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Putting The Bike Away For Winter


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What does everone do when they put there bike away for winter. I don't need any smart remarks from people who can ride all year long :P. Currently all I do is fill the gas tank and put stabalizer in, pull the battery, and cover the bike. Does anyone else do more than this?

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Change oil and filter - either before or after the winter break. Lube the chain. Spray WD40 on parts that might corrode (NOT the brake discs though...)

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I live down south and can ride all year long but some bikes aren't really that great in the cold. I never "fully store" bikes but I do take a few precautions that prevents issues after a long time of sitting.

 

Towards the end of the season run the fuel tank close to empty. Adjust the tire pressure to the maximum manufacturer pressure. Clean and lube the chain. If you have stands use them. A cover is good too if you have it.

 

Once a month or more frequently add a bit of fresh fuel to the tank (slightly more than you need) and start the bike and let it come completely up to temp. This helps get a charge back in the battery and lube the engine. If you aren't using stands roll the bike out of where it's parked so it's not sitting on the same place on the tire. It's also a good idea to park the bike on a bit of carpet if you can. Prevents flat spots.

 

At the beginning of the season. Go get enough fresh fuel from the store to fill the tank. Fill the tank completely. Adjust the air pressure. Clean and lube the chain and start the bike and let it idle and come completely up to temp. It's ready to ride. If you started it frequently enough it won't even be grumpy for the first mile. The low amount of fuel you kept in the bike allows any stale fuel to be dilluted completely in the first full tank. It will burn off and be gone quick. Each time you add fresh fuel for startup that also keeps the fuel from getting too bad

 

This does not work for bikes with uncoated tanks as you will have a ton of rust. On bikes with uncoated tanks do the same thing except keep the tank completely full. At the beginning of the season siphon the fuel out of the tank and fill it with fresh fuel. Any of the nasty stuff will be completely dilluted. Lawnmowers run just fine on stale fuel.

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