Winterization

It is a sad time for us in the great mid west putting our pride and joy away for the winter . This is my usual process sure others have their own.
1. Change oil and filter.
2. Fill tank with fresh fuel ( preferable if you can find it non ethonol fuel).
3. I use a 50/50 mix of stabil and Marvel Mystry oil 10oz of each..the oil keeps tank from rusting.
4. Air tires up to proper pressure .
5. Wash and wax bike .
6. I put my bike on the center stand .
7. Put something in the exhaust pipe in a pinch paper towel, just Remember to remove before starting .
8. Hook up a battery tender , before doing so make sure battery is fully charged and level is full.
9. Make sure master cylinder is full and fluid is fresh .
10. Every couple of weeks cycle the brake lever ....this will move fluid and hopefully keep the fluid from gumming up in caliper.
11. Check all the lights ...simple but will need checked in spring .
12. If you have one cover bike up , in a pinch a large blanket or couple of large towels will do in a pinch.
13. I usually start bike up at least once a month letting bike heat up for about 15 minutes.
14. Another thing you could pull the fuel line off of petcock, drain the float bowl and pour some of the 50/50 mix down fuel line , this ensures fuel is not in carb . But you will have to drain the bowls when you start it up .

These are a few of the things I do to winterize cheers .

 

Step 13 is always a questionable. Some say starting the bike for 15 minutes is not enough time to get all the moisture out of the oil. This causes more harm than good. I like to put some oil down each cylinder with a cold engine then turn the engine over by hand to spread the oil. I also plug the exhaust but use a plastic plug or a wine cork. Why give the mice bedding material with paper towel. Nice wright up.

 

Every year we have threads about winterizing our bikes. We need the moderator to pin this so it all in one spot. Thanks

 

seal off the air filter intake hole to keep rodents out. if you plan on starting bike some aluminum window screen for a cover
socks over muffler tips put 1 sock on add a piece of metal screen then cover with another sock.
you will see if anything is trying to get in
would also lube the cables

 

I was wondering about If i should fill the tank all the way, add the stabil and oil and then ride it around a bit before hanging it up?

 

I'm sure there's lots of discussion about this elsewhere on the forum, but... I always run the bike for a few minutes after filling the tank and adding Stabil. That way the treated fuel gets into the carbs, helping prevent any ethanol-based fuel from "gelling" in the float bowls during storage. I've seen that happen, and cleanup is not fun.
Having said that, any fuel in my float bowls has typically evaporated come spring. But it's the treated fuel that has evaporated, so I feel better about what might be (or rather what might not be) left behind in the bottom of the bowls. That means I also wait to change the oil and filter until AFTER I fill the tank with fuel and Stabil and run it for a few minutes. After the oil change, I don't start up the bike again until I ride it in the spring (once the salt is washed off the NE Ohio roads). It's just always stuck with me that acids are created in the fresh oil during combustion, and I guess I wait to start that process until I'm actually riding four or so months later. It's not something I lose sleep over though. Last year I didn't even change the oil when I put it away for the winter. (Gasp!)

 

Wow. You guys put a lot more thought into winter storage than I have. Then again, I don't store my bikes for long because I ride on and off through the winter (yes, in the Chicago area--I had a streak of getting out at least once each calendar month from December 1978 through September 2016, when I finally had to take a few months off after rotator cuff surgery). The trick is to get out long enough to get the oil nice and hot.

The XJ has been the exception, as it's not equipped for winter riding (no heated grips or socket for my electric vest). My approach on this bike was to ceremonially finish the season by taking it for a nice long ride, get the oil nice and hot and mostly empty the gas tank. Change the oil, then ride to the gas station to dump Sta-Bil in the tank and fill it up. Ride home (assuring the Sta-Bil has made it to the carbs), run the bike till it stalls. In the past I have drained the carbs when I parked it. This year I ended up taking it for one more ride because we had some really nice weather... then I had to pull the carbs when I got home because #1 was overflowing. I found a piece of rubber fuel hose in the passage above the float valve; it must have propped the valve open. So the carbs are "drained," just not in the way I intended!

 

I’ve never understood the concept of "putting a bike away for the winter." It's like asking a fish to take a vacation from water. For me, it really just comes down to one thing: how much you truly love to ride.

There’s a special kind of zen that comes from riding when most sane people are tucked away indoors. The roads are quieter, the air is crisp, and every mile feels earned, a testament to an enduring passion.

These days, as the mercury dips, one bike in particular tends to roll out more often than the others: my trusty ’74 Honda CB550. It's a classic, with the soul of a bygone era, and crucially, she’s got a big, beautiful National Cycle Plexi-fairing that I can install to ward off the worst of the cold and damp. That wind protection makes all the difference when the winter bite really sets in. It’s not just about staying warm; it’s about extending the season, about refusing to let the elements dictate my joy.



The truth is, as I’m approaching 70 years old, those winters do seem a little longer, and a good deal colder, to these old bones. The grit is still there, the passion burns as brightly as ever, but I’ve learned to appreciate the comforts where I can find them.

Riding through the winter isn't for everyone, and that's perfectly fine. But for those of us who feel that undeniable pull, who believe that every day is a riding day if you're dressed for it, there’s no better feeling. It’s a reminder that age is just a number, and the open road, even a chilly one, is always calling.

 

1974 CB550? Interesting. I had a '75 500 Four in the mid-90s, a bike that became mine after it was stored in my garage for a couple years (just long enough to crud up the carbs):


Unfortunately, much of that hair has turned into gut in the last thirty years.

It was a fun bike for a summer. Poor thing had been ridden a few thousand miles by a guy who put looong forks on it and promptly crashed it. He gave it to my brother in payment for an automotive repair. My brother restored it to stock and repainted it that nice blue color, then he didn't ride it for several years. At one point he stored it "temporarily" in my garage. After a couple more years he handed me the title. Oddly like the way I got my XJ, really--friend received it in payment for a computer, then it sat in his garage for twenty years, then he gave it to me. Apparently Fate wants me to spend some time cleaning carburetors, penance for something I did in a past life. I only kept the bike a year or so. The seat was completely rotten, so rather than trying to fix it I picked up the front half of a two-piece seat intended for a Harley Dyna. It had that nice Brit-style cafe hump on the back when run as a solo. Got a good deal because it was from an indy shop who had ordered it by mistake. I took it on a trip to LaCrosse and back (300-350 miles each way) and it ran just great. I eventually sold it to a guy who was pretty much broke and needed transportation to and from work. I figured he needed transportation more than I needed a fourth bike in the garage. I do kinda wish I hadn't sold it with that nifty Tracy Design fairing; it would look great on my XJ!

As for winter... last week on my Himalayan, testing out the new, larger windshield:

 

There are no bad days to ride..... just some are much better than others.

 

Winter does not bother me, just watch for the black ice. Keep safe all.