Is it a bad idea to start the bike once every 2 weeks and let it run 10 minutes at an idle during the winter months?? Is that bad on the engine??

 

Just a waste of gas. The bike needs to run over 2,500 rpm for at least 30 minutes to get any charge on the battery. Put a battery tender on it and hope for a few days of good riding weather.

 

Just ride

 

Please don't start these winterizing posts already!It was 93 today.

 

I think the best thing you can do is put on some warm clothing, gloves and a full or three quarter helmet and ride it! More than just re-charging the battery you're getting it warmed up and moving that oil around in the engine. Also don't fill the tank until it really needs it. You don't want to let gas just sit in the tank for months. It goes "stale" and results in hard starting and rough running. Besides riding is more fun that just starting it and reving the engine pretending to ride.

Seriously get a battery tender and keep it hooked up. Then on those nice days ride the heck out of it to keep all of the lubrication moving (gears, axles, brake calipers, etc.)

 

Unless you can can take the bike out and ride it for at least 30 minutes, it's a bad idea to start it. Starting it in the garage for 10 minutes will cause condensation to form in the oil. It takes a good 30 minutes of street riding to get the engine and oil hot enough, long enough, to burn off condensation.

When storing the bike keep the gas tank FULL with a stabilizer like Sta-Bil added to the fuel. A low fuel tank allows for the build up of moisture in the tank. Unless you have 0% humidity, air contains moisture, so the more air space in the tank, the more moisture you will have in the tank from condensation.

 

Winter will be here soon? What is winter? We don't have any of that in Southern California.

 

Exactly!!!! And last but not least use a battery tender.

 

or... ride?

Good leathers, big sweatshirts... I love winter riding

 

yea ima just leatherup and keep riding whenever its not snowing. then the atv comes out