Questions on preparing for winter storage

[ClarkGriswald]

Excellent visual Ken, thats what I was thinking right there. Around here we go from that to nothing and back and forth until about the last week of january, then its full bore. Not the low temps like you get but lots of snow because Im right in the major dumping zone of "lake effect" snow. Around southwest Mich, this is always the center of the worst spot on the weather map for dumpage. Grand Junction only a few miles west of me is the high point. Its frustrating because 10 or 15 miles away there can be nothing. Ive been cursing the fact that Ive been back in the firewood army again already.. Love those giant pine tree's.

[MaximPhil]

Definitely Full Tank of Gas with Stabil AND Fresh OIL and Filter.
Maxim Phil

[eroellig]

Definitely Full Tank of Gas with Stabil AND Fresh OIL and Filter.
Maxim Phil

I concur.

The PO didn't do any maintenance to my bike for 8 years, but he DID keep the gas tank full when he wasn't using it. There is >>>>NO<<<<< rust inside my gas tank. Thank goodness for small favors.

Eric

[Paintman]

Winter

I just Built a new shop just for the Bikes so im lucky since it will be heated in winter and bikes will go into shock after living outside. i do pretty much what ken does and never have a spring time problem and since i got 9 to keep me busy it seems it never ends.

John

[datter]

Here's why I can't get away with just a tarp over the bike in the side or back yard:



Tough to get into the back or side yard, then couldn't keep any air circulation under a tarp anyways...

Looks like mine as well, hence my dilemma.

[Axel]

What I do- not in order

Run gas down to reserve . Add a full can of Seafoam . Run for 10 more minutes to get through carbs .Fill tank . Add another full can of Seafoam . Carbs are cleaner in the Spring than now. If I plan to paint my tank -I drain it at the time of painting and then re fill it ASAP .I use golf tees in the fuel lines .
Take it for the final run . Change oil ( cheap stuff) . Drain in Spring . Fog cylinders.
Fill tires to max on sidewall . Elevate off the ground ( 13" piece of 2x4).
Clean bike totally like for a show . Use protectant . Wax where you can . Polish chrome ,etc .
Breathable cover.
Battery charger -1.5 amp maintainer/minder or battery out .
Cover breather hole with plastic and elastic ,same for exhaust (critter proof)
All I can remember for now

[HobbyMan]

I am storing my bike in a wooden shed right now. It has been a while but she still looks good. I cleaned here up real good and made sure there was no dirt or dust. I changed the oil and bled the brakes to get the moisture out of the system. I filled the tank up with stabil and ran a fuel line from one petcock to the other just in case they leaked. I put everything back together. While the pipes were warm and clean with no rust, I put automotive wax on them. It melted on and basically sealed the chrome. I threw a few towels over the tank to prevent dings and such. Then I threw a blanket over here then the motorcycle cover. My bike is wrapped up waiting for graduation day. I checked the chrome a few months ago and it has not pitted or changed from how I left it. I did not look in the tank though. I really hope the ethanol in my tank is not doing any funny stuff to the inside.

[prometheus578]

As for fuel tanks:
You could top it off with fuel. Less air, no water condensation, hence no rust.
As condensation forms when the outside temperature is colder than the inside temp....
You could remove the tank, drain it completely, and set it on a shelf with the gas cap open. Inside the tank will then be the same as the outside of the tank. No condensation, no varnish-y gas to deal with in spring and no rust problem. (I mean.. the other metal sitting around in your garage doesn't rust during the winter, does it?)

I don't like leaving fuel in the float bowls. After you pull the tank, drain the float bowls, put the drain plugs in a zip-lock bag and tape them to the handlebars('cause I know you'll lose them).

Put in cheap clean oil, run is fer a minute or so and then shut it down. As mentioned, this gets out the old oil with it's contaminants and combustion blow-by acids. Come spring, change the oil to something good.
Ventilation under tarps... wheels offa the ground, battery on a trickle charger, etc.

[madmax-im]

Whats winterizing?

Just kidding...but I ride thru the winter when ever possible...so I never winterize.Ofc I dont get the kinds of winters youse guys get North of the border...it just gets a bit cold here.Past few years nothing more than an inch of snow!While I dont ride as far as in the warmer months..I still like getting out there for a daytrip