WHATS THE BEST WAY TO WINTERIZE A MOTORCYCLE.

[reed]

Whats the best way to winterize a motorcycle air cooled or water cooled etc.
Let me know.
Thanks.
Steve.

[OldSwartout]

Just ride it once a month. 

[ziggy stardust]

Here in the U.K. I've found the best way to hibernate my bikes other than bringing them into the house from the garage is to seal them in a vacuum bag. I've done this with my KH400 a number of times, clean the bike then put it in one of these specially made thick clear plastic bags, throw in a large bag of silicon gel (supplied) to absorb any moisure then with the vacuum cleaner you suck out as much air as possible and seal the end with the large zip tie, again supplied.

Take it out six months later and it's like the day you put it in.

Z

[Jeff Bar]

That's  a great idea, but it will not work for me here in the USA, because my wife would throw me and my bagged bike out!  Jeff Bar

[ziggy stardust]

http://www.vac-bags.co.uk/bike.htm   

Z

[ztnoo]

Karl,
Such a simple idea, but absolutely brilliant!!
 

Regards,
Steve

[OldSwartout]

I've never winterized a bike (mostly too lazy). They typically live in an unheated pole barn. I do take the battery out and bring it in if it's been a couple of months since I rode the bike. I've lost a few batteries over the years because they stayed out in the barn too long with a low charge.  I do try to ride at least once a month. In Indiana, there are usually a couple of days even in January that are (chilly) riding weather, good enough for a short ride.

I just brought in my 175 roadracer. I didn't want it to stay in the barn another winter as it is a bit damp in there.  It went into the barn late last year with a half tank of race gas from Barber 2010.  I put in a charged battery and it fired up after a few kicks.  I don't think you can do that with pump gas, but the race gas seems to stay volatile enough to use for a long time.  It'll get dumped into something else soon, though.  A little 2 stroke oil probably won't hurt a Chevy, will it?   

[old smokey]

I pull the battery, put a mixture of Stabil, marvel mystery oil, and Sea-Foam in the gas tank and then top off the tank with non-ethanol fuel.
I pull the plugs on 4 stroke types and pull a few drops of 5W-30 in the cylinders and turn it over a few times.
If it's not a BS, I open the drain screw on the bottom of the carb bowls to drain them dry.
They stay in a garage that gets a 'little' warmth from the house.

Today's hope is to look at the GTR some more. I had the carb covers off at the time of the accident. I'm starting to think it might have run a bit while laying on it's side and gotten dirt past the left carb???
The left cylinder head had about 4 cooling fins broke off so that will get pulled anyway for replacement.