Kinda hard to believe we are talking about this when it was 102 today and triple digits forecast for the next 7 days here in Phoenix. But here I go again with my annual winter bike storing advice.

1. Take the battery out and put it somewhere warm.
2. Cover the bike with some sort of a building, or a tarp if its outside.
3. In the spring, put the battery back in and restart.

That's it. Nothing more need be done. You don't have to buy anything that the companies that sell things to prey on your winter storage fears say you need. I did it this way EVERY winter for 15+ years, and never, ever, not once ever, did I EVER have an issue come Spring. You will hear a LOT of people who say you need to do something to the bike first, like drain the gas tank, fill the gas tank, stabilize the gas, change the oil before, change the oil after, lift them off the ground? REALLY?, leave a night light on for it, start it up periodically, seal air cleaners and exhaust, squirt oil in the cylinders, hook up a battery tender to it and leave it on for 6 months?! Wax it, don't wax it, etc... Don't listen to them. If you do any of these things I have no doubt you will be absolutely fine. I have had friends and acquaintances through all of those 15+ years who did any one, or combinations of these, and many others, and swore by them the next Spring because their motor bike started up just fine and ran great after all those months, and it only took them X amount of time and cost them X amount of Dollars. But guess what? I did rules 1 through 3 and had the same exact results! Now I know some of you are totally convinced, and adamant that your ritual is the only reason your bike makes it through those long Winter months, others going as far as to espouse chemical breakdowns and scientific formulas as to why you should do this or that.
Now let me reiterate, I am not saying any of this 'storage ritual' nonsense will hurt anything besides your wallet... it just won't make any difference come Spring.

 

What kind of oil should I use to store it?

Too early for this even in the Northeast! WTF!

Get OUT and RIDE!

 

Amen Tex Swede.
But don't tell the wife, I use it as my excuse as to why I have to bring my scoot in the house come winter! All the small fixes and BS I didn't get to I can now do in comfort.
yeeehaaaw.

 

Mehh It lives in the big garage for the riding months...it goes into the little garage when it gets too icy to ride to work daily.... covered in wax and all the little projects can get done while the snow flies. Good advise if your bike is properly waxed and winter is only a couple months. Im **** about the wax on the bottom of the bolt on the oil cooler however so it will be on the frame lift, plugged in to a tender and low on fuel. Yep today's fuel is poopie so it may get a squirt of stabilizer "what is this panther **** anyways"???

Awesome advise for the Arizona winter, Am truly jealous! Yea alot of Know nothing owners spend a S-load on winter BS.... know your bike and do it your self.

 

I really didn't know winter storage was so complicated. I simply park it in its spot in the garage and hook up the battery maintainer. Just like any other day I park it.

 

Serviced, detailed and sprayed allover with S100 rust protector. Wheels covered in Allclean wheel wax. It then goes in a carcoon bike bubble from which I've disabled and sealed the fan inlet. I store a dehumidifier inside the bubble and connect a floating tender to the battery. This whole caboodle lives in the garage for the winter months. Bye the way, I live 200 yards from the sea so salty air is a very important factor.

 

You forgot to mention, you need to put winter air in the tires....summer air is too heavy and hot, it will cause tires to expand.

 

I still have a can of winter air but it has a "best before end of 2012" date on it. Q: should I use it and change on New Years eve or, go for a new can from the start?

 

Yeah, it really sucks when the first days of spring gets here and my bike is clean with fresh fluids, a full tank of gas and fully charged battery.

 

If you live in a cold climate like I do, I say fill that tank with fuel to keep out condensation. And do not start it periodically unless you will run it long enough to burn any condensation out of the motor. Other than that, I do little else. Once in a while in ND winters you can actually sneak in a few rides if the roads stay clear. Winters suck here!