Winterizing your ride
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 230
From: United States
Winterizing your ride
Ok , Not that I'm new to PA where it gets colder that a witchs tit, Just never had a bike to put to bed over the winter cold.
In Australia it's pretty much ride all year unless it's pissing down with rain, Then park the old girl in the garage ready for its next time out.
Anyone have a favorite plan of tucking their ride away ?. I have a cover coming and all the wash and wax I can carry in a bucket so I'm good there , But does anyone fog the cylinders / fuel tank?.
Im all ears
Wiz
In Australia it's pretty much ride all year unless it's pissing down with rain, Then park the old girl in the garage ready for its next time out.
Anyone have a favorite plan of tucking their ride away ?. I have a cover coming and all the wash and wax I can carry in a bucket so I'm good there , But does anyone fog the cylinders / fuel tank?.
Im all ears
Wiz
Last edited by Wizardofaus; Oct 9, 2017 at 10:23 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 28,842
Likes: 16,580
From: Wisconsin, USA
Ride to gas station. Fill tank with non-ethanol premium. Leave enough room for Stabil. If non-ethanol isn't available use Marine Stabil.
Ride around 10 minutes.
Change your oil and filter.
Wash and wax bike.
Cover Bike.
Put steel wool in exhaust.
Cover Bike.
I put Battery Minder on once a month, for a day. Some guys leave it on, but I don't trust that.
Ride around 10 minutes.
Change your oil and filter.
Wash and wax bike.
Cover Bike.
Put steel wool in exhaust.
Cover Bike.
I put Battery Minder on once a month, for a day. Some guys leave it on, but I don't trust that.
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 230
From: United States
Ok steel wool in the pipes !?!?!? That's new to me, any additional info on that ?. I'm making my winter shopping list as we speak with the info you guys are giving. Thank you
Wiz
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 230
From: United States
Ride to gas station. Fill tank with non-ethanol premium. Leave enough room for Stabil. If non-ethanol isn't available use Marine Stabil.
Ride around 10 minutes.
Change your oil and filter.
Wash and wax bike.
Cover Bike.
Put steel wool in exhaust.
Cover Bike.
I put Battery Minder on once a month, for a day. Some guys leave it on, but I don't trust that.
Ride around 10 minutes.
Change your oil and filter.
Wash and wax bike.
Cover Bike.
Put steel wool in exhaust.
Cover Bike.
I put Battery Minder on once a month, for a day. Some guys leave it on, but I don't trust that.
That Harley item ?
Thx for ya help mate.
Wiz
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,399
Likes: 8,509
From: Spartan Country, Michigan
Steel wool to keep mice, rats, bugs, and spiders out of exhaust.
Battery Tender is typically a Deltron unit...Harley makes them too, but Battery Tender is cheaper. Battery Tender is a small float charger that will maintain charge in your battery without overcharging.
I change oil (did mine last weekend) and put it away in a heated facility (a friend owns a golf course and lets me park in the heated area with his golf carts) plug the tender in and leave it sit. I also fill the tank and use stabil. Never any issues/problems.
Battery Tender is typically a Deltron unit...Harley makes them too, but Battery Tender is cheaper. Battery Tender is a small float charger that will maintain charge in your battery without overcharging.
I change oil (did mine last weekend) and put it away in a heated facility (a friend owns a golf course and lets me park in the heated area with his golf carts) plug the tender in and leave it sit. I also fill the tank and use stabil. Never any issues/problems.
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 69
From: Centerville, ohio
Wipe it down, plug in the tender and throw on the cover. May sit 6 months. Remove cover, tender and ride.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,032
Likes: 12,561
From: South Carolina
Gas full with some StaBil, park in a corner of the garage, hook up tender and forget about it.
I don`t cover bikes, mice like things under cover, they don`t like coming out into the open (they`re shy).
I don`t cover bikes, mice like things under cover, they don`t like coming out into the open (they`re shy).
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 28,842
Likes: 16,580
From: Wisconsin, USA
I covered this on a different thread, but here goes again. Because some people on here said a cover causes condensation, I didn’t use my HD cover a few years ago. It was the coldest winter in 30 years, and my bike was in an unheated storage unit. One weekend it was -30 with high winds. I went to put my Batteryminder on a few days later, and my bike was under a 1/4” of ice. I had to defrost the bike with a hair dryer. Luckily the unit had electricity. When I got it defrosted and towelled off, I covered it, and no more condensation.
The tender I use is a Battery Minder. They have since come out with a newer version.
This is mine: http://www.batteryminders.com/batter...er-desulfator/
Newer version http://www.batteryminders.com/12-vol...esfulator-1500
The tender I use is a Battery Minder. They have since come out with a newer version.
This is mine: http://www.batteryminders.com/batter...er-desulfator/
Newer version http://www.batteryminders.com/12-vol...esfulator-1500
Last edited by Ron750; Oct 11, 2017 at 07:52 PM. Reason: links
Club Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,420
Likes: 7,118
From: Beyond Fucital
All good advice listed above. Except I use Seafoam. not Stabil, and I can't get Ethanol free gas. The one and only time I used Stabil, the bike ran like **** until I ran out that tank. But others use it without issue.