Winter storage

[jim oneill]

I,ll be ending my riding for this year this weekend and putting the bike away until March. In past years I,ve simply let the bike sit attached to the battery tender for 3 months in the garage and just started it occasionally during that period. I,ve never added anything to the gas or made any other considerations. I,ve never had any problems starting up again in March. How many out there do the same thing? I ask because I always read about these folks who go to great lengths adding gas treatments etc prior to winter storage. Just what is the "accepted" winter storage protocol?

 

[ionbeam]

Click on the Advanced Search icon in the upper right corner of the page, just to the right of the magnifying glass. Type in or copy/paste "winter storage" be sure to use the full double quotes. Be sure Forums is clicked and not Help Files or Members, click on Search Now. This should yield three pages of hits. Start with the oldest on page three. Not every thread will be totally about winter storage, read the thread titles.

 

[RaYzerman19]

First of all, never start your bike in the winter as it will cause condensation in your oil and exhaust systems. Just leave it off. Gasoline should not deteriorate significantly in 3 months, but having some Seafoam (or stabilizer plus a touch of gas line antifreeze/methyl hydrate)will take care of any condensation. Some will say to have a fresh oil change before you put it away, so residual acids aren't at work all winter. A bit of Seafoam in the oil won't hurt either (note Seafoam has alcohol in it to absorb condensation).

Storage should be in an area that does not have big temperature swings over the season, and my preference is on the center stand with a bit of plywood between the tires and the floor.

 

[Ack535]

I,ll be ending my riding for this year this weekend and putting the bike away until March. In past years I,ve simply let the bike sit attached to the battery tender for 3 months in the garage and just started it occasionally during that period. I,ve never added anything to the gas or made any other considerations. I,ve never had any problems starting up again in March. How many out there do the same thing? I ask because I always read about these folks who go to great lengths adding gas treatments etc prior to winter storage. Just what is the "accepted" winter storage protocol?

Here is what I do:

1. Put "Stabil" in your gas tank.

2. Fill up the tank completely (mixes in stabil).

3. Change oil and filter (old oil becomes acidic).

4. Put on battery tender.

5. Start bike once per month and let it warm up completely.

6. Make sure your coolant is fresh and meets specs.

I do ride my FJR periodically throughout the winter, which accomplishes the periodic warm up.

Pete

 

[na1g]

"Gasoline should not deteriorate significantly in three months..."

Actually, it starts to deteriorate immediately. Whether it will deteriorate enough in three months to cause problems is questionable, but not worth the risk. The man who sold me a snow blower last month recommended not using gas more than one month old if it doesn't have stabilizer. The ethanol used in most of the country's gasoline is the villain. StaBil fuel stabilizer now has a product for ethanol-containing fuels. There are others and Seafoam comes highly recommended.

So when it's bedtime for the bike, I put the recommended dose of stabilizer in the tank, fill it up, run it until warm, change the oil and filter, shed a tear or two, and throw an old bed sheet over it. See ya in March, Blackie. Winter sucks.

pete (re-pete?)

 

[72Duster340]

Gasoline with ethanol added does breakdown in storage. This has been a problem with marine fuels which had the ethanol about one year before "road" gasoline, if the marina was buying marine grade fuels. My brother has a boat and started using a product called Startron(www.startron.com) and has never had a problem. Where some of the boats on his dock had major fuel system issues because of the fuel seperating during storage. One owner actually sold his boat because he was having so many problems. I have used this product also in my FJRand it seems to work well. My local Yamaha dealer also sells it in their parts deptartment and at the service desk. Also you don't need to add drygas to a fuel that is already 10% alcohol.

 

[Afast03nNJ]

Step 1

Park it

Step 2

Cover it

Step 3

Say goodbye

A season of sitting isn't going to hurt anything.

A good battery will be fine in 3 months, no need to tend it when your not riding it.

Put the tender on a week before you take it out of storage.

 

[RaYzerman19]

You guys are right about the ethanol.... I don't see much of that problem up here. I have heard for lawn equipment and chain saws, ethanol-free gas is necessary/highly recommended. I use Seafoam or a stabilizer anyway.

Afast03nNJ, sorry to disagree with you. If you've read anything on batteries you'll know. All lead-acid batteries should be kept at full charge. A battery is 50% discharged at around 12.3 volts, and the experts say if that happens 5-6 times, your battery's remaining life is significantly compromised. This doesn't take very long, and the longer the discharge state, the worse it is.

 

[Afast03nNJ]

Afast03nNJ, sorry to disagree with you.

You can disagree with me, but you can't prove me wrong either. Been riding for over 25 years, I don't own a battery tender and every bike I've ever owned sat all winter (NJ) and started right up in the spring. The O.E. battery in my 03 lasted 7 years. My 89 FJ1200 O.E. battery lasted 8 years, a fluke perhaps, but it never let me down.

My buddy has a Vette and an R1, both are kept on a tender all winter and when the're not used. He has never had a battery last more then 3 years.

You can't tell me that the tender isn't causing them to fail prematurely???

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a battery in any vehicle I've ever owned last any less then 5+ years.

 

[Robert Ford]

I'm probably a bit anal, but my procedure is:

Take a final one or two hour ride

Add Stabil and fill the tank.

Remove that battery and store it in the basement

Change the oil and filter

Throw an old bed sheet over the bike until temps hit the 40's again

 

[Tree Doc]

Gasoline with ethanol added does breakdown in storage. This has been a problem with marine fuels which had the ethanol about one year before "road" gasoline, if the marina was buying marine grade fuels. My brother has a boat and started using a product called Startron(www.startron.com) and has never had a problem. Where some of the boats on his dock had major fuel system issues because of the fuel seperating during storage. One owner actually sold his boat because he was having so many problems. I have used this product also in my FJRand it seems to work well. My local Yamaha dealer also sells it in their parts deptartment and at the service desk. Also you don't need to add drygas to a fuel that is already 10% alcohol.

This^^

I have a 150 gallon tank in my Boston Whaler and I run Startron in it exclusively. I also put it in all my equipment fuels where the equipment may experience a delay in fuel consumption. The stuff WORKS! This E10 fuel is ****, these days.

You can buy Startron at Wal Mart for about $8 a bottle and it treat 123 gallons. It's ONLY in the Marine Section, not the automotive section. So far they only seem to carry the Gasoline version but Startron makes a very good product for diesel application, too. It prevents the growth of algae with an enzyme and also helps with water absorption.

 

[RadioHowie]

Best "winter" treatment?

Just ride the damn thing.

 

[mcatrophy]

Best "winter" treatment?

Just ride the damn thing.

I would, but the d*mn*d local council don't salt my road, it's covered in ice.

Yes, I've got sliders, but I don't really want to practise using them.

 

[blassoff]

Of course the cat from Florida says just ride it.

I ride throughout the winter, but it's possible that the bike will sit for three or four weeks (until the snow clears and the salt is washed away).

I use seafoam during the winter months just in case the bike sits longer than I want it to. The bike is always on a tender. The last time I didn't use the tender (I was off the bike for a couple of weeks) and found my battery under 12 volts. It hasn't been off the tender since.

If you're gonna park it till March, put the battery onna tender, add some fuel stabilizer, change the oil, cover it and kiss it goodnight.

That's my $.02....I could be wrong

 

[jim oneill]

Best "winter" treatment?

Just ride the damn thing.

Thats fine if you live in Florida!

 

[RadioHowie]

Best "winter" treatment?

Just ride the damn thing.

Thats fine if you live in Florida!

So, assuming you count winter from 12/01 to 3/31, you can't find a day here or there to ride your bike in a 121 day period???

Seriously --- not even a few days in there where you can ride?

It's been over 50 years since I lived "up north" so I don't remember how unrideable the roads were around Philly, where I was born.

121 days without a few "rideable" days? ****, I'd kill myself!

 

[CrabbyJack]

Best "winter" treatment?

Just ride the damn thing.

Thats fine if you live in Florida!

So far this year I've had to fix 2 weed wackers, a log splitter, a chipper/shredder, 2 snowmobiles, and a snowblower due to ethanol in gas problems. Here' what I've found to prevent problems after storage, which in my FJR's case is about 5 months, not the OP's 3.

Fill the tank with ethanol free premium. It's available, but you have to look for it. I treat the gas with Stabil or SeaFoam and then I ride it for an hour or 2. I then drain it with a siphon house, start the engine and let it die from fuel starvation. I fog the tank with fogging oil, remove the battery and store it somewhere warm. I also put the battery on a tender every couple of weeks or so through the winter. Cover the motorcycle with a good cover and leave it in the unheated garage. In spring, I just put fresh gas in it, install the battery before I ride it for a couple of hours, then change the oil.

CrabbyJack

 

[Papa Georgio]

Don't call me anel, but here we go Fresh oil and filter, stabil in full tank, wash and wax, on center stand and battery plugged into tender.Now I can cover and try to time to do all of the other maintenance that I did not get done during my riding season.

 

[ionbeam]

So, assuming you count winter from 12/01 to 3/31, you can't find a day here or there to ride your bike in a 121 day period???

Seriously --- not even a few days in there where you can ride?

It's been over 50 years since I lived "up north" so I don't remember how unrideable the roads were around Philly, where I was born.

121 days without a few "rideable" days? ****, I'd kill myself!

If it isn't the bone breaking cold, it is the:

Ice

Or, snow

And, if it isn't the ice or snow it is the salt and sand that they use to treat the roads for ice and snow.

I send my FJR to bed for a long winter's nap as soon as salt, sand, ice or snow covers the roads. My FJR gets oil, filter, full tank with a stabilizer, periodic tender, cover, coolant check with a hydrometer, center stand with a board under the front wheel to prevent contact with the concrete, I rotate the front tire a bit every time I tender the battery to prevent flat-spotting, and every now and again I have to sit on it and make varoom, varoom noises A good fall/winter will let me ride until January. A good winter/spring will let me ride again in March. A typical year will have me off by early December and back on in late April.