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Winter Bike Riding and Storage tips
posted 10/13/2007 at 11:57 am

Just wanted to send out a friendly reminder for those of you that are going to be riding all winter long and even those of you that are planning on storing or have already stored your bike for the winter.

TveTree brought up a good point in the "Garage" section of the forums for everyone riding in this cold weather to check the air pressure in your tires to keep riding safe. I didn't think about that and am glad he brought it up. The cold weather will decrease the pressure in your tires so double check them to save your tires and your skin.

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If you're planning on storing your bike for the winter, here are some tips for that via the internet. If you need more details, search google.com for winter motorcycle storage tips!

1.Find a proper place to store your bike, away from extreme temperature (inside if possible and be sure to keep the bike away from harmful chemicals)

2.Purchase some gasoline stabilizer, enough inexpensive oil for an oil change, a new oil filter, cleaning supplies for washing and waxing the bike and any tools needed for removing spark plugs.

3.Take your bike out for one last ride – long enough to get the bike nice and hot. This burns off condensation that has built up in the engine and also gets the oil nice and hot so that any by-products are easier to remove when doing an oil change.

4.Fill up the gas tank (full) while you are out and add the stabilizer. Make sure you have left yourself at least 5 minutes more of driving to let the stabilized fuel work its way around the entire fuel system. Adding the stabilizer is probably the most important part of storing your bike. The stabilizer helps to prevent the gasoline from turning to a hard gummy substance that will reduce the efficiency of the carburetors or even stop them from working altogether. (You should be able to get stabilizer at your local motorcycle dealer or even some select automotive part retailers)

5.Change the oil and filter while the bike is still warm from being run. Do an oil change according to your owners' manual. There is no need to use expensive oil for this step since you will probably get rid of it in the spring. After changing the oil – run the bike in a well ventilated area for 1-2 minutes, and then move the bike to its winter home. **Very important points – Only change the oil and filter if the engine is still warm from step 4 & 5. Changing the oil and filter properly is a very important step and if skipped it could cause permanent damage. **

6.If you can – remove any dirt from around the spark plugs and holes – remove spark plugs and spray some “fogging oil” into the cylinders to lubricate the cylinder walls. If your bike has been raised off its wheels, put it into top gear and rotate the rear wheel manually to slowly spin the engine. Make sure not to use the starter and that the engine is turned off. 15 turns of the wheel and the cylinder walls should be well coated.(Fogging is a personal choice – talk to your dealer to decide if you want to do this)

7.Re-install spark plugs and manually put the bike back into neutral by spinning the rear wheel.

8.Let the exhaust pipe cool, then squirt a little WD40 into each exhaust – then cover the tip of each pipe with a plastic bag to prevent moisture from getting into the engine. Make sure it's airtight. (use rubber elastics)

9.Remove and charge the battery inside somewhere above freezing. The battery contains water and during those really cold days could freeze and crack. If you are storing your bike in a heated area, there is no need to remove the battery. Clean the outside of the terminals with baking soda and water and also inside the battery box, follow with warm soapy water. Lube the battery with dielectric grease before starting in the spring.* If you're carbureted - make sure you drain the flow bolts.

10.Wash, dry and wax your bike to remove any road salt. Dry your bike really well. Wax painted sections to prevent oxidization during the winter. Spray all rims, chain, frame etc. with WD40 – *avoid brake pads, rotors, tires*

11.Cover with a breathable cloth. (You can get a good cheap cover for your bike at Walmart for about $20 if storing inside a garage)

Hope this helps some of you out if you store your bike over the winter time! If you have any more tips or tricks to add, please post them in the garage section of the forums and I'll add them to this message after I add it to the news section.

Thanks to all those that made it out to the bowling meet and greet this past weekend! We had a blast and it was good to see everyone out there new and old! For those of you that couldn't make it out to this event, hopefully we'll see you at the Caesar's MojoCycle Birthday Bash party in December! (Details on that soon!)

-Your friends at MojoCycle

Added info from Paco (Thanks Paco!)

ADDENDUM..... Remind them NOT to go for a spin at any time during the winter on a winterized bike(you'll have to re-do it all).

Also... Some smoke from a fogged engine is normal on startup.

Be very careful on your first spring ride due to tires absorbing ambient oil in the air(under the cover) and any overspray(it can make for a slippery first mile or so).

If your bike isn't on a stand remember to rotate wheels 1/4 turn every 3-4 weeks to avoid rubber compression(most people don't bother with this one).

float bowls not flow bolts as in origonal hotbox

This is also the best time to armor-all your seats, grips and leather accessories since you won't be on it therefore no slip sliding around.

A battery tender(brand name) is also a good idea for the winter months. they're only about $25 new and easy to use/install.

Hope this helps WHIT, some of it comes as second nature for us but may not strike the newbees as nessecary.

Oh yeah... SALT + ALUMINUM = BAD!!! If you do ride during the winter a regular hosedown and wash is VERY reccomended to keep oxidization and pitting to a minimum.

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Additional tips:

Hey Folks,

Just wanted to send out a few reminders to everyone to stay safe this fall and winter!

1. Check the air pressure in your tires! As the weather gets colder, the pressure in your tires tend to decrease so check them often!

2. Be aware that pedestrians in wet or cold weather are always not very aware, especially when running across the road to avoid getting wet! They usually keep their heads down to avoid the rain, so keep yours up to avoid them.

3. There is an illusion created by pot holes. Appearing like puddles, they conceal their depth…that is until you ride over them. Never assume a puddle is just a puddle!

4. Trees overhanging the road get a little over sapped during summer. In the winter rains the mixture of water and tree sap can form a slippery film, the perfect trap for the unwary motorcyclist!

5. Corrosion during winter can be avoided by washing off the salt and road dirt causing oxidisation. Wax your alloy rims with a nice hard wax to prevent the outboard motor effect. Try putting a little grease or vaseline in areas you think should stay dry. Remember, bike covers will actually get a little moisture underneath them, so keep your bike covered in more ways than one.

6. Get a good leather motorcycle jacket, helmet, gloves and boots. The two categories of motorcycle riders are those that have fallen and those that haven't fallen yet. *Interesting statistics regarding what we should be wearing. Sliding along the road at 50 mph, Denim will wear through within 4' (feet). Kevlar will wear through within 18'. But leather will take 86' to wear through.

7. Watch those auto drivers out there! Many don't expect to see motorcycles on the road during the winter time so they're especially not looking for you! Believe me, auto drivers don't watch for motorcycles during the summer - it gets 100 times worse during the winter!

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