Investin a Stage 1 upgrade, with a decent fuel management system, and get that bike running the way they're supposed to.

They're running way to hot/lean coming off the assembly line.

 

You should never start your bike in winter storage unless you plan on riding it until it warms up fully then for an extended period to burn up any internal moisture. The worst thing for it is to start it for short periods (3-4 minutes) especially in cold climates, because the moisture wont burn up, and it can then freeze inside the motor and cause you some serious headaches. I think it even tells you not to do so in the manual's storage procedures.


Get a battery tender if you want to keep the battery charged... Don't need oil to circulate if the motor isn't running... You should change it before/after storing anyway...

I dont winterize my bike, I just keep riding in the rain/cold.

 

Your comments regarding running the bike for only a few minutes when being stored for the winter reminded me of something I was taught many years ago. My understanding was never run a motor unless it has time to come up to temperature or it will do more damage than good. Something about sulfur dioxide, a by product of combustion, combining with moisture to produce sulfuric acid.

Any experts want to chime in on this one.