How Do You Store Your Sporty For The Winter
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 6,502
Likes: 97
From: SW Ohio
How Do You Store Your Sporty For The Winter
Just wondering how everyone store their bike for the winter. My neighbor says he uses an old rubber backed piece of carpet and 2 or 3 old sheets. He also says hes never used a battery tender and his bike is an 03 1200 Custom. I was thinking of just getting a 3/4" 4X8 sheet of plywood and a good motorcycle cover and start her about once a week for half an hour or so.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
The worst thing you can do is start it and let it sit and idle. All you do is foul your oil.
All I do to winterize mine is pull the garage door down...Unless it is gonna be laid up for more than 3 months or so, there is no need to "winterize." I'd guess in Ohio, you'll have a good day or two thru out the winter to ride.
All I do to winterize mine is pull the garage door down...Unless it is gonna be laid up for more than 3 months or so, there is no need to "winterize." I'd guess in Ohio, you'll have a good day or two thru out the winter to ride.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
Likes: 306
From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
Starting it every week or so is not a good idea unless you can take it out for a good hour long ride. Heating and cooling the oil causes moisture (condensation) to form in the engine and oil system and it takes a good long ride to burn it off. Just put it on a Battery Tender and take it out for a ride when you get a good weekend, it doesn't stay that cold in Ohio all winter long.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 297
Likes: 5
From: Rockford Illinois
i change the oil and filter, clean and re-oil the air filter, wash and wax it, add sta-bil to a full fresh tank of gas, turn the fuel supply valve to "off", plug in the battery tender and she sits till march !
DO NOT START IT unless you plan on riding it as stated above.
I am a fair weather rider (i'm a skinny mofugger and freeze easily) besides here in n. illinois i have no business riding in winter anyways. even if we get some freakish warm days....way too much sand and salt residue on the roads and i see no reason to dump a near mint scoot because i get the itch to ride....so i just let it sit.
just my 2 cents.
oh, one more thing...a really good coat of wax will protect the scoot when it "sweats" from the garage door opening and closing.
DO NOT START IT unless you plan on riding it as stated above.
I am a fair weather rider (i'm a skinny mofugger and freeze easily) besides here in n. illinois i have no business riding in winter anyways. even if we get some freakish warm days....way too much sand and salt residue on the roads and i see no reason to dump a near mint scoot because i get the itch to ride....so i just let it sit.
just my 2 cents.
oh, one more thing...a really good coat of wax will protect the scoot when it "sweats" from the garage door opening and closing.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Athens, Tn
i live in tn so we dont really have bad winters at all. i dont winterize anything except for my boat. i just take my nova and bike out for a ride at least once every two weeks or so, weather permitting. the only things i do before winter, is a good fluids change, wash and a wax and if you are goin to let it sit all winter dont forget the fuel stabilizer. trust me, you will regret it if you do.
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Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 734
Likes: 2
Here's a couple links I refer to before putting away my bike for the winter:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tec...age/index.html
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/maint...terstorage.htm
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tec...age/index.html
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/maint...terstorage.htm
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Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,599
Likes: 11
From: Colonial Beach, Virginia
I guess my bike is spoiled, it resides in my a 22x24 foot shop which is heated and AC'd, I cover it only when I'm sawing balsa wood while building an RC plane. In the winter it shares the shop with the tiller, mower, edger, two bicycles and a couple of chain saws.