| Author | Message | ||
     Xbeau12s |
Well - it's snowing here and I actually was sad putting my XB in the garage. I can't wait to snowboard but I have became very infatuated with this piece of machinery. I am going to put that fuel stuff (can't remember the name) in my tank and I had a question. Do you add it to a full tank of gas? It probably says on the bottle but I always trust badweb. What else should I do for Winter storage besides dream about riding in the Spring! Thanks everyone! | ||
| Rhun |
Most sources say use a full thank to minimize condensation. And then throw the gas out in the summer. Although my bike is garaged I just add to whatever is in there then ride maybe adding fresh maybe not when the weather gets better. When I used to boat I'd usually run the tank close to dry add Stabill then in the summer add a little carb cleaner and a can of heat along with several gallons of fresh gas. Never had any problems with two stroke or four carbed or injected. The longer you want Stabil to stabilize your gas the more you have to use. | ||
| Xbeau12s |
Ok. What about oil. Should I change it before it sits or change it right after storage to get rid of condensation? | ||
| Midknyte |
You want to add it to a full take to minimize the opportunity for oxidation of the tank also. Slosh it around a bit by [carefully] rocking your bike from side to side (although the vibes from running as follows is probably more than enough) and then run the bike for a few minutes to allow the "Stabil"-ized gas to work its way thru the system - good gas in the tank is no good if the gas in the lines and the engine goes funky, you're still screwed. For condensation concerns, I like to add some Heet to my tank in the spring after I've gone thru a fill-up or three (to get rid of the Stabil'ed gas first). Don't forget a battery tender too. | ||
| Midknyte |
Ok. What about oil. That should be changed before/when you shut it down for the season so that any acidity of/in the oil does not sit in the works. | ||
| Nutsnbolt |
STA-BIL, change the oil, either tender the battery or if you unhook the battery, vaseline the points. I also (when i lived in Nebraska) used to put it up on stands if possible. If not, no biggy, i guess. The flux between cold and warm at times in the winter which is sometimes unpredictable plus weight can mess with the tyres. Plus, if it's up you can just go and tinker with it during the long winters and look at it as advancing the project a bit further. I used to wonder why all the good car shows were in the Mid West. The answer, long winters. Mark | ||
| Irideabuell |
What else should I do for Winter storage besides dream about riding in the Spring! Thanks everyone! Move to Florida! | ||
| Chainsaw |
Move to Florida! I've yet to winterize a bike here in Colorado. I ride year 'round in Denver and we average 60 inches of snow a year. Heck, I rode home in the snow on Tuesday!  Roads are normally passible by bike just a day or two after a storm. A short commute and heated gear is a plus! Foul weather puts me in my truck maybe 4 weeks total out of the year. Gotta love 50+ MPG on the bikes. | ||
| Starter |
Winterise????? That when I put the quilted vest back in my jacket and start using leather gloves  Couldn't resist...... | ||
| Fullpower |
I wore my Electric vest on my ride to work this morning. It was dark when I started at 0750 AM, and a warm rain was starting. I think it's up in the mid forties this afternoon. Not too bad for october around here. looks like an El Nino year. | ||
| Dpoole |
Cleveland doesn't need to winterize. Might not ride every day, or even every week, but often enough that it doesn't make sense to have the bike out of commission when it hits 50 degrees and sunny in mid-January. Went riding last New Years Day... | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
I miss living in Denver, but I sure do like being able to ride year round here in Houston! The downside is riding leathers in 100+ heat during the summer. )-: Non-motorcyclists look at me like I'm nuts when I walk into the grocery store for a loaf of bread in full riding gear sweating bullets. LOL! | ||
| Cycleaddict |
o.k. why not use a battery "tender" to keep the battery up and "start" the motor once a month ! = no winterization at all ! | ||
| Brineusaf |
+ 1 Cycleaddict Thats what I do. Keep the batter up, and run it everyother week for around 30minutes. (or 1 heat cycle) is my routine. | ||
| Typeone |
you don't want to start the bike if you aren't going to ride it. best to winterize it, cover it and dream of spring. starting the bike during the winter can introduce moisture with those short 'heat cycles'. moisture = pitting/rust. here's what i do.. . - fill up tank, add Stabil - make sure Stabil is mixed well - run/ride bike for ~10min to get Stabil through system - drain/fill with fresh oil + new filter - wash/dry bike - battery in with a tender (i have pigtails installed) - elevate wheels (off concrete especially) - plug exhaust - never start again until Spring - warm weather hits, fresh oil, check tire pressure and away we go. some riders will also remove the plugs, squirt a little oil in the cylinders and manually turn the motor with bike in 5th to get the internals coated so no pitting occurs on cylinder walls, etc. (Message edited by typeone on October 20, 2006) | ||
| Brianb |
Why wouldn't you start it even though you're not going to ride? Start them once a week and run them long enough for the oil to come to temp. Not necessarily fan coming on but that's ok as well. Not running vehicles of any kind is harder on them than letting them run all the time! Combustion engines were designed to run. Letting them sit dries and hardens all seals and hoses no matter how much Sta bil you put through them. When you run them to temp the condensation gets vented overboard like it was designed to do. | ||
| The_new_guy |
Running an engine for a short period of time does not allow condensation in the exhaust and engine to burn off. In addition, it seems like if I don't ride my XB, or at least run it for a looong time, it likes to foul plugs. just my 0.02 cents Gregg | ||
| Dirty_jersey |
One thing that's often over looked is the tires. The bike should be elevated, but that's not as easy as it it sounds. A good alternative it to roll it around every few weeks, this is to get the bike sitting on a different spot on the tires. This will aid in keeping the tires from cracking and getting flat spots. | ||
| Hogs |
Typeone, I could never understand the meaning behind what you say, About laying the bike up, Change your engine oil And Filter, And then in the spring before one rides change engine oil all again... Perhaps you can explain the madness behind this? | ||
| Typeone |
Hogs, its most likely overkill but i see it as cheap insurance. its definitely not going to hurt anything but my wallet. you definitely want nice fresh oil in the bike if its going to sit all winter, that old oil is full of crap, changing again in spring is just my way of getting all that old liquid thats been sitting in it... out. come spring, i fire it up, prob take a quick ride, come home and do a fresh change right away. i'm already sorta nutty with oil changes anyway, usual do one ever ~1500 - 2000 mi. clean blood = machine with long life. thats the only reason i do it. EDIT: i forgot to add that i like to mist here and there with WD-40 too, seems to keep some of that white corrosion stuff off my fasteners. my XB is the first bike i've owned where that stuff showed up right away. (Message edited by typeone on October 20, 2006) | ||
| Hogs |
I agree with ya Typeone, As you say can`t hurt only your Wallet... But is it needed I really don`t think so! As IF I change my oil in the fall and say I ride again say 300 miles or so, then lay it up again, should I change my oil and all again and then lay it up and then again in the spring change all I don`t think so... I think its a little on the over kill, But each to their own... If one wants to change oil and filter in fall and then lay it up until the spring,I wd. think your are good to go,have done that on cars for the past 25 plus years no plms... ands thats on old Dino oil, Unless the New and improved oils to say are different? | ||
| Cixyx_pilot |
Here in Canada the riding weather is coming to an end. I will soon have to put the City X in the garage for the winter and hope for an early spring. | ||
| Littleone |
I am going to store my bike in the house for the winter, Now i just have to figure out how to get all the fuel out. (Message edited by Littleone on October 21, 2006) |
