Winter Storage Notes

[Mike]

With our first blast of cool weather making its way into the Chicago area, I was inspired to send my son (in North Dakota) a message this morning, reminding him of the drill for winter storage of his motorcycle. I know most of you in cold climates are familiar with this, but I thought I'd do a Public Service announcement, in the form of a cut and paste from my e-mail message. These are the basics of winter storage:

 

-Wash and dry it. Wax it if necessary. This will prevent corrosion over the winter.

 

-Buy some STA-BIL or other gas stabilizer (you can get it at most auto supply stores, farm stores, etc.). Put it in your tank just before filling your tank to the top with gasoline. You want the STA-BIL, mixed with the gas, to have an opportunity to circulate through your fuel injectors, so ride it a few miles before putting it away for the winter.

 

-Having the gas tank filled nearly to the top prevents condensation in the tank, which can lead to corrosion in the tank and fuel system. The STA-BIL container gives the mixing ratios for various tank sizes; precision is not a concern.

 

-Before you put the bike away for the winter, it's best to have ridden it for a few minutes, to get it up to its normal operating temperature. The ride to and from the gas station should be almost enough to get it heated up, but you should err on the side of riding it a bit longer than necessary if you're uncertain. You want the engine hot, in order to burn off any condensation in the engine.

 

-Buy a can of WD-40 and spray it around and into any switches or electrical connections you can get to easily. The WD-40 displaces any water in those switches and connections, and provides an anti-corrosive coating.

 

-Lube the chain (not applicable, of course, to most of our BMWs)

 

-Hook up the Battery Tender.

 

-After making sure the tires are filled completely, place the bike on its stand, with the tires resting on pieces of cardboard or carpet scraps.

 

-Cover it up and weep.

------

 

That's about all you need to do. Ideally, it's good to change the oil before you store it for the winter, but if you're running on fairly fresh, clean oil, don't bother.

 

During the winter, DO NOT RUN THE ENGINE UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO START RIDING AGAIN. Some people start their vehicles intermittently in the belief that this keeps the engine loose. Bad idea. Unless you can get it up to full operating temperature, this just creates condensation in the engine (leading to internal corrosion), in addition to straining the battery unnecessarily. Every few weeks, roll the bike a few inches, so the tires don't "flat-spot" from resting on the same spot over the winter.

 

I know some of you go much further than this, blocking off air intakes and exhaust pipes, fogging your cylinders with oil, etc. If you have any great tips, please share them.

[OoPEZoO]

Good info, but it sounds like a lot of work. I think I'll just continue to ride mine . I'm hoping for a mild winter (fingers crossed)....I think my bike only sat for about 3 weeks last year, and that was more because of the salt and chemicals on the road than the temps.

[bakerzdosen]

-Cover it up and weep.

Kinda important to do it in THAT exact order. Salty tears are really bad for the bike. Besides, never cry in front of the kids - right?

 

Well, like OoPEZoO I'm hoping for a winter similar to last year (except I hope it's not so blasted cold this year) so I don't have to actually have to "store" it. I think 22 days was the longest stretch I had to do without riding.

[Dennis Andress]

That's so sad.....

[Jake]

Thanks Mike, I'm on it. >>SPRITZ<<

[Marty Hill]

I head south, it's easier.

[motoguy128]

I usually just throw some Stabil in there. I think I went about6 weeks last year without riding.

 

I always keep the bike plugged in on a battery tender if I'm not riding it every day.

 

Great point about not starting it to "loosen up the motor". I think that goes back to bikes with carbs that seem to get hard to start after sitting for more than 2 weeks.

 

One other thing I've heard, I wouldn't waste me money on it, but high octane race gas (VP?) I've heard is very stable without adding a stabilizers. I've heard of people throwing it in cars or bikes that often sit for several months and they start up fine afterwards. Anyone else heard this? At something like $5.00 a gallon, I'm not sure it's worth it unless I was storing the bike for a year or 2 to go overseas. Still cheaper then to just drain the bike of all fuel at that point. Maybe it pick up less moisture.

[Mike]

Thanks Mike, I'm on it. >>SPRITZ<<

 

You may be laughin' now, buddy. All I can say is . . .

 

 

Who's gonna be spritzin' then, huh?

[Jake]

Touche' Does BMW make water wings?

[Mike]

I'm actually pretty excited about this global warming thing. I grabbed this digitized projection of the Chicago lakefront, circa 2020, from the Greenpeace.org website:

 

 

No more STA-BIL then, baby!

[Bill_Walker]

What is this "winter storage" of which you speak? I'm unfamiliar with the concept.

[Mike]

What is this "winter storage" of which you speak? I'm unfamiliar with the concept.

 

Well, you may have more steady temperatures, but our roads are in better shape than yours:

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

This is an oft-quoted list of winterizing items, but I wonder about the necessity some of them:

 

Wash and dry it. Wax it if necessary. This will prevent corrosion over the winter.

 

Curious, why is this true of winter and not summer? Or is it simply a given that one should keep the bike washed/waxed during the riding season? (If so, someone better tell Eebie and Russell... )

 

Buy some STA-BIL or other gas stabilizer (you can get it at most auto supply stores, farm stores, etc.). Put it in your tank just before filling your tank to the top with gasoline.

 

My RT seems to have suffered no ill consequence after eschewing fuel stabilizer for seven consecutive winters now. Come to think of it, my lawn mower has also continued to thrive after five winters without fuel stabilizer. I suspect gasoline is a lot more stable than it used to be.

 

After making sure the tires are filled completely, place the bike on its stand, with the tires resting on pieces of cardboard or carpet scraps.

 

I keep the tires filled and put the RT on the center stand, but I've never bothered to put anything under the contact patches. I don't recall any strange tire symptoms the following spring. What problem is the carpet/cardboard supposed to counteract?

 

Cover it up and weep.

 

Check.

 

I know some of you go much further than this, blocking off air intakes and exhaust pipes, fogging your cylinders with oil, etc. If you have any great tips, please share them.

 

Fogged the cyls the first year, never again. PITA and restart next spring was difficult. As for blocking the intake/exhaust, this seems like a smart idea; an attached garage is substantially warmer than the great outdoors, making it an inviting place for critters seeking shelter, and there have been several reports here of rodents nesting in the airbox, even using the air filter as nest material. If you don't block the intake, you'd be wise to pop the airbox cover for a quick inspection before the first start next spring.

[Jake]

Keep an eye on him, Mike. He told me Global Warming was a bunch of hooey at El Paseo, but didn't have compelling full colored glossy's like you did. Have you seen his bike lately? What an eye sore - never saw a coat of wax in its life. Keep both eyes on him come to think of it...

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Keep an eye on him, Mike. He told me Global Warming was a bunch of hooey at El Paseo, but didn't have compelling full colored glossy's like you did. Have you seen his bike lately? What an eye sore - never saw a coat of wax in its life. Keep both eyes on him come to think of it...

 

Shouldn't you be building a dike or something?

[Mike]

Mitch--I'd freely acknowledge that some of this ritual is more religion than science. I do have a few thoughts on some of what you've written, though:

 

-Washing and waxing. Probably not a big deal, but road contaminants contain a lot of corrosive stuff, ranging from chemicals that have leaked out of vehicles to itsy-bitsy bits of metal. That's not good for painted surfaces or surfaces that may be subject to corrosion. There's probably not great benefit, but it's not a lot of work, helps maintain the value of your bike if the shiny stuff remains shiny, and forces you to look over everything, which may reveal leaks, loose fasteners, etc.

 

-Fuel Stabilizer. This is getting into your area of professional expertise, so I don't have a lot to add. My guess is that the high pressures that modern fuel injection systems operate under may also have a lot to do with the fact that we don't hear about a lot of problems from "varnish." When I restored a CB550 a few years ago, it was definitely an issue, but that bike had been sitting for years. Like a lot of others here, even in the winter months I sometimes am able to get out for a ride on those days when the temperature bumps up a little bit. For those like my son, in North Dakota, that's not likely to happen. His bike will be garaged for at least four or five months, so it seems like a reasonable precaution.

 

-Carpet/Wood/Cardboard under the tires. There's not a lot of science involved in my reasoning, but a lot of garage floors have soaked up gasoline, oil, coolant, brake fluids, etc. over the years. It seems to me that you'd be wise to try to avoid direct contact with those contaminants. Again, though, I admit that I'm venturing into the realm of religion. I found a link to a Continental Tires page on winter tire storage that hits on the major concerns with winter tire storage. It does point out the concerns about contact with chemicals (or even storing tires in the same location that chemicals are stored).

 

Like you, I no longer "fog" the cylinders. I did it a couple of times, but I could never convince myself that it was worth it, particularly when I tend to get out a few times during the winter anyway. I didn't have any trouble starting my RT, but even that small amount of oil made for a very smokey start. I've never had a problem with rodents invading my airbox, but it's definitely wise to check after a prolonged period of storage. I haven't seen any tips on avoiding that that I feel are completely reliable.

[Matts_12GS]

Hmm, the trailers are moving south, I guess it's almost time for that winter set of tires and a fresh oil change....

 

Winterizing sucks!

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Washing and waxing. Probably not a big deal, but road contaminants contain a lot of corrosive stuff, ranging from chemicals that have leaked out of vehicles to itsy-bitsy bits of metal. That's not good for painted surfaces or surfaces that may be subject to corrosion. There's probably not great benefit, but it's not a lot of work, helps maintain the value of your bike if the shiny stuff remains shiny, and forces you to look over everything, which may reveal leaks, loose fasteners, etc.

 

Seems this would be a good idea no matter what the season, then.

 

My guess is that the high pressures that modern fuel injection systems operate under may also have a lot to do with the fact that we don't hear about a lot of problems from "varnish."

 

I'd have thought so too, except that I've never added stabilizer to my (carbureted) lawn mower, and have had zero issues with it after 5+ years. Thus my contention that fuel composition has improved (better stability, or better detergents that flush the gunk out each spring), and vendors have continued to recommend stabilizer for winter storage purposes only because they make money from it. (in the case of your CB550, i.e. very long-term storage in warm temps, I expect that even modern fuels have their limit, and stabilizer might be a wise investment for that application.)

[tgrrdr]

-Fuel Stabilizer. This is getting into your area of professional expertise, so I don't have a lot to add. My guess is that the high pressures that modern fuel injection systems operate under may also have a lot to do with the fact that we don't hear about a lot of problems from "varnish."

 

I had a CBR100F and after I bought my Tiger I wasn't riding the Honda much. After one longish period (couple/few months ?) of non-operation I had to have the carbs cleaned before it would run right. My understanding is that the more volitile components of the gasoline tend to evaporate leaving behind the "varnish"-like materials. I wouldn't think this would be a big problem in the tank since there's relatively little evaporation compared to the volume of the tank. I don't recall if it was the CBR or maybe the EX500 I had before that, but one of them had drain screws on the carbs to help prevent this issue.

[steveknapp]

I'd have thought so too, except that I've never added stabilizer to my (carbureted) lawn mower, and have had zero issues with it after 5+ years. Thus my contention that fuel composition has improved (better stability, or better detergents that flush the gunk out each spring), and vendors have continued to recommend stabilizer for winter storage purposes only because they make money from it.

 

Every powersports dealer and small equipment dealer I've talked to rants about this "new gas" you EPA types have mandated. Not sure if the newer formulations are better, but they claim that after 3-6 months it starts going bad and stabil only helps extend that slightly. Waiting in line on a weekend, there are people who have issues with their carbs getting gunked up (now throw away, so they can't be modified!).

 

My only bad experience with power equipment was when a friend borrowed my generator, filled it with ???, then gave it back. I just stored it (not draining the carb) and 6mo later it was a real dog to start. The gas got drained, fresh stuff installed, minor carb cleaning, it's all better now.

 

My mower gets used weekly, in the winter I drain the gas from the carb. Same for the weedwacker and blower...dirt bike, sleds... if it has a carb it gets drained for storage longer than a few weeks. It's all pretty willing to start when it comes out of storage.

 

I do buy BP Ultimate (someone once mentioned that the goo they filter out to make it clear is the same goo that gunks up the carbs, it's also one of the few stations near me with three hoses still, all voodoo I'm sure), and use SeaFoam instead of stabil all the time. I also keep the stuff fresh, buying another gallon every 3-6mo. Not 5gal every 3 years like some.