Unfortunately it's that time of the year. With cold setting in and earlier sunsets (AHHH!) I winterized my bike yesterday. I am already having withdrawals!

I know many have given advice on long-term storage/winterization so here is my contribution:

1. Take bike out for one last ride. At minimum an hour for me; this allows all fluids to get to operating temps. This can be achieved with a shorter ride of course.

2. Immediatley change all fluids once I get home. I always hold the bike up horizontally for a minute or two once fluids begin to drain slowly, in an attempt to get as much drained as possible. I am also a stickler about priming oils filters; do that on ANY machine!

3. Do mechanical checks and make adjustments if needed. I usually do this while the oil & Primary Fluid are draining since this is kind of "dead time." Also lube cables and grease anything in need as well.

4. Bath time! I make a point to be very thorough and wash my bike twice.

5. DRY the bike! You're really asking for trouble putting anything in storage wet. It's nothing for me to spend 30-45 minutes drying all cracks and crevices with my leaf blower.

6. Detail time. This section is very lengthy for me so I'll keep to the basics, lol. I wax all painted surfaces twice, apply Pig Spit to the engine, and just really slick her up!

7. Take one more ride (25-40 minutes) to get the fresh fluids circulated and to once again assure the bike is completely dry!

8. Once back home I top off the fuel tank in order to prevent rust. I get fresh 93 Octane fuel and treat it with Marine Grade Sta-Bil. Marine Grade Sta-Bil is supposedly better than regular Sta-Bil. It hasn't failed me yet. Try to get the tank as full as possible; I sit the bike upright with a 2X4 under the jiffy stand. A bike lift would accomplish this as well but I don't use my lift for storage, just maintenance. However, I know some do.

9. Pull spark plugs and spray engine fogging oil into the cyclinders. Engage first gear and push the bike around a bit so the pistons line the cyclinders with oil. Install new or old plugs (your choice) with a small amount a anti-seize.

10. Go over all chrome parts. I remove the heat shields and mufflers in order to thoroughly clean those parts as well as the headers and then re-install.

11. Stuff steel wool in the exhaust pipes to keep mice at bay. I also wrap a plastic bag around the SE Breather and set a couple extra mouse traps.

12. Clean fuse box and apply dielectric grease to fuse contacts. I will be replacing my fuses this year just for the heck of it.

13. Plug in your Battery Tender. I own the plus model.

14. Throw an old, clean bed sheet over the bike to keep dust away. Personally, I don't care for "covers." Whether it be for a car or motorcycle, I have yet to see one that breaths well.

This is what I do, in the exact order shown. I perform all these procedures in order to protect my bike internally as well as externally throughout storage. It could easily be the April before my bike is ridden again, so I want to protect it.

I felt like telling a story, hope this can help someone!



Forgot to mention, bike is an '08 XL1200N

As well as protection, I do all this so when winter breaks all I have to do is pull the sheet off and roll out!

 

What I do:

- ride my bike


Yeah, and I live in PA! Never too cold to ride, just more layers, that's all.

 

me too, to somewhere warm, normally Spain. Going sooooooon.

 

Wow...that's quite thorough. I just put mine on the lift and push it up giants the wall of the garage. That way I can get my car in for the winter, so I don't have to scrape windows. If there are any days forty or over......pull the bike away from the wall let it down a away we go. I am in Pa as well

 

The advice I got given warmish garage and EFI bike was to add 15lbs to each tire, fill the tank and add stabilizer, then park against a wall with a sheet over it. I will probably do some upgrades this winter as well......

 

The problem where I live is salt. Road departments here use a lot of salt during the winter months. I don't mind the cold weather but isn't worth it to me to risk very harmful corrosion. Neither do I want to be spraying it off when it's 30 degrees or colder outside. So when I put a bike away it stays there till spring. Trust me, I would love to ride year-round.

 

I store mine in our basement. Stays between 65 & 75 all year-round.

I've never heard the tire thing though.

 

I have radial tires and they can develop flat spots if left too long; the higher pressure prevents this.....we'll see. : )

 

Just move it around occasionally! That's what I do, lol.

 

It takes longer than one winter to develop flat spots on modern tires, even in the frozen North. You'll probably be okay.