I recently purchased a Sportster883. I'm going into my first winter with the bike, here in NJ. I'll be storing it in a garage. I have researched how to winterize it but everyone says something different. I'd like to hear from someone that knows what the hell they are talking about, instead of some Joe Shmoe on Google. Thanx guys.

 

Pour some Seafoam into the tank as instructed. Ride it around for 10 minutes. Pull into the garage and top off the tank, plug in the battery tender. Throw a cover over it and kiss her goodbye until Spring.

 

Blues,

1) Wash and clean bike
2) Fresh gas - preferably non ethanol with Stabil Marine formula added (created a vapor barrier). Fill tank - less air space to condensate.
3) Drive and get fresh gas through fuel system then change oil and filter (don't want acids in oil over winter)
4) If storing under a cover on concrete and garage is damp, lay down plastic as a vapor barrier. I usually put wood on top of it.
5) Battery tender
6) Do NOT start bike over winter thinking you are doing it good to let it run a few minutes - this only creates acids and moisture in engine.
7) Fill tires to high spec (they lose about a point a month)

 

Ed's advice is spot on. The only thing I could add is if you have a jack get it up in the air and off of the tires.

 

Also stuff some steel wool in your exhausts to keep mice out. Pull the plugs, squirt some motor oil in the cylinders and turnover engine a few times.

 

Way overkill, have you ever heard of an engine being damaged by corrosion after being stored for a single season?

 

Not necessarily overkill...I still do this as well (oil/fog cyl's). We lost a snowmobile this way one season in MN. Rings were stuck to the cyl walls & motor locked. Got to bore-out that sled, but $pendy lesson.

 

How about you throw some Stabil in the tank, top it off, run the bike for 10 minutes or so, hook up a tender to it and CONVENIENTLY park it in a garage!

That way you can EASILY pull it out when ever you want, and when the weather permits, ride it? You live in NJ, not Alaska! It would be an unusual winter for you not to be able to get in a few rides each month if you wanted. It sucks watching everyone else riding around on the occasional nice day when your bike is "buried" for the duration! When a nice day happens, roll your bike out, check the air pressure in the tires and go for a ride.

BTW - for reference - I was born and raised in Jersey for my first 60 years, not just some FL puke who doesn't know any better.

 

If your bike is carbureted, like mine is, I always shut off the petcock and run it until it quits. That way, the float bowl/jets don't get varnished up from sitting in gas all winter.

Other than that, pretty much what the others have said is all you need to do.

 

i live in montreal canada 2000 road king carb i store my bike around 15 november and go back on the road around 15 of april i dont winterised nothing just unplug the battery put it back on the charge 24 hour and start it
fill the tank ill do this for 11 years now never have a problem