This article appeared on the J&P Cycles Blog and is published here for the benefit of Bikernet readers. Please visit Bikernet sponsor J&P Cycles for all your motorcycle needs.
Like everything else, there are atleast two schools of thought when it comes to the gasoline in your tankissue. Do you drain it or fill up? There are those who recommend draining thetank, then starting up the bike and running it out of fuel. Others recommend afuel stabilizer in a full tank. Over the years, I have heard horror storiesabout fuel stabilizers, but I’ve never personally experienced any problems.
Something else you’ll need toaddress is the fact that dirty oil has fuel and contaminatesin it. My recommendation is to thoroughly warm up the bike and change the oil —before its long winter nap. Changing oil now gets rid of all the sludge anddirt before it can start to deteriorate. Here’s another advantage: Whenit’s time to ride next spring, you just turn the key and go. Oh, one morething. You might want to consider synthetic oil for added life after the newseason starts.
Also, makesure to check out this video on Tech Tip Maintenance: How ToWinterize Your Motorcycle.
Clean and lubricate your bike before putting it to sleep. Dirt, sand and road salts have absolutely nothing better to do than corrode the surfaces of your bike if left on during storage. Use a metal protectant spray on the underside of your chassis and exposed surfaces. And you’ve heard this a hundred times, but never, never use WD-40 to do this!
Make sure your tires are properly inflated because low tire pressure can damage tires over the winter. And if you’re going to store your bike in an extreme cold situation, try to elevate the bike to minimize the load on the tires. Just make sure the bike is firmly secured because motorcycle lifts with small bottle jacks have been known to fail under prolonged load.
Even if kept indoors, your bike should be covered during storage. Make sure the cover can breathe, and not trap moisture on your bikes metal surfaces. A tarp would not be good for this. And if the bike’s to be stored in a barn or garage, cover the exhaust tips to keep the critters out. Fried rat in the spring smells lousy, and don’t ask me how I know that.
Once stored, resist the impulse to start the bike during its sleep. Unless the bike is thoroughly warmed up, condensation can form inside the engine. This is far harder on the engine than if it’s not started at all.
I’ve heard a lot of other suggestions over the years, but these storage tips have never steered me wrong. Every year when its time to ride again, I’ve hardly had any issues (stupid mice!). So if you decide to take these steps to heart, you should have no troubles at all. See ya next time!
