Preparing for winter storage.
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How are you storing it? outdoors? Indoors?
If it is outdoors, put some stabil in the gas and leave the level as low as possible. The stabil in the fuel will keep the tank from rusting up inside. If you want to go crazy you can put some fuel and two stroke oil in there and swish it around - just make sure you remove that gas before you start it next season. Some prefer to empty the tank - I don't because I figure the stabil or the two stroke oil does a good job at keeping condensation moisture at bay. If you are storing indoors, same thing except you may want to empty the tank.
Plug the exhaust. Ever blow a rat out the pipe in the spring? smells bad and makes your bike run like crap. Hard to clean out too. I usualyl throw a dessicant pack in the pipe (not too far in) and then tape the ends. critters hate the smell of dessicant packs and it keeps the moisture from eating my pipes from inside.
Drain the carbs. The easiest way is to shut the petcock off and run the bike out of gas. This will ensure that it will actually run without a rebuild next spring. Next best thing is gas with stabil in it.
I oil all my rubber parts to keep them from drying out. This is personal preference but it helps when it gets really cold in the garage.
battery tender on the battery - keeps the bat in good order.
That being said I haven't done a lot of this stuff in a while (the stabil I do) because I ride till first snowfall (usually january) so my down time is only three months (jan, feb, march). I still have the speeding ticket I got on december 28th last year (I really have to pay that).
Don;t run your bike unless you intend to ride it. Lots of guys think they should start the bike for a few minutes just to let the juices circulate. This builds condensation in the pipes and causes them to rot from the inside out. Ever seen a garage find bike that was perfect except for the pipes? now you know why. If you feel you must circulate the oil - with the plugs pulled (so you are not fighting compression) kick it over or use the electric starter (much easier). This will spin the motor faster and allow the oil to circulate as if the bike was running.
Thanks Gee. Not sure where Im going to store this thing. I had a yard but no garage and Im not sure I want to store it outside over the winter but I have no where to store it inside so its probably my only option.
Just to be clear, if I do leave it outside I should leave as little fuel as possible in the tank and drop in some stabil. Also drain the fuel out of the carbs and tender the battery. Not sure how Im going to do that if its outside.
If i do put stabil in I should drain the tank before running it again correct?
Man what a pain in the arse these old bikes can be.
When I lived in rochester I used to ride in snow. I wore heavy construction boots and kept my feet down the whole time. Wouldn't go further than the grocery and back but still it got me around. A buddy of mine did ice racing and he made is own studded motorcycle snow tires for his /6 beamer.
you do know batteries come out of bikes don't ya? put the battery someplace out of the way (like the basement) and plug in the charger. The cold will pretty much kill your battery if you leave it outside anyway.
Stabil is designed to be consumed in the engine so leave about 1/2 a tank of gas with stabil in it and when it comes time to start it again just put fresh gas in and run it through. If yo put two stroke oil in the tank then you will want to drain it before running the motor.
when you add the stabil, run the engine to get it in the carbs or run the carbs dry. how about a ustore place?? there are several guys around baltimore who only ride. snow or not. turnbull is one and my buddy joe who was up at louen last year only rides too. turnbull runs the rig mostly in the snow. he has a woman who made him "leather necks" that velcro to the underside of youre helmet to ride in winter. i love riding in the winter. as long as the roads are clear of sand and crap. i remember riding my t120 up sumer street in boston in 12" of snow in january one year. awesome fun.
jc
jc
Oh yeah.. buy a Dowco cover and chain it to something unmoveable(if your one of those city folks).
http://www.dowco-inc.com/CoverGuide.asp?seg=2&ct=3
I think they have a lifetime replacement warranty
http://www.dowco-inc.com/CoverGuide.asp?seg=2&ct=3
I think they have a lifetime replacement warranty
I'm not the guy to ask...I don't do shit to my bikes. My street bike has never had the battery out in six years, nor the gas drained, always started and runs like a top. The Giro bikes get the fuel completely drained, same with the race bikes.
Actually the worst conditions my bikes see is my garage in the humid summer weather...my shop is semi-underground and gets very moist in the summer. I have to keep the doors shut all summer to keep out the humind air or all my bikes and equipment gets a coating of condensation.
The upside is it's nice and cool in there in the summer, and no colder than about 45 degrees in the deep of winter (without the heat on).
JohnnyB
Actually the worst conditions my bikes see is my garage in the humid summer weather...my shop is semi-underground and gets very moist in the summer. I have to keep the doors shut all summer to keep out the humind air or all my bikes and equipment gets a coating of condensation.
The upside is it's nice and cool in there in the summer, and no colder than about 45 degrees in the deep of winter (without the heat on).
JohnnyB
actually, i was just teasing the fact that he said we should do everything he says.
i really dont do anything either. personally, ive had gas sit in my tanks for months and the bike will fire right up. and i usually try to ride as much as possible in the winter. so its not worth putting the thing into dry storage. i dont even drain the racebike tank. i always run the carbs dry though.
if you ask olmstead, hed say just keep your race bike in the back of your van til the next race.
jc
i really dont do anything either. personally, ive had gas sit in my tanks for months and the bike will fire right up. and i usually try to ride as much as possible in the winter. so its not worth putting the thing into dry storage. i dont even drain the racebike tank. i always run the carbs dry though.
if you ask olmstead, hed say just keep your race bike in the back of your van til the next race.
jc
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