This is an actual docuement I got from the Harley Dealer where I bought my bike. Agree with it?

Winter Storage Tips

Top off your fuel tank

This is a must for cold storage. This prevents moisture from condensing in your fuel tank, stopping rust and scale before it starts. Before you fill up, use a fuel stabilizer to keep your fuel fresh over the winter months, On softail models, don’t forget to treat both tanks. For warm storage, (basement, living room, etc.) drain the tank.

Ride / Change /Ride

Ride the bike to warm up oil. Change engine oil and oil filter, Then ride it again to circulate the fresh oil into motor. 1992 & earlier models have a higher possibility of sumping problems. You can he prepared for this by disconnecting the breather hose from the air cleaner or breather filter and directing it toward a drain pan when you start your engine for the first time next spring. You can drain your oil, and decrease your chance of sumping. But like the fuel tank, this promotes condensation. Drain oil into a clean container and you can reuse in spring. Remember to tie a tag on the bike to remind you that there’s “NO
OIL [N TANK”.

Fog that motor

Fogging deposits a light coating of oil on valves, pistons, cylinder walls and exhaust pipes. This helps to prevent rust. Use ~gging oil #1210. Remove air cleaner, run your engine at 2000 RPM and bomb the carburetor throat until the engine stops running. Remove spark plugs and spray into cylinders. Reinstall plugs. Have a new set of plugs handy for spring. After you’ve started bike for the first time, install the
set.

Drain your carburetor

Fuel left in the carburetor will evaporate, leaving varnish and sludge to clog your jets and small air passages. C.V. type carbs have a drain screw on back of bowl. Find the overflow tube from float bowl and place in drain pan. Loosen the screw and fuel will drain from bowl. Retighten screw. Most aftermarket types have plug on bottom of bowl.

Remove battery

Your battery should be stored in a cool, dry place. Top off with distilled water and charge at least once a month. Use H-D battery ch~-ger #99863-93T or #96800-77C. If your bike has a sealed battery, (no access caps), give us a call for more detailed storage instructions.

Wash your bike

Do not store your bike dirty! Dust and dirt will hold moisture next to the paint and chrome and pitting of these expensive parts can occur. Use S100 Total Cycle Cleaner #99769-88T on painted parts and SiCO Wheel Cleaner #99775-89T on mag and spoke wheels. Wax all painted parts using Harley Glaze #99701-84 and on vinyl, leather, and rubber use Mothers Preserves #99732-86T. To protect unpainted metal areas, use S100 Corrosion Protectant ~99757-89T. Follow directions on label.

Now store it

A moisture barrier between your bike and the floor is a good idea. Lay down a sheet of plastic and put a sheet of plywood over it. It is best to store your bike with both wheels off the ground, but not a must. Cover your bike using #99716-87 Breathable storage cover.

Wait for spring

 

Guess it sounds reasonable for folks that actually "store" their bike for a number of months during the winter...

But I'm a 'year around rider', and even during the cold winter months I doubt if any of my bikes sit more than a week at the longest without being ridden.

We get very cold spells (minus 10 or below), but they usually only last for a few days. Even during the winter you normally don't have to wait long for the daytime temperatures to hit 30 or above, and if the roads are dry that's good enough to put a few miles on a bike.

All I do differently in the winter is to start using the battery tender when the temperatures start falling below the freezing mark. Been doing this for many many years, and I've never had a problem with any of my bikes.

I don't like the idea of any vehicle (bike, car, or truck) sitting for long periods of time without being driven.

 

Old Fender Guy.
When you speak I listen.

How many miles do you put on during the winter if you have not driven it during the week?
I thought that you get condensation when the bike goes from hot to less than 30 degrees. I thought that was worse than having it sit.

 

I ride year round also...but my son live in Utah and is storing his bike soon. I will pass the info to him...thanks for the post.

 

seikan1 - no problem.

This is my first year owning a bike, and I love my bike much more than my bassboat or my truck. I just dont want to f it up.

If I put it away in the beginning of November... take it out at the end of March, that is 5 months. Dont know if that is cool?

 

If you think about it, it's really no different than starting your car on a cold morning, driving it to work, and then starting it later in the day to drive home.. A car or truck has a radiator and thermostat to help warm the engine (and let you use the heater), but the temperature drops as soon as you turn off the engine.

Back on topic, I very seldom fire up any of my bikes without riding them enough to get the engine up to full operating temperature. I use the choke/enrichener as little as possible, as one of the many reasons for 'fouled plugs' is overuse of the choke, and then not running the engine long enough to "clean" them off. For starters that requires getting the engine up to the correct temperature.

All bikes are different, but during colder weather V-Twin engines require quite a bit of time to get up to the correct operating temperature. If it's in the 30's (or lower) I'll run them for at least 25 to 30 minutes once I fire up one of the Harley's. That gets all the fluids up to temperature, and allows the plugs to burn cleanly.

Also, in most areas fuel is blended differently during the winter months, so that is something else to watch. Some guys I know have tried using the 'blended stuff' during the winter, and had less than positive results. I don't believe in running the blended fuels in Harley's, and run straight 92 octane year around.

Besides that, nothing is better than a 'brisk ride' during the winter...

 

I'm with OldFenderguy 100% and I'm from Northern Utah as well. I'm ready to ride at a moments notice, love the cool winter ride. My issue is the salt used on the roads, so I'll wash the bike after. I have 3 bikes in my garage and have not had a problem in years with any of them after a couple of months without a ride, just take it easy at first and check/test all functions in the first 15 min...

 

stupid winter! i'm trading MN for AZ!!!! n e 1 have a room to rent in AZ?

 

I agree 100%!!! Michigan winters are growing long and old. I'm eyeing a move to Tennessee in the next 3-5 years.