Grab a bottle (or can) of your favorite brew and learn how to put your motorcycle away for the winter — or stick it in a storage unit for a few years — without screwing it up. We’ll talk you through the whole process, including retrieving it next spring. (Podcast Download)
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11 Responses to One Beer Projects: Winterizing/Storing Your Bike
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I dunno. I kind of enjoy the yearly process of cursing, tearing apart the carbs, running a few cans of Seafoam through the motor, and just generally “tinkering” until it starts to work correctly.
What is this “winterizing?”
Trevor < – a true hardcore biker.
What do you guys think about trickle chargers? My bike has the trickle harness built in.
I would reccomend using the trickle charger with the battery out of the bike. I too attached the pigtail to the terminals on my battery and found that the pig tails caused the battery to malfunction and eventually, corrode and discharge (actual acid leaking from battery)
for this reason i’ll never attach the pig tail to the terminals again. however i’ll still use the trickle charger from time to time.
Jeff, are you kidding? If your bike comes with a harness for one then get down on it my friend! Trickle chargers on bikes are a great way to save you some time and effort.
Just out of curiosity, what kind’ve ride do you have?
Trickle chargers should be standard issue for anyone who owns a bike, especially in areas winter visits. If you haven’t got one, get one. The second item that should be issued is Sta-bil. Run some thru the motor prior to draining/fogging the tank and you’ll save yourself grief and work in the Spring.
I have a Suz drz400sm. Looks like a dirt bike with street tires. Ridiculous fun in the twisties. Thanks for tips on the trickle chargers guys. I’m new to riding and haven’t gone through a winter with the bike yet.
Greetings from North Idaho – Just had to do this for the first time since moving from Texas. Good guide, I would only add that you should clean and wax your bike thoughouly before putting her down for the winter. Tar, dust, bug guts, and whatever other crap you pick up on that last desperate ride of the season can cause corrosion to the precious chrome if they sit on it for a few months.
Cheers.
C
Jeff, with regard to the battery charger, some of the better ones can correct some potential problems, such as sulfation, and at least tell you if your battery has been in place too long.
I have never winterized a motorcycle in 32 years of riding, of course, most of that time was spent in the Rio Grande Valley (actually a river delta) in far south Texas. When I moved north to Austin, still in South Central Texas, it was the coldest winter in decades, all sorts of snow, freezing rain and, generally wet and cold all around. But I stuck it out. One guy road his motorcycle down from Killeen, every day (he wore a snowmobile suit). It was better the following years, not so much snow frozen rain and sleet.
Don’t winterize…KEEP RIDING
Hills of Western Penna.