First Winter
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Stage III
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Tennessee
First Winter
fatboy here, been searching around couldnt find the exact answers. Im staying up here in Michigan for the winter. This is my first year owning a bike and Ive read that before you store it for the winter its good to fill the tank all the way up, change the oil, and put it on a lift in the garage .
If I recently changed the oil, could I just fill the tank and add fuel stabilizer and run the bike for about 20 minutes or so and bring it in the house for the winter?
No bike lift , so just roll it every so often to keep from sitting in same spot ?
If I recently changed the oil, could I just fill the tank and add fuel stabilizer and run the bike for about 20 minutes or so and bring it in the house for the winter?
No bike lift , so just roll it every so often to keep from sitting in same spot ?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,465
Likes: 4,922
From: North Dakota
50 winters in North Dakota:
Fill tank, add Stabil, run engine five minutes to get Stabil into carb / FI.
Plug in battery tender or pull battery and place in basement.
No problems in 50 years.
The experts will be along soon to tell you the right way to do it...
Fill tank, add Stabil, run engine five minutes to get Stabil into carb / FI.
Plug in battery tender or pull battery and place in basement.
No problems in 50 years.
The experts will be along soon to tell you the right way to do it...
Supporter
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 15,788
Likes: 5,621
From: along the shore of Mishigami
I have basically done the same thing Frostbite just mentioned and all three bike survive a non heated garage. I also roll the bikes up on pieces of plywood to avoid tire to concrete for the 4-41/2 months. Have mice , stuff steel wool in the exhaust.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 832
Likes: 1,173
From: Wisconsin
to keep in the system long term (over the winter is long term), sta-bil or not. Heard lots of horror stories about bikes stored
with ethanol gas over the winter. DON'T. Fill the tank full of non-ethanol premium, put in sta-bil, run it a bit, you're golden.
I also make sure there are plenty of sticky mouse traps around the bike. Mice love to crawl up under the bike cover and
chew on the seats. Not good. The sticky traps help keep them off.
A friend of mine swears by removing the spark plugs, spraying in some fogging oil, then replacing the plugs right before
storing (don't run the bike afterwards). It helps protect the cylinder walls and piston tops from condensation and
oxidation.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 5,691
Likes: 1,651
From: Olean, NY
Last winter I parked it in an uninsulated building with 3/4 of a tank, unwashed, no oil change, plugged into a tender. Never moved it all winter. Spring came, I fired it up, rode it. No issues other than having to add a few pounds of air to each tire.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,465
Likes: 4,922
From: North Dakota
Forgot about the ethanol because I never run it. Corn is for eating or liquor.
Also have DCon along the walls...
Also have DCon along the walls...
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