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How to winterize a motorcycle? (Read 241 times)
Afan
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How to winterize a motorcycle?
11/07/13 at 08:55:10
It's the wintertime and I heard several times from other guys it's time to winterize the bike. I still plan to ride my bike as long as it's dry outside. At least to do some errands.
Anyway, since this is my first winter having bike, I would like to hear some suggestions, tips and tricks.
Thanks.
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doctorpc
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #1 -
11/07/13 at 09:24:47
I am a novice rider and what i did was make sure the gas tank is full added stabil in the proper amount put the battery on a tender and removed the sadlebags to keep indoors anything else? oh i intend the change the oil next spring already have what i need for it
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Afan
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #2 -
11/07/13 at 09:27:48
doctorpc wrote
on 11/07/13 at 09:24:47:
... the sadlebags to keep indoors...
"indoor" means in the garage or inside the house?
My bike is in garage all the time.
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ZAR
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #3 -
11/07/13 at 10:06:58
I winterize the lawn mower but never the scooter. As long as you're riding every two or three weeks it's a waste of time. Keep up your regular maintenence schedule and as doc says put the battery on a tender(best to have leads mounted to the battery so you can plug in the tender instead of taking the battery out of the bike) and add some fuel treatment to null the ethanol in the fuel.
I'll put 10-15000 miles a year on a bike and a fair amount of that is in our Kentucky winters. I try to ride at least once every week during the winter but that does depend on temps and snowfall.
As for the question on saddlebags coming off and going inside......"inside" means somewhere that mice can't get into them and make a home or lunch out of the bags!
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Afan
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #4 -
11/07/13 at 10:51:52
ZAR wrote
on 11/07/13 at 10:06:58:
... best to have leads mounted to the battery so you can plug in the tender instead of taking the battery out of the bike...
I have that. Good.
ZAR wrote
on 11/07/13 at 10:06:58:
... add some fuel treatment to null the ethanol in the fuel.
Could you please elaborate this a little bit more?
ZAR wrote
on 11/07/13 at 10:06:58:
As for the question on saddlebags coming off and going inside......"inside" means somewhere that mice can't get into them and make a home or lunch out of the bags!
Ha ha ha ha... Good one too!
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ZAR
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #5 -
11/07/13 at 18:01:59
Afan to clarify about the fuel treatment, I use a product called StarTron. Most cycle shops,mower shops and auto parts stores should carry it. There may be other brands too but StarTron is wht I sell and use in my own equipment.
What a product like StarTron does is to help prevent the long term(over 30 days)storage issues that come with the ethanol in our gas.
I've been using it for three years now for my bikes,mowers,generators,any gas engine that sees long stretches without use. I also treat my "emergency" stash of gas for the generator.
I can say I've seen a big improvement is starting and running since I started using this type of treatment.
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wambr
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #6 -
11/08/13 at 07:12:34
you guys live on the other side of the ball... it's so far away. and winter for us and me are so different. but I usually do so- I give decent portion of whisky my little Savage
(add a little alcohol stabilizer to the fuel tank), unplugged the battery terminals and remove out off(leave the battery in a cold-so it is less destroys itself), close the intake and exhaust pipe, in the cylinder add a few milliliters of motor oil(although it can and excessive) and several times I turn the engine (without the spark plug, then set it in its place).
well and in General all...
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thumperclone
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #7 -
11/08/13 at 22:58:36
every couple weeks take couple o beers out and idle the bike till the oil comes up to temp
great cabin fever relief
7 winters on my scoot in Colorado
still runs like a champ, and NO raptor!
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DavidOfMA
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #8 -
11/09/13 at 07:03:31
I polished the bike with "once a year" car polish, only rode when the roads were dry, and added a little Stabil with each fillup. Other than that, I just took it out for a ride for an hour or so every two to three weeks and changed the oil when the winter ended. And checked the tires more frequently than I might otherwise; pressure goes down about 1lb for every 10 F drop. Bicycle pump took care of these minor pressure variations.
I did have a problem with the battery when the air temp got into the single digits for an extended period, and although I've got a better battery in it now, I'll put a battery tender on it every month or so when it gets really cold, so the battery won't freeze.
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wambr
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #9 -
11/09/13 at 08:09:49
I still think that in the U.S. in the winter climatic conditions a little softer. can there be any sense to periodically start the engine and warm it. but when outside temperature is -30 degrees, each launch will be stressful for the engine.
and battery nothing hurt, if the density of the electrolyte is normal...
so let your small animal Savage asleep until spring, like the Grizzly bear in his lair
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paulchristi
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #10 -
11/12/13 at 12:55:21
Don't forget to change out the summer air for winter air in the tires!
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WD
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #11 -
11/13/13 at 08:01:23
44K miles in 18 months of year round riding, temps as low as 10F. Go to the GI Surplus store, buy some military motorcycle mittens, polypropylene underwear and sock liners. Put a face shield on your 3/4 shell helmet and ride the thing. It's an aircooled engine, it likes cold weather. You'll be amazed how much more power the bike seems to have with cold, dense air versus hot humid air in the summer.
That's why you need
at least
2 motorcycles. Aircooled for late fall, winter and early spring. Liquid cooled for late spring, summer and early fall.
Drop your tire pressures to Suzuki recommendations for inclement weather use.
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Afan
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #12 -
11/13/13 at 08:30:17
WD wrote
on 11/13/13 at 08:01:23:
44K miles in 18 months of year round riding, temps as low as 10F. Go to the GI Surplus store, buy some military motorcycle mittens, polypropylene underwear and sock liners. Put a face shield on your 3/4 shell helmet and ride the thing. It's an aircooled engine, it likes cold weather. You'll be amazed how much more power the bike seems to have with cold, dense air versus hot humid air in the summer.
You're saying I don't need to winterize my bike if I ride it (time-to-time)? What about low temps over night? It's in my garage but it's still cold?
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old_rider
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #13 -
11/13/13 at 08:53:29
Afan, when I lived in Quincy, Illinois I would go out once a week (usually on sat.) and start up the bike in the garage and run it for about 20 min, with the garage door open! If it was nice (40ish degrees) I would ride it around the neighborhood if the snow was clear of the driving path. I never had a problem, I did however put a gas treatment in it like stabil or some such just incase I missed a sat.
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WD
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Re: How to winterize a motorcycle?
Reply #14 -
11/13/13 at 09:01:15
Afan wrote
on 11/13/13 at 08:30:17:
WD wrote
on 11/13/13 at 08:01:23:
44K miles in 18 months of year round riding, temps as low as 10F. Go to the GI Surplus store, buy some military motorcycle mittens, polypropylene underwear and sock liners. Put a face shield on your 3/4 shell helmet and ride the thing. It's an aircooled engine, it likes cold weather. You'll be amazed how much more power the bike seems to have with cold, dense air versus hot humid air in the summer.
You're saying I don't need to winterize my bike if I ride it (time-to-time)? What about low temps over night? It's in my garage but it's still cold?
Winterizing to me means switch from dirty 15W40 to clean 15W40, new oil filter, and more aggressive tire tread patterns. And breaking out my leathers and 3/4 shell helmet instead of just jeans and a t-shirt with a half helmet. I've had 1930s motorcycles with add on outriggers and a ski in place of the front tire for snow use, so I may be a mite "odd" compared to your average Savage/S40 owner...
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