil spray.
5. Remove the battery, bring it inside and put it on a tender.
6. Put the bike on its center stand, put something underneath the tires to prevent them from touching the concrete, and cover it with a cover.

It sits like this in the garage from December 1st to about early March.

Originally Posted By: boraticus

Used to fog engines. Stopped doing it due to not seeing any difference from doing or not doing it. So, why bother?

The previous owner of my bike stopped riding one summer, parked it with a near-empty tank of gas in an outdoor shed with no storage procedures whatsoever, and let it sit for 2 years. This is not a lie. Luckily the float bowls leaked, so the gas went out of the carbs. When I bought it, it started and drove just fine. I don't notice any problems with the bike, and that's with 2 years of outdoor storage and no fogging.

What I'm trying to convey is that, even though I fog my cylinders, every year I'm trying to convince myself to stop, like boraticus. I have a strong suspicion that it won't hurt, especially considering I store in an attached garage for only a few months. So yeah, you can fog if you're anal like me, but then you'll also probably end up like me and try to convince yourself fogging isn't needed.

 

[boraticus]

As a society, we've been brought up with fear all around us. We're afraid of the food we eat, the water we drink, governments that like to use fear to keep them in power and of course, marketing of which much also appears to use the power of fear. Many commercials are based on fear. It's how they sell things.

Look at the abundance of additives on the shelves at your local auto parts shop and look at the prices of them. Not exactly inexpensive. The value of this market has to be huge. The only way they sell the stuff is because marketing or uninformed people sew the seeds of fear/doubt into the consumers mind that if he/she doesn't use the product, their engine will not run as well or will be damaged.

Like millions of others, I was a sucker for this ploy. I bought the product and for a few years deluded myself into thinking that it's working. Never really had any issues to begin with but, according to the sales pitch, if I didn't use it, problems would surely come. After a while, I stopped using it in some engines while continuing to use it in others. After a year or two of not seeing any difference whatsoever, I stopped using it altogether.

Now I concentrate on ensuring I have good fuel filters on my equipment and also make sure the fuel I buy is not contaminated. That, along with oil changes, clean air filters
proper valve adjustment on four strokes and correct fuel to oil ratio on two strokes is all it really takes.

Keep your money folks. I've never found a gasoline additive yet that did anything of any value.

 

[brandini]

Are you 10% ethanol up there?

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: brandini
Are you 10% ethanol up there?


Have been for decades.

 

[AuthorEditor]

1. I begin to use StaBil in the gas as the end of the season approaches, then I use a double dose (per instructions on the bottle) for the last good run. Be sure to top off tank completely with gas that is also double-dosed.
2. Change oil and filter. Run for a minute to circulate clean oil.
3. Clean cycle. Lube chain. Spray WD40 on exposed metal and chrome. Spray WD40 in pipes. Seal off pipes to keep out critters. Cover cycle.
4. Reduce air pressure in tires. Put on center stand which takes pressure off tires.
5. I've got a battery tender lead and I just leave battery in bike. Plug in and charge once per month for about a day.

 

[grampi]

Full tank of gas, fresh oil and filter, and a battery tender and you're all set!

 

[Quattro Pete]

So, when it comes to a carbureted engine, starting the engine once every two weeks and running it for some time does more harm than good? I thought it would help prevent the carburetors from gumming up. Not the case?

I did add stabil to the tank.

 

[dwendt44]

No. The 'harm' is to the engine itself.
Unless ran long enough to get the oil up to temp., the acids and condensation does not boil off. This could cause corrosion to internal engine parts.

The carb may or may not gum up anyway.
If Stabil is used, carb shouldn't be a problem either.

My 2¢

 

[AuthorEditor]

You want to run the engine long enough to make sure the StaBil treated gas circulates through the entire system. Remember, double the normal dose (per bottle instructions) for long-term winter storage. I personally would not start and run the engine unless I know I can get it up to temperature for a bit of time. In other words, a nice hour ride on a sunny January day is good, one hour idling in the back yard is bad.

 

[boraticus]

Don't start it at all after it's put away.

Don't worry about the carbs. I've got six of them on my Valkyrie and have never had a problem with them (or any other carbs on my other bikes) in the spring after five to six months of storage.