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How to: Winter storage.


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This is my short list of things I do before putting my bike into winter hibernation:
 
[ul type=disc][*]Give it a good clean[*]Add fuel stabilizer to a full tank of gas and top it off as much as possible[*]Spray fogging oil into the intake until it smokes and stalls[*]Put on a stand so that the tires are off the ground[*]Lube the chain[*]Disconnect the battery[*]Tape off holes (against mice)[*]spray oil (like wd40) on rust prone parts[*]Cover the bike.[*]add some moth balls here and there (especially under the seat)[/ul]
I usually replace the oil and filter if it is almost due. If not, I will wait until the start of the new season.
 
 
Feel free to add more items and/or ideas.

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Ive always sold my bikes at the end of the year so a question of mine is a battery tender needed or no and why either way

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hippiebikerchick

What is this winter hibernation you speak of?  8-)

Illegitimi non carborundum

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* Spray fogging oil into the intake until it smokes and stalls
 
OK, you did it .. "winter", "snow", "polar vortex" all cuss words.  If I were a moderator, would be giving you a warning  8D
 
Did not know about the fogging oil; have to add that to my supply and will have to find my air intake.
 
Some say, run the tank dry, others say full tank, so there is no air space or minimal.  I guess I will buy this too:
 
http://www.sta-bil360.com/
 
 

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Thanks for the info. I'm in Chicago and will have to put mine into hibernation unfortunately.
What's the fogging oil in the intake do? When the bike is coming out of hibernation does anything have to be done to 'undo' that?
Can you tell I'm new to all this???

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TwistedTorque

Last year I put the bike away for ~2 months. December and January. This year I don't plan on putting it away at all. I'll just take her out and go around the block a few times.
 
Heated gloves help tons!

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Thanks for the info. I'm in Chicago and will have to put mine into hibernation unfortunately. What's the fogging oil in the intake do? When the bike is coming out of hibernation does anything have to be done to 'undo' that?
Can you tell I'm new to all this???
From Stabil fogging oil ad: 
Internal parts of stored engines can rust in as little as 30 days without protection. Also, cylinders dry out during storage resulting in possible permanent engine damage at start up. STA-BIL fogging oil protects internal engine surfaces from corrosion and lubricates cylinders to prevent engine damage after storage. Safe to use on all 2 and 4 cycle engines and fuel injected engines.
Displaces moisture from metal to prevent corrosion
Specially formulated to go deep into the engine, seeking metal surfaces to form a protective coating
Lubricates cylinders to prevent damage at start up
Use in car, boat (Inboard and outboard) engines, lawnmowers, snowblowers
 
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All good tips, same ones I gave been told before. I put battery in tender if in storage or not riding for more than a few days. I am going to do my best to ride year round, hope weather cooperates

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In winter, especially if my bike is new, I put the bike up on the stands and start relubing everything. You guys would be amazed at how little lube the factory's put in bearings. Very important to check and lube the steering Stem bearings. I do this every winter but it's even more important the first year. When you check your bearings you'll freak out at how little grease the factory puts in.
 
I do alot of maintenance in the winter. It's a great time to roll up your sleeves an get to know your bikes. But please, at least buy a service manual and relube steering stem bearings and check your wheel bearings.
 
I also use Stabil but also start my bike once per week in the garage an let it run for a few minutes.

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TwistedTorque
In winter, especially if my bike is new, I put the bike up on the stands and start relubing everything. You guys would be amazed at how little lube the factory's put in bearings. Very important to check and lube the steering Stem bearings. I do this every winter but it's even more important the first year. When you check your bearings you'll freak out at how little grease the factory puts in.  
I do alot of maintenance in the winter. It's a great time to roll up your sleeves an get to know your bikes. But please, at least buy a service manual and relube steering stem bearings and check your wheel bearings.
 
I also use Stabil but also start my bike once per week in the garage an let it run for a few minutes.
Sounds like you have a great HOW TO: In the works  8-)
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Guest MXRider

Every new bike I buy gets torn down and greased right away. Steering, swing arm pivot, linkage, and wheel bearings.
 
It's a joke how little grease is used from the factory.

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This is my short list of things I do before putting my bike into winter hibernation: 
[ul type=disc][*]Give it a good clean[*]Add fuel stabilizer to a full tank of gas and top it off as much as possible[*]Spray fogging oil into the intake until it smokes and stalls[*]Put on a stand so that the tires are off the ground[*]Lube the chain[*]Disconnect the battery[*]Tape off holes (against mice)[*]spray oil (like wd40) on rust prone parts[*]Cover the bike.[*]add some moth balls here and there (especially under the seat)[/ul]
I usually replace the oil and filter if it is almost due. If not, I will wait until the start of the new season.
 
 
Feel free to add more items and/or ideas.
Great advices Guru. 
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Ive always sold my bikes at the end of the year so a question of mine is a battery tender needed or no and why either way
After your last long ride of the season, the battery will be fully charge. You can remove it and store it inside the house at room temp until Springs shows up. Or you can buy a battery tender and connected it directly to the battery on the bike. Or, the ultimate protection, is to put the battery inside the house and connected it to the battery tender. Battery tender is a must have. Often, after many small trips, the battery will decharge quickly and not recharge as fast. Then your battery will only last one season.
 
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Some say, run the tank dry, others say full tank, so there is no air space or minimal.  I guess I will buy this too:
 
http://www.sta-bil360.com/
 

An empty tank is a bad idea, it increases the chance of inviting rust inside the fuel tank, and is not too good on the FI system. Full tank is the best, as it will minimize the amount of moisture inside the tank.
Any additive is a waste, but if it can make you feel better about your bike, go ahead. Fuel doesn't go bad in a few month. It will take over a year to gunk. And with the added ethanol, it might even take longer (remember the old land mower parked in the corner since last year, if you can start it, it will go on until all the fuel is gone).
 
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Full tank for sure. The ethanol in the fuel it will attract water and that will invite corrosion in the tank.
My friend has a marina here and I can assure you that fuel here in Canada definitely goes bad within a few months, especially with ethanol 'rich' gas. He has lots of experience with outboard engine that are only used for the season. He swears with fuel stabilizer. If he doesn't, his new season starts with a lot of problems. The gas will smell bad and even turns green. The fuel stabilizer will prevent that. After adding the stuff I let the engine run for a while to spread it in the fuel system. He also gave me the tip to use the fogging oil.
 

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why would you want a full tank of gas sitting all winter? isn't a smaller amount of gas better so in the spring you can fill it up with fresh gas?isn't our tanks made of plastic?

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Guest MXRider

If you guys want some good fuel to leave in your bikes for the winter you can get a can of VP C9. 96 pump octane, unleaded, no ethanol or excess detergents. VP claims it's good to sit in your tank for two years in storage and still be fresh.
 
This is what I run in my 2 stroke for many reasons, one of which being it detonates on premium pump gas.
 
http://www.vpracingfuels.com/vintage

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why would you want a full tank of gas sitting all winter? isn't a smaller amount of gas better so in the spring you can fill it up with fresh gas?isn't our tanks made of plastic?
Motorcycles tanks are usually made of metal. The exceptions are some dirt bikes. If your tank is only partially filled with fuel, with time, moisture will get in your tank and as water is heavier than fuel, will fall to the bottom. Water will then be the first liquid (through gravity feed) entering the FI system. This is not a very good situation.
By having a full tank of gas, you only invite a negligible amount of moisture into the system.
I try to drive as much as I can through the winter, I just love that totally different kind of driving. So my bikes never sat too long, but for the few times they did, 3 month max, I never had any issue restarting the bikes (with no additives added). I just made sure the batteries were full.
 
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  • 1 year later...
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Arizona hibernation steps:
1) Start bike
2) swing leg over
3) ride to your heart's content, or until your heart is frostbitten.

ATGATT... ATTATT, two acronyms I live by.
 

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What's winter????
1. Ethanol fuels stay fresh LONGER than non ethanol gasoline. The alcohol helps stabilize the fuel. It will still go off though. It also takes much longer to go off when it's cold.
2. Most motorcycle tanks nowdays ( except cheapies) have a polymer coating on them to help stop corrosion. The Yammy looks like it may be a cheapie though so you are right to be cautious.
3. It is always best to drain the tank. Fuel, alcohol added or otherwise, WILL have water in it. And part of the "going bad" decomposition of fuel creates water as a product. BTW alcohol doesen't decompose and it is more likely to keep some of the water in solution rather than let it evaporate . Rust can only occur with water AND AIR, so empty or completely full is better. But if it completely full you will have to chuck all that fuel when you want to rid it again.
4. PAO ester oils are designed to bond to metal surfaces so they should keep the engine coated at least for the duration of a winter. However, MOST CORROSION AND WEAR inside an engine is chemical, not mechanical. Acids, particularly sulphur and nitrogen based ones, build up in the oil and corrode the metals. Modern oils are designed to buffer them and help "crack" the acids so long as the oils get hot enough. So the most important thing you can do before storage is to go for a long hard run on the bike. While the oil is hot replace it ( and the filter ) with PAO synthetic oil and rerun it for a couple of minutes. The fresh oil will coat the motor and be ready for next ride protecting the inside.
5. Take the air filter out and spray a goodly amount of CRC ( DWF whatever) up the airbox and inlet tract. That should help protect the valve seats for the whole duration.

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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bmwpowere36m3

Take a long ride to warm up bike, dose gas tank with Stabil Marine formula, ride to gas station and fill tank up to brim, ride home, change oil and filter, wash bike and lube chain, put battery tender on, air up tires to max (listed on sidewall) let sit till spring in anticipation.

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Let's keep in mind that the 10% ethanol (that's what it should be, but who knows) they add to the gasoline already carries 5% water. It's very expensive to remove that last bit of water that distills off with the EtOH - remember the word azeotrope from high school chemistry? Combine that with the fact that ethanol is hydroscopic ( maybe not as bad as brake fluid, but ) so it can absorb more moisture from the air.
 
I wish it wasn't necessary, but the gasoline these days is such junk, I also resort to Stabil. And if you think water does harm to a steel tank, you should see what it does to a PA nylon tank that can absorb 10% its weight in water. It cost Ducati a fortune in that class action lawsuit to replace "plastic" tanks that would not seat back down properly. Aprilia is still paying.
 
As for the battery, there are 2 things that kill a battery prematurely - heat and letting it get discharged resulting in the plates getting sulfated. As I take the bus to work, my 2 bikes and the car do some sitting during the week. 3 Optimates run pretty much 24/7 when the vehicles are not in use. My car's battery is now 7.5 years old and going strong.

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