Knowing Better

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Sikter said:
About a decade ago, there was a sunny and dry (15c) New Year Day. That's when I realizing that winterizing is counterproductive, invested in some heated gear and started riding year around. It's in a heated garage, connected to a Battery Tender and with a tank full of Ultramar Premium (no alcohol), ready to roll on a whim. Since that day, my bikes haven't sat for more than a couple of weeks without being ridden, even in the middle of winter. I know it's going to start and run in the spring because I ride it regularly, down to about -10c.
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I remember that day. I went for a ride and I could feel salt grit in my teeth as I was grinning how great to be out riding.
I worry about leaving the bike with salt dust all over it until spring.
I change the oil and filter in the bike and lawnmower at the end of the season too.
 
GreyGhost said:
I do them at the end. Imo, better to get the acid and water out before it sits for a while. Also makes it easy to fire it up and go riding with no reservations that maybe I should be doing maintenance instead. In the grand scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter. Very few bikes that get regular maintenance in Ontario die because of engine wear/corrosion.
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Ditto on the oil. Then a shot of stabilizer in a full tank and plug in the battery tender, leaving the battery in place. With the Sportster I drained the carb.

The boat engine got fogged. The marina did everything else.
 
Never really understood not winterizing thing.

I have a motorcycle because I like riding it, so I don't count riding to and from the gas station as taking any "working" time.
I would have to pump the gas in the tank anyway, so I don't count filling it as any working time.
I would check and inflate my tires, so that's no added time either.

So far have we really done anything we wouldn't do anyway just out of, you know, being a responsible person who takes care of their ****?

So what's left?

I guess putting fuel stabilizer in takes about 8 seconds, maybe 18 seconds if I have to order a bottle and have amazon deliver it by morning.

My garage has a dozen outlets in it, my bikes can never be further than 6 ft from an outlet, and they all have pig tails, so plugging them in is another 8 seconds. But typically, I plug in my bikes any time I don't know when my next ride will be anyway.

So this whole winterization thing, people avoid it, to save 8 to 26 seconds? You spent longer reading this. Just take care of your children instead of being a negligent father, if not for their sake, than for my sake when I buy your used bike from you and want to know if it's been looked after lol
 
adri said:
Never really understood not winterizing thing.

I have a motorcycle because I like riding it, so I don't count riding to and from the gas station as taking any "working" time.
I would have to pump the gas in the tank anyway, so I don't count filling it as any working time.
I would check and inflate my tires, so that's no added time either.

So far have we really done anything we wouldn't do anyway just out of, you know, being a responsible person who takes care of their ****?

So what's left?

I guess putting fuel stabilizer in takes about 8 seconds, maybe 18 seconds if I have to order a bottle and have amazon deliver it by morning.

My garage has a dozen outlets in it, my bikes can never be further than 6 ft from an outlet, and they all have pig tails, so plugging them in is another 8 seconds. But typically, I plug in my bikes any time I don't know when my next ride will be anyway.

So this whole winterization thing, people avoid it, to save 8 to 26 seconds? You spent longer reading this. Just take care of your children instead of being a negligent father, if not for their sake, than for my sake when I buy your used bike from you and want to know if it's been looked after lol
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Your idea of winterizing is basically the same as mine - do nothing out of the ordinary. The only difference I see is the use of fuel stabilizer, which in my experience with fuel injected motors (both cars and bikes) makes no difference for such short term storage. My M3 was last filled up in 2018, and it still starts fine on the gas in the tank, although this year it is starting to sound a little rough and I'll be draining the tank to use in my mower. But that's 7 years, nevermind 3 months.
 
Now if you have carbs, that's a diffrerent story, and why my Hawk is the only non-injected bike in my stable. I'd make one more exception for an oil-cooled GSX-R.
 
sburns said:
Past 2 years I have done nothing but park the bike. No tender, swapping gas etc. Always try to take advantage of those mild winter days.

Oh BTW Sunday is looking pretty good!
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I’ve always just parked my bikes with a full tank, no hibernation procedures.

Start them up once a month, let them run on till warmed up to replenish the charge that comes off a cold start. I look forward to for the sound and smell.

The bikes are always ready.

This will be the first year I winterized a bike, but that because I left my vstrom at my summer place in Northern Ontario - zero chance of riding from mid Nov till April and the garage goes down below -20 days on end - cold enough to freeze a bike battery.
 
Relax said:
Your idea of winterizing is basically the same as mine - do nothing out of the ordinary. The only difference I see is the use of fuel stabilizer, which in my experience with fuel injected motors (both cars and bikes) makes no difference for such short term storage. My M3 was last filled up in 2018, and it still starts fine on the gas in the tank, although this year it is starting to sound a little rough and I'll be draining the tank to use in my mower. But that's 7 years, nevermind 3 months.
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I do agree with fuel stabilizers, particularly with carbed motors. I’ve used them in my small engines (lawnmower,wood chipper and pressure washer for years. Stabiles have antioxidants and anti corrosion additives that help keep small carb free of gums and corrosion.

I haven’t needed to clean carbs on my GL1000, wood chipper, lawnmowers or pressure washer in over 10 years.
 
I run 91 oct non-eth marine fuel in all my small engines. Anything 4cyl I top the tanks and park (will run carb dry if there's a fuel shutoff like genny and snowblower). Anything 2cyl I empty the tank and run dry.
Stopped using stabil a few years back. Everything gets stored indoors.
After a bunch of YT vids back and forth about carb machines to run dry or not it's either seals dry up or seals stick together blah blah. This year I'm not doing anything for the 2cyl other than toping up the tanks.
I'll empty the dirtbike's tank to help keep it from yellowing and run dry but I'm not bothering to empty the bowl this time. Unless I get some good Fall hours on it soon I'm not going to change the oil either as it's well under the interval for hours.
Lawn tractor isn't getting an oil change either as it's got full syn coming up to a year old but with no rain this Summer it didn't get many hours.
Not being lazy, I just think some of the "Winter" maintenance is unnecessary. I'll pull batteries on anything with them though.
 
Hmmm? Should i bring the dragonfly's battery inside, or just leave it?
 
Wingboy said:
Hmmm? Should i bring the dragonfly's battery inside, or just leave it?
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I have mine on a trickle charger all the time. The battery is an AGM finishing the 9th year. I am going to order another one in the Spring as I think I am on borrowed time. As long as they are fully charged or charging, I think you are okay. Mine is an unheated garage.

Went for a ride yesterday and added Stabil just in case it might be the last ride. Usually I use SeaFoam, but this old bottle of Stabil should be used up. I wonder if there is stabilizer for Stabil :geek:
 
My OCD has me getting the bike up on stands to get the tires off the ground with bonus points if the stand unloads the suspension.
 
Gaoler said:
But...
Doing that loads the suspension the other way doesn't it...
It's left hanging...!
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Not sure what the problem is?

The fine denizens of the Dirty 'Shwa have been storing their vehicles this way for generations now...

red_neck_car.jpg
 
I haven't ridden my GSX-R 1000 that I bought from Clint McBain since 2018.

Last week I put a battery on it, disconnected the fuel line to be safe, and it turned over like I'd ridden it yesterday. Yeah, I'm a cad, but I had a few rough years and also Covid-19 horse@#$& to deal with.

Other than either dumping fuel or filling the tank full (depending on tank composition) and not keeping heavily-used oil in the bike, I do believe that winter preparations are over-billed.
 
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