7 Ways to Make Sure Your Harley Survives the Winter
by Bryan Wood

 

How about just riding it?

 

that was my thinking ride it and then ride it some more

 

Not always an option for those of us that actually get winter!

Lobo

 

Addition: give it some love, go out and fire it up a couple times a month.

 

Move to so cal

 

1, Fill the tank, then add Startron or your favorite ethanol/varnish stabilizer. A full tank limits moisture in the air exchange as the room temperature varies.
2. Air the tires, then get them off the cement. I parked mine on a carpet runner.
3. Battery tender. I do not leave mine on continuously. Once a week I plug it in overnight, takes about 15 minutes to turn solid green.
4. I have a bedroom sheet over mine. Breathes and keep the dust off and does not trap condensation moisture underneath as a barrier style cover would.

5. Worse winter idea is to run it occasionally. If you start it, go for a ride. You engine needs to heat up enough to vent water in the oil out and that takes about 40+ to get sufficiently hot enough to do a credible job. Riding it also recoats and the gears, clutch and primary. Anything less than a good 40+ ride and you may not remove all the moisture in the crankcase. Water mixes with impurities in the burned oil to make acid droplets. Moisture gets into the oil primarily as the bike cools after riding it. As it cools, the air inside the engine is smaller and draws in atmospheric air which contains water vapor.

6. It is a good idea to clean it, especially dead bugs, tar, oil spots or liquid deicer if you ride late season.

In barns, open garages, etc it may be a good idea to stuff steel wool into the exhaust pipes to keep mice from creating a Harley Den for the winter.

 

I dunno. I have a 30 x 50 foot climate-controlled (61°F and less than 50% relative humidity) garage, and all I have EVER done is to wash and wax them (all eight bikes, two of which are Harleys), change oil when hot, then take them for a final ride and fill up with fresh gas. I rotate a Battery Tender between the bikes once a month (my pickup as well, since it doesn't go out in the salt), and geez, in the spring, every single one fires up just fine. I don't use anything whatever in the fuel. Waste of time and money. (Carbureted stuff is different; I use some Lucas stuff in the KLR 650 and drain the float bowl if I'm not riding for more than a couple of weeks.)

Oh, yeah, I forgot. Two of the bikes (BMW K75RT and occasionally Kawasaki KLR 650) go out for rides when there's not appreciable snow and ice.

I suppose you need stuff in the gas if there are temperature and humidity variations.

 

FWIW, should not do that. Builds condensation in crankcase and exhaust. They do not get hot enough to evaporate it out.
I park mine, put charger on, dont do anything until I am ready to go for a ride.
My opinion only.

 

The only thing I do before winter storage is fill up gas, wash and wax. That's it!