Just wondering how everyone store their bike for the winter. My neighbor says he uses an old rubber backed piece of carpet and 2 or 3 old sheets. He also says hes never used a battery tender and his bike is an 03 1200 Custom. I was thinking of just getting a 3/4" 4X8 sheet of plywood and a good motorcycle cover and start her about once a week for half an hour or so.

 

The worst thing you can do is start it and let it sit and idle. All you do is foul your oil.


All I do to winterize mine is pull the garage door down...Unless it is gonna be laid up for more than 3 months or so, there is no need to "winterize." I'd guess in Ohio, you'll have a good day or two thru out the winter to ride.

 

Starting it every week or so is not a good idea unless you can take it out for a good hour long ride. Heating and cooling the oil causes moisture (condensation) to form in the engine and oil system and it takes a good long ride to burn it off. Just put it on a Battery Tender and take it out for a ride when you get a good weekend, it doesn't stay that cold in Ohio all winter long.

 

Thanks guys didn't know that about starting it. Yes we do have nice days once in a while here in ohio, sure be nice to live in Florida though. LOL

 

i change the oil and filter, clean and re-oil the air filter, wash and wax it, add sta-bil to a full fresh tank of gas, turn the fuel supply valve to "off", plug in the battery tender and she sits till march !

DO NOT START IT unless you plan on riding it as stated above.



I am a fair weather rider (i'm a skinny mofugger and freeze easily) besides here in n. illinois i have no business riding in winter anyways. even if we get some freakish warm days....way too much sand and salt residue on the roads and i see no reason to dump a near mint scoot because i get the itch to ride....so i just let it sit.

just my 2 cents.



oh, one more thing...a really good coat of wax will protect the scoot when it "sweats" from the garage door opening and closing.

 

Fill the tank, put a little fuel preserever in, cover it up and put the battery tender on it a week before starting it in the spring.

 

i live in tn so we dont really have bad winters at all. i dont winterize anything except for my boat. i just take my nova and bike out for a ride at least once every two weeks or so, weather permitting. the only things i do before winter, is a good fluids change, wash and a wax and if you are goin to let it sit all winter dont forget the fuel stabilizer. trust me, you will regret it if you do.

 

Here's a couple links I refer to before putting away my bike for the winter:

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tec...age/index.html

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/maint...terstorage.htm

 

Fill the Tank Full of gas, and plug in the tender. Its always parked on a carpet floor runner and always in a warm garage.
I change the oil in the spring and I am good to go.

 

I guess my bike is spoiled, it resides in my a 22x24 foot shop which is heated and AC'd, I cover it only when I'm sawing balsa wood while building an RC plane. In the winter it shares the shop with the tiller, mower, edger, two bicycles and a couple of chain saws.