Start-Up After Winter Storage
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Club Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,360
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From: Idaho Falls
Start-Up After Winter Storage
Before I put my bike away for the winter, I did all the pre-storage tasks. Now that spring is near (soon enough for me to start the de-storage routine), I wonder what the best way to to restart the bike after it has sat for several months. What if I do the following: 1) pull the plugs and squirt some oil into each cylinder (like I did with the fogging oil last fall), 2) put the bike in 3rd or 4th gear, and then 3) with the ignition off, rotate the rear wheel to work the crankshaft and oil pump to move oil into the engine (I ride a Softail so the tank in separate). Seems to me that would be hlelp minimize the first start wear on the engine. Comments please.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2005
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From:
RE: Start-Up After Winter Storage
Frankly, I've never even used the fogging oil. I just park my '92 so the sun shines on the engine for a while and start it. Doesn't burn any oil at 130k plus, so it must not hurt it.
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 786
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From: Albuquerque, NM
RE: Start-Up After Winter Storage
I never actually park the bike fer the winter, we usually get ina lot of good days here and there over Dec-Feb in Albq.
However, THIS year has been REALLY cold fer us. Since I'm a real puss about cold, if I can't ride, I just fire the bike up every 3 days or so. I also move it around, so the tires aren't sitting on the same spot. I think that just getting her in gear and moving 20 ft at a time has got ta lube all the driveline a lil'. Parking her on a 4'x8' carpet scrap from the jobsite makes me feel better, too.
No offense, and forgive my ignorance, but is there some reason that y'all can't do the same thing? I've never lived anywhere like Michigan, but Virginia and Oklahoma get some nasty snow that won't go away fer a while. Here in Albq, maybe a week of crappy roads at one time.
However, THIS year has been REALLY cold fer us. Since I'm a real puss about cold, if I can't ride, I just fire the bike up every 3 days or so. I also move it around, so the tires aren't sitting on the same spot. I think that just getting her in gear and moving 20 ft at a time has got ta lube all the driveline a lil'. Parking her on a 4'x8' carpet scrap from the jobsite makes me feel better, too.
No offense, and forgive my ignorance, but is there some reason that y'all can't do the same thing? I've never lived anywhere like Michigan, but Virginia and Oklahoma get some nasty snow that won't go away fer a while. Here in Albq, maybe a week of crappy roads at one time.
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Club Member
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Idaho Falls
RE: Start-Up After Winter Storage
The problem we have in Michigan is road salt. It gets everywhere on cars and would eat a bike quickly. So we just park the bikes for the winter (unless the bike can be washed after each ride and even that is risky).
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Club Member
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From: Idaho Falls
RE: Start-Up After Winter Storage
From information I've read here and other places too, short runs in cold weather just to move the bike around are deemed very harmful on the engine. Excessive wear to not benefit until the real start in the spring. Besides, on mine, the battery is pulled and brought inside to a cool area so I can have it on a trickle charger. As for the tires, they get changed every spring anyway so they are not an issue.
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2006
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RE: Start-Up After Winter Storage
I did exactly what you do.I just start mine up ride it then change the oil and trans fluid.
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Road Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 786
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From: Albuquerque, NM
RE: Start-Up After Winter Storage
ORIGINAL: OneBlackFly
From information I've read here and other places too, short runs in cold weather just to move the bike around are deemed very harmful on the engine. Excessive wear to not benefit until the real start in the spring. Besides, on mine, the battery is pulled and brought inside to a cool area so I can have it on a trickle charger. As for the tires, they get changed every spring anyway so they are not an issue.
From information I've read here and other places too, short runs in cold weather just to move the bike around are deemed very harmful on the engine. Excessive wear to not benefit until the real start in the spring. Besides, on mine, the battery is pulled and brought inside to a cool area so I can have it on a trickle charger. As for the tires, they get changed every spring anyway so they are not an issue.
My battery won't go dead in 10 days, so I might eliminate the 10 minute running time completely!
Thanks.
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Scotchdrinker
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