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Winterizing Advice ?

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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 02:38 PM
  #1  
karaokeman's Avatar
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From: Freehold, NJ
Default Winterizing Advice ?

I did some "searching" and "reading" and came up with the following procedure for "winterizing" my 08-883L. Unfortunately for me I do not have a garage and refuse to keep it covered in my driveway all WINTER long. So i'll be bringing it a friends house and leaving for a few months inside a garage .

Wish I could ride all winter but.......

Let me know if I'm missing anything !!

#1) Try to store bike on LIFT or BLOCKS lifting wheels off the floor
#2) CHANGE OIL and **DO NOT RIDE**
#3) Make sure FUEL tank is topped off and add "stabil" or equivalent stabilizer in the fuel for extended storage.
#4) Remove battery and store inside on a BATTERY TENDER NOT A TRICKLE CHARGER
#5 Clean bike and spray engine and areas with a very light coat of wd40 for protection
#6 Cover bike with a breathable cover and put some CHARCOAL on the seat to absorb moisture and also some MOTH ***** under the cover to keep out mice

What am I missing ???
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 03:05 PM
  #2  
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Sounds good to me. You can use Seafoam instead of stabil and have the added benefits of it when you start her back up. You can also add Seafoam to your oil as well and this will keep water out of the crankcase.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 03:15 PM
  #3  
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Amen to Seafoam. Stuff works great...
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 04:41 PM
  #4  
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Your plan sounds good. If you can't lift the bike off a concrete floor, just run it up on a couple of scrap pieces of wood to keep the tires off the concrete and add a few extra pounds of air to the tires, ( not to exceed the max pressure listed on the tire sidewalls).
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 07:34 PM
  #5  
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Default change oil in Fall or Spring?

By the time I put the bike away for it's winter nap, an oil change will be due.

I thought I'd wait until Spring and have an oil change done as soon as I get the bike out.

Why is this a bad idea?
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 07:44 PM
  #6  
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Chips, change it before you store it. I know of a guy who didn't and he changes the oil out of his tank with a coal oil pump. The sludge settels to the bottom of the tank and cloged it up and that's just the way he handeled it can't tell some people notton.
As for Karaokeman, Store the bike in your house. Just don't put it by a heater vent, you'll get to look at it all winter.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 09:12 PM
  #7  
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Are we talking storing from say Oct - Mar? In NJ you will still be able to take it out for an occasional spin - there are decent ride days now and again. I would change the oil, add stabil and cover. Then start or take for a short spin when you can.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 10:11 PM
  #8  
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drop it off at my house in middletown/redbank ill watch it lol
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 10:14 PM
  #9  
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theres a huge run sunday in middletown u going? It starts at hey daddy bagel on rt 36 about 5 miles from sandy hook goes 54 miles none stop all over to rt34 then ending in redbank.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2008 | 10:17 PM
  #10  
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You could move to California where this is not necessary...sorry, couldn't resist.
 
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