who can tell me how to winterize my bike

Alright folks, you have never steered me wrong, so who can tell me or give me the link to a good way to winterize my 82 maxim 550. Im looking for something reasonable and cheap. i dont want to be pulling carbs off or something like that, and i dont know if i want to be buying gas solutions. so if there is a few simple steps that will set my mind at ease when i cant start my bike for a couple months, i would be very greatfull. thanks

 

I'll leave to the people here...I have never winterized anything...I just start it every week or so, let it run to full operating temp, run through the gears (if you have a center stand) to get everything wet, and ride it a bit when the weather allows.

Never had any problems this way.

But if you HAVE to leave it alone for a long time, I'd suggest at least Stabil in the gas (runs through to get it into the carbs) and removing the battery and putting it on a trickle charger with auto shutoff...

Oh and full tank, to prevent internal rust...

 

full tank. fired up once a month. all i ever done. leaving fuel switch turned on or prime so i don' t have to crank the crap out of it waiting for fuel to start flowing into the carbs again.

i guess that's one advantage about suzi having a fuel pump.

 

It can be as complicated or simple as you make it. Everyone has different was of doing things. I don't let my bikes sit long enough to warrant a storage setup. I do for other engines I have.
Fuel stabilizer-- if you leave fuel in your bike use it, Better yet drain all fuel and run the carbs dry.
Don't store your bike outside in the elements, keep it inside if possible or get a good quality cover.
Battery--if you have a garage then leave it in and disconnect the + wire. If the bike is outside then take the battery out, don't want it to freeze. Keep it somewhere so it does not freeze and put a battery tender on it if you have one.
Some folks like to use fogging oil in the cylinders, I don't use it. Its only for a couple of months. If I was storing for a long time then it would be different.
Thats all I do. In the spring time put the battery in and fresh fuel, it should start right up.

 

I wouldn't leave an XJ on prime. If you have a float leak you'll get a crankcase full of gas.

You can use Prime for a minute or two before you start it to refill the bowls.

 

My man!

Ever have one of your Intruder's carbs get stuck after a long period without running? That's a common Intruder malady. That pump only feeds one carb, because it won't gravity feed, IIRC. Lotta times the other won't feed fuel after it's been sitting a while, and it goes one lung on you.

A little Seafoam in the tank, a little tap on the bowl with a plastic implement, all's well again.

Hey, did you get my PM?

 

I was doing a little more thinking, since you didn't say exactly how or where you'd be storing the bike...if inside, on a concrete floor, you got it made. Even better if temp controlled.

But if outside, under a cover, you HAVE to get a breathable cover...many people make the mistake of thinking sheet plastic or something like that will work just as well...WRONG.

What this does is create a moisture tent, as the ground under it never dries and every time the sun comes out, it turns it into a high humidity oven under there, and your chrome, paint, and electrics go to hell, fast.

You are actually better off with no cover if a breathable is not an option. At least it will dry after it gets wet. Under plastic, it is perpetually wet.

I stored a bike at a friend's house for one winter when I was driving big trucks over the road, I knew I wouldn't be able to start or ride it. I explained all this, but at some point he needed to put it outside because he needed the floor space in his garage...I told him if that happened, to leave it out uncovered.

He thought he was doing me a favor, and covered it anyway, with clear plastic sheeting with bricks holding it down on the ground.

I could have killed him.

My chrome was all pitted to hell, and none of my switches worked right. Took me days of detailing with Never-Dull to get the rust worked out, and had to clean all the contacts, plugs, fusebox, switches, etc before everything worked right again. Grr.

 

I'll assume Yanni is storing for 6 months in a covered area/shed.
Oil change first, and circulate the new oil, along with fuel stabilizer if you're leaving the tank (full) on the bike.
Drain carbs. (there's no advantage to keeping the carbs wet, except if you want to start the bike in storage, which again, isn't recommended.)
Oil down all 4 plug holes, about 20CC. old plugs back in.
Battery inside, on tender.
Spray the whole bike down with WD-40 and furniture polish.
Clean the mess up in the spring.
If you want to get fancy with the tank- - completely drain with a siphon in a corner (tank on end) add a pint of oil, slosh around to wet all surfaces, let it de-fume for a few hours in the sun, wrap in a blanket and store inside.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/winterize.htm
http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum ... cycle.html

 

i'd think an empty tank sitting in the winter with all that moisture in the air would cause rust.

some peeps say full, others say empty.

batteries don't freeze unless they are dead. battery acid turns to water as it is discharged. so leaving on a battery floater would be a good idea.

i found a chart on google couple years back. i think it was like this.

12.60 V. fully charged freezes at -75.
12.45 V. 3/4 charged freezes at -45.
12.30 V. 1/2 charged freezes at -20.
12.15 V. 1/4 charged freezes at +5.
12.00 V. NO charge freezes at +32.

here's an article discussing this particular eletrolyte. second column down it says electrolyte freezing. a cell with 1.000 specific gravity will freeze at 32 degrees. a cell with 1.280 specific gravity will freeze at -95 degrees.

http://www.cdtechno.com/custserv/pdf/7953.pdf

 

nope, no pm.

the fuel pump feeds the bottom back carb. and the top front carb at the same time. the top carb connects to the bottom carb. the bottom carb has a T connector. the longest it sat was 2 weeks. this is my first vtwin cruiser so it'll be interesting to see what happens over the winter. although, the bike did sit for 10 years before i got it. and she pretty much fired right up for having 10 year old fuel. albeit running like crap.

everybody has there own way of storing bikes. people up north have more critical procedures then the people down south. and not everyone has a garage.

in my state. bikes don't usually sit for 6 straight months. most will get antsy by january and will catch a ride on the first 50+ day before the weather gets cold again.

 

Stabilizer in the gas, on the center stand, cover on until winter is over. Usually starts on second crank.

 

Winter time can be hard on these bikes for sure when its sub-zero out in the garage.

The Yamaha (The Hitching Post) shop here recomends:

Change the oil and filter.
Drain the tank and fog the inside with cylinder fogging oil:
Drain the carbs and leave drain screws open.
Remove the spark plugs and fog the cylinders.
Lube all of your cables.
Place bike on center stand.
Remove battery and keep in the house where its warm and put a battery tender on it from time to time.
Bring the seat in also so the vinyl doesn't crack from freezing.
Put wax on all painted surfaces and Clean and polish chrome.
Replace the brake fluid so the fresh fluid to keep moisture to a minimum.
Put oil soaked rags in the exhaust.
Cover the bike and hope winter is not too long.

MN

 

TIME and MN gave the best lists; my practices only vary in that:

I have never drained a fuel tank, just made sure they were 100% full and used Sta-Bil. Same for the carbs, I leave them full of treated fuel, and drain them in the spring as part of the wakeup process.

Cylinders should be fogged or oiled.

Remove the battery and take it somewhere it can't freeze; ok it's not supposed to but if it does, and bursts, you have some nasty damage on your hands. Your seat won't crack from freezing unless you sit on it while it's froze.

I don't use WD40 on the exposed metal, and here's why: If you DO get some serious condensation a couple of times, it will react with the water and leave milky stains that are a pain to remove. Use a penetrant, like PB Blaster or JB80 or the like.

Throw an old sheet over it so it can still breathe, don't use a plastic tarp. (Assuming it's going to be inside.)

If resourceful mice inhabit your garage as they do mine, roll up a rag and stuff it in the air intake so you don't end up with a mouse nest in your airbox. (Or exhaust collector, another reason to plug the pipes.)

 

I've never used a fuel stabilizer. When you mix to the concentration that they recommend for storage (as opposed to using a little with every fill), do you need to drain and discard that full tank of fuel in the spring?

 

According to StaBil, you burn the old, stabilized gas.
But an Ounce of prevention. . . or 4 gallons, is potentially worth a 10 hour carb session. How long does it take to drain, then re-fill a tank ??

From my experience, carbs stored "wet" in Florida's heat dry up, leaving dry gas residue.

 

Little different situation here in MN where it gets colder than various body parts on Christine O-Donnell.

It's not the time that I'm concerned about. It just seems like a shame to waste $12 worth of fuel if it isn't necessary. There's also the hassle of disposing of it.

 

It gets pretty damn cold her in Oklahoma (nothing compared to where you are) but I try to start the bike at least once every week to 10 days. Keep the fuel fresh in the bowl and no issues, also you might want to throw in some stabil with the fuel. If you really want to do a thorugh job, run the carbs dry and then pull the carbs and block off your fuel lines. I've heard guys say to keep the tank full to prevent moisture and rust from developing.

 

Starting the bike periodically while in storage is NOT a good idea and here's why:

Incomplete combustion (and a cold motor) produce a lot of condensation. Unless you take the bike out and ride it 40 miles to completely dry out the inside of the exhaust collector and mufflers, and get the oil hot enough to get rid of any moisture in the sump, you're just asking for trouble long term. Warming it up in the garage for 10 minutes don't cut it.

I've used Sta-Bil for years, and have always gone ahead and used up the tank of stabilized gas in the spring with no ill results.

After joining XJBikes, and listening to all of the glowing testimonials, I switched to SeaFoam for one season. Running through those tanks of treated fuel (multiple bikes, remember) was no fun.

I'm back on Sta-Bil. Use the recommended concentration for storage, and I really am a firm believer in leaving the carbs full of treated gas (but draining the float bowls in the spring.) But it gets pretty darn cold here in MI too.

 

This is pretty much the approach I had already decided to take. Glad to know I can run that treated fuel in the spring. Thanks!

 

Cool. Go back and read TIME's advice and my response to that (adjustments because we're where it gets cold and he's in Fla) and you're good to go. Sta-Bil is good stuff; vintage car guys swear by it.

Don't get me started on SeaFoam. (Sorry all you SeaFoam fans, don't start a flaming session.)

 

On both bikes, I add Seafoam to the gas and run it to get it thru the carbs, and make sure the tank is topped off with fuel, so it won't rust. The batteries stay in my bikes, but get hooked to a flat charger to keep them fully charged. My bikes are kept inside and bateries kept charged , won't freeze (even here in Minnesota) Does your car battery freeze when it sits outside at -30? No.
If I do run the engines over the winter, I make sure I ride them and get the exhaust good and hot so there is no condensation to rust them from the inside (common problem)
I shut off the petcock just incase there is a slight leak in it. I don't want to find a crank case deluted with gas in the spring.

 

Does draining the bowls for winter affect any of the rubber parts?

 

I guess you've never had this happen but it certainly does. Ask any tow truck operator in St. Cloud. If the battery stays charged it won't, but if it goes dead and there's enough water mixed with acid it will. That's what those little battery testers are for, to determine what temp the battery can survive based on the ratio of water to acid.

Then what do you do to get the salt cleaned off?

 

If the roads are salty, I rinse and wipe. Takes about 10 mins.

In addition to keeping the tank full, using a little bit stabil and periodically using the Schumacher charger...I try to identify the warmer days of the week and run her around for at least 20 mins or until my fingers start to freeze.

 

Baytonemus,
I keep the batteries fully charged at all times, so there's no worry with them freezing.
People run their batteries down trying to start the vehicle in sub-zero temps and don't bother to re-charge it for various reasons. That's when it suseptable to freezing. That's what happens while waiting for the tow truck to arrive during their busy season. Some people have to learn the hard way I guess.
Riding during the winter months is not all it cracked up to be. It's not the cold that's the issue, I have that covered. It's finding the right roads to ride on. Usually January ad February are the worst months to ride in. The salt on the roads is an issue, so finding clear roads to ride on can be a challenge, especially during the past two years. I used to ride every month of the year when the weather permitted, but the last two years around here were not good and the bikes stayed parked for a couple months.
I glued a temporary mud flap on the bottom of the front fender to keep the salt off the pipes, engine and frame so cleaning salt off was a bit easier. Live and learn.

 

Average January high and lows temps in...
Lancaster, PA: 37°, 21°
Where I live in northern MN: 16°, -2°

Once the garden hoses are unhooked, blown out, and put away for the winter here, they don't come out again until spring. Pouring water on the driveway is also generally unpopular during this season.

 

You are a braver man than me, my friend...

...OR, you're completely insane. I can't tell yet. Just stay warm and be careful! Today and tomorrow should be pretty nice days to ride here. We're very lucky to have upper 50s at this time of year. That will be the end for me, though.

 

You guys are definitely hardcore. I found my number at around 25F last year...and that's just putting around town (no freeway speeds). Put my hands on the engine at every stoplight. Riding wasn't as fun or maybe the needle moved with aging (aka increased wussiness).

I always feel bad listening to any engine beat itself to death for the first couple revs in Jan here (even though I'm in banana-belt metro latitude).

What I was wondering about was whether the running and the cooling fostered more condensation than just leaving it alone. I think I have my answer (and a new minimum of 40 miles) to shoot for this winter.

 

Today was the first day I needed a jacket.

Now where did I put my gloves??

 

Tenant in North Port said it was dipping down below 50. I would still prefer to Winter in FL than here=more riding.

 

Heated grips are always welcome in this kind of weather. If my hands freeze, it's time to park it (not safe not having full control)
It supposed to get close to 60 today. I will be out and about for sure.