To All experienced riders:

Please advise what I should and should not do with the bike during cold weather.

I plan to ride it everyday that the temp is 40F or more and dry......

how long is too long to let it set without at least firing it up and letting wqarm up in the garage even if i dont ride it?

I have a battery charger to keep it fully charging while not riding for extended periods more than 2 or 3 days.

is there anything special i need to do to it in order to ride in cold weather?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

I've left mine without even starting it for 2 weeks or more.  Never had a problem (garaged).  Used a battery tender jr once last winter, not even sure I needed it.  Didn't ride from late November (I think) until March 7th this year.  I also didn't use any stabil or do anything else special.  I'm lazy.  But at least I can confirm that it didn't seem to do any harm to my bike for 3 months of not riding.  

except for the toy run i dont ride below 40*
keep the bike in the carriage house every week or so when not riding will go out and fire her up (oil up to temp)never have used the tender,
besides good reason to sit out w/ couple brews fight the cabin fever!!

insure you check your electrolite levels if using a tender

I left mine 4 1/2 months in garage,Sea Foam in the tank started right up no charger or tender.

above 40 and dry? get some winter gear! i think the coldest ride i've done is 17 and dry. couldn't move my hands for a solid hour after though.

the bike can sit for a long time, just be aware that if it is a really long time you might need a bit of help starting it again (sea foam and a bit of patience maybe).

if your battery is questionable after sitting for 2-3 days, get a big crank. i went through two months of having to push start my bike in the cold because it wouldn't start below a certain temp.

if you ride for a long time in 40 degree weather, get better gloves, or hand covers for your handlebars. that, or learn to "hug the jug", which is to say when your hands get cold, grab the engine!

Arnold wrote on 09/24/10 at 11:52:03:

IMHO what you can get away with depends on how long it sits, how cold it gets, and the condition/age of your battery when you store it. We have mild winters here when compared to some of you. I am afraid of ice, so I also ride only above 40F. I sold auto tires for a long time, and the conventional wisdom is to not let them sit in dirt for extended lenghts. And if you can get them completely off the ground it is preferred. An auto tire will lose about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of air a month through the sidewalls (Tubeless) whether running or sitting. I hook to my RV trailer and move it across the yard at least once during the winter to help prevent flat spots. And yes, tires do flat spot slightly even with the great compounds and manufacturing we have today. But the spotting is gone after a mile or two of rolling down the road. One thing I do RECOMMEND is something I learned a year or 2 ago. Store your bike and mowers, etc on the compression stroke to help keep moist air out of the cylinder.

weracerc -

If you are going to ride every day it gets above 40 in NC you probably don't need to do anything special (i think you'll be riding more than not). A couple of recommendations I would make are these: If you don't already have rain gear, get some and carry it with you. Dress so that you feel warm. I'm not sure I would recommend electric gear on a Savage, but polypropylene, and other fabrics are your friend. From the tips of your toes to the top of your head. If you're warm, it's amazing how nice riding in the winter feels.

What about the freaking leaves, where I am in NY the darn trees already are starting to hit me in the face with theirs.