Winterizing

[deo]

Got hit by a winter surprise this week here on the east coast and didn't have time to winterize the bike. Just curious, are there specific steps to take to make sure that my XJ11 will start and run well in the spring. What do I need to do to winterize it?

deo

[Jerry]

Basic steps:

Add Sta-bil to full tank of gas, run bike long engough to get gas/sta-bil in carbs. Top off tank.

Change oil/filter

Remove battery and charge occasionally with a trickle charger. (I leave mine in bike but still charge it one a month or so.)

If the layup will be several months, look into one of the cylinder foggng kits to fog the cylinders to prevent rust.

I like to clean mine to help prevent corrosion, take off seat and put it a heavy bag/box to keep out mice, cover air box intake while seat is off, cover ends of mufflers (again to keep mice out...tinfoil works) let air out of forks/shocks (XJ has air adjustable suspension) and empty out saddlebags and Windjammer pockets. As a final item I crack both a front and rear brake bleeder to ake sure all pressure is out of brake lines. (Having problems...need to rebuild front MC.)

[deo]

Thanks Jerry,
Your response about settles what I need to do then. I will keep the bike in the garage which is heated so the mice issue is not a severe as if it were outside.

I got the stabil and will use it appropriately.

deo

[MartyA]

Be sure to get that stabil into the carbs. Prevents varnish and other nasties from building up in all those tiny orifices. I have been putting bikes up for 6 months of winter for many years, doing what Jerry says will keep your ride ready for the summer, every summer. I cover mine, store it on a wooden floor, keep the sun off, but I just take the battery out and store it in the basement. I take it to the local Battery Warehouse every spring, the guy cycles it and charges it up for free. If you can't 'fog' the cylinders, put a little oil in the spark plug holes, turn the engine over one or two turns, put the plugs back in.

The only other thing I do is add a little oil to the clutch cable and squeeze the brake and clutch levers a few times over the winter.

[deo]

Thanks Marty.

I'll try the oil in the cylinders because I haven't got a clue as to what fogging a cylinder is.

deo

[Ken Talbot]

I've never fogged a cylinder, but I do remove the sparkplugs, squirt in a good measure of oil, spin the motor over for a few seconds to spread the oil (watch for spray out of the plug holes), then put the plugs back in (only a few turns, with the leads off). Come spring time, you can then remove the plugs again, give it another shot of oil and spin it over to make sure there's some oil in the top end before putting it all back together and firing it up.

[skids]

Jerry, I don't believe I would do that! I would never open the bleeder nipples unless bleeding the brakes. The "spooge hole" should relieve pressure in the lines.

Originally posted by Jerry
Basic steps:

As a final item I crack both a front and rear brake bleeder to ake sure all pressure is out of brake lines. (Having problems...need to rebuild front MC.)

[Jerry]

Should have said I crack bleeders and re-seal them to be sure there is no built up pressure in the lines. I know I need to rebuild front MC, normally you would not need to do this. Still, I have done it as a check ever since I bought the XJ in '99.

Fogging kit is an aerosol can; go to:

http://www.johnson.com/docs/320001/20_667_CAEN.htm

Click on Parts, then Engine Care and scroll down a bit to see the Evinrude/Johnson product.

[beechfront]

i didn't do any winterizing last year and had no problems. i doubt my bike has ever been winterized. i am not sure, but i think i am beginning to see a speck of rust in the tank which will need some attention. this year i don't think the bike will sit long enough to merit doing any winterizing. as long as the roads are clear i'll be riding to work. it was around 30 degrees monday and i rode in. got 5" of snow yesterday and from looking at the forecast she'll be parked for about a week.

[MartyA]

Usually if you have only one 6 month period of inactivity without treating the gas the only thing that suffers is the gas degradation. So you suffer through that first tank in the spring. But do that a few times and soon you may have enough varnish and other crap built up to cause problems in the carbs.

For those who live in areas where a week or 3 is a long period of inactivity, I am jealous, but I don't think you need to winterize in that case.