Anyone with seasonal engines knows to change oil prior to storage. Most O&M Manuals state so.

Full gas tank with Stabil (recent testing showed Stabil #1 for storage - SeaFoam is not a stabilizer, it is a cleaner).

Battery MAINTAINER on battery - NOT a dumb trickle charger (they will dry out the battery).

 

I change all 3 holes every 5k miles weather it sits through a winter storage session or not. Heated garage, full tank of fresh fuel, stabalizer, battery tender, cover them up, and wait for Daytona Bike Week. After all the mods are done of course.

 

 

They may advertise it, but it's not. I'm not going to look up the test article on it. You can.

 

How do you know he will be back?

 

I don’t do anything with oils. Never found any evidence of engine damage from old engine oil in the crankcase or tank. I understand the theory and warnings, I’ve just never seen it or experienced it, so I don’t sweat it.

Battery will usually be discontinued for longish term storage. I do wipe clean the battery to prevent current loss through the dirt on the battery. My experiences with tenders has been pretty abysmal, so I no longer use them.

Carburetors will be run dry and/or drained for storage. Even fairly short term storage. Fuel injection will not be drained or dried. I do not use additives for storage, as I’ve found them superfluous in tanks stored out of direct weather. Not to be confused with lawn mowers or plastic gas cans left out in the weather and on the dirt ground.

 

Keep the battery on a tender, fill the tank, throw a sheet over the bike and leave it alone until spring,

Oil change every 5K, won`t hurt a thing to leave oil with 4900 miles on it over the winter.

Don`t fuss over it.

 

AI says.... Before storage....This is the prevailing recommendation across automotive and motorcycle enthusiast forums (e.g., BobTheOilGuy, CorvetteForum, RevZilla), manufacturer guidelines for seasonal vehicles (like boats/PWCs), and maintenance experts. It's especially relevant if the current oil is near its change interval or has significant miles/hours. Why not wait until spring? Some argue that new oil sitting unused can absorb condensation, or that storage doesn't degrade oil much. However, the risk from contaminants in old oil outweighs minor moisture concerns in fresh oil—particularly since modern synthetics handle storage well.

So based on above, with my text bolding added... My Vote: before storage.

Noting, storage in warm/ dry garage, battery tender, occasional starting, and stale fuel can all weigh to decisions.

 

I can't imagine anyone on here having any opinions on the best oil to use. Or other fluids (including stabilizers and additives) or battery or tires or helmet.
(Except maybe the Amsoil or Seafoam cult members).
I think most would say anything you choose should be fine.
But what is this storage you speak of? There's always one day every month or so when you could ride thru the winter to keep the battery charged and fluids moving.

 

AI says...