Winterizing Your Bike

There's a lot of opinions out there on the proper way to winterize your bike--so let's throw my opinion in the open as well. There's 4 things you need to think about when winterizing your bike: Fuel, Battery, Spark Plugs, and Storage. A lot of the procedure depends on your personal maintenance on your bike, or at least how much time you want to put into properly storing your motorcycle. That being the case, there are a couple different ways to do this, I highlighted the ways I would highly recommend in Blue.

Fuel:

• If you plan on storing a full tank over the winter--this is what I would recommend--then you should purchase some sort of fuel stabilizer. Make sure to fill your tank completely with gas, add the stabilizer and then drive a little so that the fuel stabilizer can reach your carburetors.

• If you plan on draining your tank (if your bike maybe has a leak), make sure you completely drain it and then seal the tank up again with the cap. This procedure does run the risk of the inside of your tank rusting.

• Remember to empty your carburetors as well (if your bike is fuel injected, then you don't have carburetors), the cold temperature can often make the gas gel up and cause your carbonators to malfunction in the spring. You can empty your carburetors by either turning off your fuel valve and driving around the block, or just unscrew the bold at the bottom, which is called the banjo bolt.

• If you plan on doing nothing, then just plan on emptying your gas tank and pulling your carburetors for a deep clean in the spring.

Battery:

• To preserve your battery, either pull the battery completely and store in a dry place, or hook your battery up to a trickle charger. The trickle charger will maintain a small charge on the battery, making the battery last longer, and you can go for a quick ride in the winter if the snow melts.

Spark Plugs:

• You only need to do this if you are storing for extended periods of time. It is a good idea to loosen your spark plugs and dab a little oil on the threads and end, then lightly screw it back in. This isn't for the health of your spark plugs, but for the health of your cylinder. This will keep seals and O-rings from drying out. My suggestion would be to just buy new spark plugs when you're ready to ride again, they are ridiculously cheap and play a ridiculously important role in the performance of you bike.

Storage:

• The ideal location to store your bike would be inside a garage or shed. Some situations however don't allow that convenience. If you need to store your bike outside for the winter, make sure and purchase a durable motorcycle cover. You want to ensure that no water can reach any metal part of your bike, this could cause rust or your paint to bubble up. I would also park in over a flat piece of card board or tarp--just in case it leaks any oil. Also, it's not a bad idea to

put your bike up

on its center stand, if you don't have one on your bike then place a kickstand pad under your kickstand to increase stability.