What do you guys do when you know the weather won't permit any more riding, and you are putting the bike *away* for the winter?

Put it up on stands on each end, and merely start it every couple weeks and nothing else?

Take the battery out and put it on a slow trickle charge, then put an additive the filled tank of gas?

Fumigate the engine with that thick cylinder sealer?

If you start it once a month. Let it run for 10-15 you shouldn't have to do anything else. With my personal experience a battery tender is harder on the battery then sitting for 3-4 months.

Two blocks of wood or a nice absorbent rug under each tire.Lower the pressure about 3 lbs.New oil and filter...let run and circulate for a few minutes.Clean everything spotless.Put battery tender on bat every several weeks as needed.(or just remove bat).(I don't...I just have a pigtail connected all the time).I wouldn't start the bike at all during it's downtime...especially if the temps are anywhere near freezing.I would move the bike though...just to change the pressure spot on the tires....that should do it.Clean chain really good...relube and yer good to go.(IMO).Actually...lowering the tire pressure I don't do...never had a flat spot or anything develop from winter storage...and it gets damn cold here.The air in the tire will naturally compress as it gets colder...so I can't see a need to have to go back and add air when it's time to ride...except to recheck the pressures and top off.

The rubber parts in the motor...seals and all....I think best to not fire the engine up....they will be more brittle if it's very cold.No need to temp fate.Plus...you WILL get condensation in the motor oil by starting and running the motor for short periods...the water has to go somewhere....like into your internals.And freeze...which means...expands...

I plum forgot about Sta-bil...in the fuel!...A must for sure!Got to let it run and circulate through the fuel system though...a few minutes.Longer storage...a tad bit more than they recommend....

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 10/24/2012 @ 7:13 AM *

To hell with that. Move to Vegas baby! We ride year round here.

Just wait for a half decent day and take it out for a few miles, it doesnt get so bad here that you dont get an chance, fingers crossed!

im with poppabear!

Luckly here its only about a 2 months hiatus from riding.

Even then if you got steel balls one could ride given we rarely
see snow.

Id go postal living up north.

@Grn14 - actually, a Battery Tender goes into float mode after it fully charges the battery, and you can leave it connected for years in float mode and the battery will be fresh and strong at the end of storage.

It is trickle chargers (old tech) that will damage a battery if you leave it connected after it is fully charged.

I agree you can just start it once in a while, but I'd do it once a week if it was mine.

Back in the day, when I stored my H1 in my girl friend's parents' barn over the winter while I was at West Point (that bike was highly "illegal" for a Cadet to have) I had gf kickstart it once a week and let it idle 10 minutes, then put the blanket back over it after it cooled down. Little did I know until the following spring she was riding it on the farm roads (big farm) which was even better. I should have married that girl.... sigh.

As an aside, there was no mouse problem, the barn had a family of feral cats and they were excellant hunters.

Right now, my C14 sits in my garage on the Battery Tender, almost winterized. I still need to change the oil and use this opportunity to put Amsoil in it.

* Last updated by: privateer on 10/24/2012 @ 4:11 AM *

@Grn14 - "actually, a Battery Tender goes into float mode after it fully charges the battery, and you can leave it connected for years in float mode and the battery will be fresh and strong at the end of storage"...yup...you're right...I forgot about that.

But from what I've seen at my local dealer, a battery tender costs as much as a new battery!

believe it or not they have a trickle charger at walmart. I bought one for 29.99. Worked on the old ladies scooter just fine....

BatteryTender Jr. is $20 something.Comes with a pigtail...very easy to work with.

But you only have to buy the battery tender once.
Threads like these make me reevaluate how lucky I am in that I can ride about 360 days a years. (Once in a while the roads flood)

In winter I attach the battery tender every other week until each bike is fully charged. I also run each bike every other week for about 10 minutes. Other than that I take no other precautions and have had no problems over many years of this approach. I probably should have a battery tender for each bike and just leave it attached all winter.

I ride whenever possible, weather permitting .... which isn't nearly as often as I like. Sometimes I trailer the bikes to lower elevation where the riding conditions are better, but that gets to be a hassle. My riding season is effectively about 7 months per year.... the other 5 months are spent skiing, building kayaks, and plowing my road

Tom

Multi-Tasking in Winter

* Last updated by: Werks on 10/25/2012 @ 4:52 AM *

"Threads like these make me reevaluate how lucky I am in that I can ride about 360 days a years. (Once in a while the roads flood)"...yes...but just think what we're saving on tires!;)

"Threads like these make me reevaluate how lucky I am in that I can ride about 360 days a years. (Once in a while the roads flood)"...yes...but just think what we're saving on tires!;)

LOL ! The only thing I enjoy as much as riding .... is skiing
In 2010 I Nordic skied (skated) 63 days. That's one day for each year ! Plus, after a few months away
from riding, I return more enthused than ever to the roads.

Tom

* Last updated by: Werks on 10/24/2012 @ 9:19 AM *

I'd be broke if I could ride 360 days a year!

@ Grn14:

Montana has some brutal winters, that's fer sure. Last time I spent the summer there, summer started in late June and ended in early August! Snowing when I got to Bozeman and snowed the day I left. Here in Northern Illinois, I ride into December a tad and then store it till the first of March; get a good 9 months out of the season. Don't take it out in Jan or Feb anymore; hate the icing surprises that await and the muck from the salty slush.

BTW, did you meet with an accident on the R? Reading tween the lines in this section of forum, I would guess so but I haven't seen a write up on the incident if there was one.

Did you post up elsewhere? Hope you are back on the mean green machine soon, if you are temporarily deprived.

Cheers,

Grn14 said "I'd be broke if I could ride 360 days a year!"

aint that the truth ! especially with gas prices, except lately, in CA its actually been too HOT to ride, instead of cold and rain ! not today, but last week it was near the 100's in the valleys, and looks like it will be there again tommorow or soon ! better get out there and take a ride, before it gets hot

* Last updated by: carabuser on 10/24/2012 @ 10:25 AM *

Yep Paul...wrecked her good...totalled.One of those dumb stupid mistakes guys do sometimes...no excuse for it really...just dumb.No more Grn Bike...a White one this time...with ABS!

100 degrees in Cali...geez....I'd HATE to ride in 100 degrees...shit,going through Trona and Ridgecrest was bad enough...on my old Harley!Pretty close to Death Valley If I recall.Frickin HOT baby!No thanks.Like ridin in a blast furnace!!!!

An H-1 ideling!You must mean running until it fouls a plug.Thats why they put 3 under the seat.I lube the chain fill the tank put fuel Stabilizer in.Then in the spring change the oil and filter and reoil my K&N.Smoke the flat spot off my rear tire.I will jack up the front tire so no flat spot.Start it once a month.I'm good to go.And if teres a nice day back her up out of the garage and go for a ride.
Craig

"If you start it once a month. Let it run for 10-15 you shouldn't have to do anything else. With my personal experience a battery tender is harder on the battery then sitting for 3-4 months."

Probably the worst thing you can do IMO. Starting and letting the engine run for 15mins will produce condensation inside the engine which any amount of idleing will not get rid of. If you must start it take it for a good run to evaporate off the condensation. Far better to change the oil just before lay-up let the engine sit. If the bike is stored outside or in a very damp place oiling the bores is a good idea. Keep the battery topped up with a tender on or off the bike.

Pegscraper said..."Probably the worst thing you can do IMO"...I agree.If it's anywhere near cold like it gets here....firing up that 'frozen' engine is BAD NEWS.If yer at 50 degrees or somethin...that's fine.Not 30's or below.IMO.

If it's anywhere near cold like it gets here....firing up that 'frozen' engine is BAD NEWS.If yer at 50 degrees or somethin...that's fine.Not 30's or below.IMO.

My garage is heated. Tom

Pre ZX14R pic ....

* Last updated by: Werks on 10/25/2012 @ 5:19 AM *

Nice!.....beautiful bikes..whattaya think about the Aprilla V4....the 'Corsa'?