Winterizing

[fredintoon]

Back when my bikes overwintered in a carport I would go nuts winterizing them. Every winterizing tip, trick or procedure there was, I did it.
Since 1993 we've had a 2-car attached heated garage and I've winterized the bikes just like before. They've always fired up OK in the Spring that way.
Except that this winter, I didn't. The extent of my winterizing was to shove the bikes in a corner of the garage to make room for the family Buick and to throw a tarp over them to keep the dust off.
So I have just turned the gas taps to prime, waited a quarter-hour, pulled the choke, turned the key and pushed the button. Damn thing fired right up.
So have I been wasting my time all these years or was I just dead lucky?

[slow mo]

good for you fred

no matter how you wintered your bike !! it started hopefully with no ill effects now hope for the weather to do as much,,good news;;ride safe!! slow mo

[renegade_xs11g]

Well, you may have gotten lucky, this time, may even for a few more,
But if you take care of the bike during riding season, they always start easier.

My winterizing consisted of putting it on the center stand,
removing the seat, throwing a tarp over.
was like this til Jan,



2 weekends ago, I got the ole Monster's blood pumping, but I dropped a little MMO in and left the plugs out, cranked a couple of times,
Put plugs in, and waited a couple of mins after turning on the fuel,

push button, and vroom, what a machine

Now I just gotta get it all gussied up

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Fred,

I've never lived in a place that was cold enough to require Winterizing!!

With a heated garage...(mine is even NOT heated) I would think about all you would need to do is a few basics, like center stand and front wheel blocking up off the floor to prevent flat spots, a little stabil or SeaFoam in the fuel and run thru carbs before storage, and trickle charging the battery, that's about it. If you were extra worried about humidity getting in thru an open valve/exhaust, then a squirt of oil into each jug/cylinder would be the most I would think would be needed. I don't think you got lucky, just that in that climate contolled environment, true winterizing probably isn't really needed!
T.C.

[madmax-im]

I've never really winterize my bikes. Other than take the battery out andput it on the battery tender and keep the gastank full to minimize condensation thats about it...Mostly because like to ride through the winters when the opportunity presents itself.

[red bandit]

So have I been wasting my time all these years or was I just dead lucky?

Yep, just wasting your time. I don't do anything to any of my stuff and it sits for at least 6 months, some 8-10 months like the chainsaw, hedgetimmer, leaf blower, boat motor and that's all premix plus all the other stuff. All of it starts right up whenever I decide to use it. If it makes you feel better go for it. Some people rake their yard too.

[fredintoon]

Hey Fred,
I've never lived in a place that was cold enough to require Winterizing!!
With a heated garage...(mine is even NOT heated) I would think about all you would need to do is a few basics, like center stand and front wheel blocking up off the floor to prevent flat spots, a little stabil or SeaFoam in the fuel and run thru carbs before storage, and trickle charging the battery, that's about it. If you were extra worried about humidity getting in thru an open valve/exhaust, then a squirt of oil into each jug/cylinder would be the most I would think would be needed. I don't think you got lucky, just that in that climate controlled environment, true winterizing probably isn't really needed!
T.C.

Hi TC,
Saskatchewan winter humidity is very low and "climate controlled environment" is a bit of an exaggeration for what happens in my garage over winter. Except when I'm working in there the heater is set at it's lowest which keeps the garage temperature at just above freezing. When it's below -30ºC outside the garage drops a little below freezing and my quench bucket ices over. That's happened perhaps 3 times this winter.
OTOH, my son Eric's XS750 spent the winter under a cover outside with it's gas tank full and laced with Stabil. He hauled the thing inside the garage a week past to defrost (How come he can get to pre-empt my wife's indoor parking with not a quibble from the master while I dare not even suggest it?) and can't get the thing to fire up at all even with it having sheets of sparks and being cranked from a fully charged car battery.
Is there anyone at all who doesn't just hate working on carburettors?

[renegade_xs11g]

(How come he can get to pre-empt my wife's indoor parking with not a quibble from the master while I dare not even suggest it?)

Is there anyone at all who doesn't just hate working on carburettors?

Mother will let the kids get away with murder

I actually, really like working on carbs, the XS carbs have taught me a lot, tho'

[DJinNH]

Last week was my first ride of the season. My bike started hard but it did start and run.

About 25 miles into my ride, it started acting like it might have got some moisture in the tank with some bucking, stalling and backfiring. I ran it some more and it seemed to clear itself up. Then I topped off the tank with fresh gas. It ran great after that.

Don

[webbcraft2150]

I think winterizing, or lack of it is something that "may catch up to you later", one way or the other. The one winter here in Texass when I didn't follow my own strict winterizing procedure for my boat (hell, it dosen't get that cold here), I lost one of the fuel injectors to water. Temps and humidity play a big role in how things like fuel react to long periods of storage. After dropping $103 for a new injector, I am now back to my annual winterizing process. My 9 year old WalMart lawnmower and el-cheapo weed wacker get winterized every year and both fire up and run great in the spring. Since I ride all year long and don't get the extremes some of you guys do, the trusty XS is happy in the garage. Winters in central Texass are mild to say the least..
Get back on your winterizing schedule, if nothing else it gives you a chance to really look the bike over good and fix stuff before it turns into something really big.

[Crazcnuk]

I've never 'winterized', except to take the battery out, some years. My bikes have never had a garage or a carport even. I owned a bike cover 1 year.

As for coming back on me later, I rode the Shadow for 14yrs, and even the new owner hasn't had to touch it.l

I think our gas up here is far better than in the hotter climes, at least as far as letting it sit, or maybe the cooler climate just isn't as hard on gas. In the US they put all kinds of crap in gas that isn't allowed in Canada.

I've fired up the GT-750 and took it for a ride on gas that has to be at least 5 years old.

Keep in ind that my bike never sits for more than 3-4 months AT MOST. Many years I've had it out nearly every month of the year.

Not this year though...

[cywelchjr]

I've never 'winterized', except to take the battery out, some years. My bikes have never had a garage or a carport even. I owned a bike cover 1 year.

As for coming back on me later, I rode the Shadow for 14yrs, and even the new owner hasn't had to touch it.l

I think our gas up here is far better than in the hotter climes, at least as far as letting it sit, or maybe the cooler climate just isn't as hard on gas. In the US they put all kinds of crap in gas that isn't allowed in Canada.

I've fired up the GT-750 and took it for a ride on gas that has to be at least 5 years old.

Keep in ind that my bike never sits for more than 3-4 months AT MOST. Many years I've had it out nearly every month of the year.

Not this year though...

I'll second the "crap" in the gas down here. And California is worse than most, at least in this area. All my vehicles get at least 10% lower milage on local gas than on gas from say Oregon or even Nevada once outside of the Reno area which seems to get the same junky gas as we do.

[Crazcnuk]

As i understand it, in the US gas refineries are allowed to put waste products, from the refining process, into the gas instead of having to deal with them as waste.

This is isn't allowed in Canada.

I also think that the warmer climes are just harder on gas. Gas does evaporate, and faster the warmer it is. In the winter here it's cold enough to slow that process a lot.