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anyone else here do NOT winterized their bikes?

5K views 95 replies 21 participants last post by  Ironhead401 
#1 ·
For you southerners, you're all lucky. Anyways, I've never winterized my bikes. Dumped some stabil into a full gas tank and start the bike up once-twice a week until normal temp 180 and shut them off.

I have this thing against leaving a machine sitting dry for months. I do the same for my cars if they're gonna sit for a while.
 
#5 ·
What she said.

So you start the bike, let it run rich until it starts to warm-up (and lean-out) and shut if off?

Never mind the unnecessary below-operating temp wear & tear, you like to pump all kinds of liquid fuel through your cold exhaust, then turn it off to prematurely rot it out :thumbup
 
#4 ·
Nothing really special needs to be done. All I do is:
Stabilizer in fresh gas
Fresh oil
Put on stands (front and back)
And pull the battery

It's so easy why not do it? I also have a tender but still bring the battery inside.

I read that running the bike with actually putting the bike under load (like riding it) can does nothing for keeping the charge up. In fact it can actually kill it faster.
 
#6 ·
As mentioned don't run it. Top the fuel off to the very top. That will help keep condensation out. Treat the gas and put the battery on a tender. Change oil before you ride it next and done. If you want to go a further step, drain the old oil and fill it completely with new oil to the top of the filler hole. Again aids in keeping condensation out. Just don't forget to drain it before starting.
 
#7 ·
I never winterized any of my bikes, I would always find a day that was at least sunny to ride, even if it was 20°.

There was a year or two when I was broke as hell, living in NY, and my K3 1000 was my only means of transportation. I rode that bike in the rain, snow, ice, everything. Sport touring tires were my friend, you should have seen some of the looks I got from the families going on ski trips!

:lmao
 
#11 · (Edited)
When I used to keep the bikes in a non-climate controlled outdoor garage,I would top off the fuel&add some StaBil,change the oil/filter,lube the chain,but cardboard under the tires as a barrier between the concrete floor,pull the battery(s) and put them on a trickle charger in the basement.

Worst thing you can do is to start the bike every few weeks. Youre doing more harm then good;do not start until you are ready to ride in the spring.
 
#12 ·
Critter control is a requirement in some areas, lest you discover mouse nests and chewed wiring in the spring. Happened to me when I was a farm boy.

If you're in an area where this is a possibility, mouse-proofing is cheap, easy insurance. Stick an aluminum lasagna pan in front of each wheel, roll the bike forward into the pans, fix the collapsed edges and stick a dozen mothballs in each. This makes a 'moat' around each wheel that no mouse will cross.
 
#13 ·
:scratch Don't mice jump? Those lil fuckers will jump up onto/into anything lol. Back in the day of Mikuni RS flatslides,a buddy who owned a big bore air cooled 1100 which retained the airbox,started up the bike for the much anticipated 1st ride in spring. After pulling the choke(remember what that is? :lol) bike fired right up and after a few quick high-rpm revs the throttle was hung up and bike started running very rough.
We pulled the seat to get to the airbox so we can check the carbs &a mouse leaped onto his shirt once he lifted the seat and scared the shit outta both of us lol,turns out a baby mouse(called a "pinky")got sucked into the #2 carb and hung the slide up. How it didnt get sucked into the intake port I have no idea but we were both laughing. My GF at the time was 100% grossed out and ran in the house:lol
 
#18 ·
:lmao A mouse would have come in handy to lure the snake out
 
#19 ·

Believe it or not, I wanted to do that but I had to get him out ASAP because black car with black interior in the hot sun would have equalled dead worm in short order.


Aaaaaaaand another thread successfully derailed :cheers

The moral(s) of the story are:
  • OP, do NOT start your bike all the time. You're not doing it any favors - quite the opposite in fact.
  • Make sure your tank is full.
  • Stick your battery on a tender.
  • Mice can jump.
  • And snakes are a pain in the ass.
 
#20 ·
no way in fuck would i pull a dash apart with a snake in it!!!!!
FUCK THAT!!!

this is what i would do


op if snake found in wiring do the above.
another warm winter tip.
 
#23 ·
You must be single....
 
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#30 · (Edited)
Right before I met my wife I lived in a 2-family house that my Grandparents owned. It had a large detached garage where I had a small shop setup with all the bikes/tools/etc.

I had just finished restoring/building a 1989 7/11 that was immaculately polished(I had an aluminum polishing business on the side) from top to bottom,front to back. It was my rolling business card so to speak.

Needless to say once riding season was over,with the help of a friend I rolled the bike inside the house and propped it up on the old coffee table I had in the living room. It was a great conversation piece when Id have buddies over on the weekend while we drank and watched football. The bench racing was legendary lol....

When I started dating my wife the 1st time she came over and saw the bike she made a :wtf face. I moved it into one of the back rooms the next day. Fast forward a few months and she felt comfortable enough to ask that I put the bike "in the garage where it belongs". But,but,but honey I'll never be able to push it through all of the snow and make it to the garage was what I told her:flipoff

Knowing that I would have at least 20 excuses why I wouldnt be able to get it out of the house,my wife(smart ass that she is:lol)decided she would take a different approach.....

I come home from the gym to find the bike sitting there,with pantyhose hanging over the windscreen,a few bra's hanging off each mirror,a clothes hanger draped on each of the passenger pegs with blouse's on each side and a few thongs laying on the seat cowling...all fresh outta the washing machine,air drying because I was too lazy to go buy a new dryer to replace the old broken one. I was absolutely mortified when I walked in and saw that. :crying

Not only did a pathway get shoveled through the snow to the garage the very next day,a new dryer was delivered as well. She won. Fucker :hammer

That Easter I overheard her talking to her cousins&telling them how "I beat him at his own game and got a new clothes dryer out of the deal as well".
:lmao
 
#31 ·
We both always knew Jen was smarter than you...

:lmao
 
#32 ·
Well,yeah of course :lol
 
#39 ·
Oh wow,is that a serious reply or just an attempt at trolling? :rolleyes

That was back in 1997,when that woman who makes all the decisions in my life decided we should move out of our old house,move onto a 3acre waterfront lot and build us a 3700sq ft house...with my own mancave/workshop as well as a separate 2-car detatched for all the toys she allowed me to have wouldnt have to come inside the living room for winter.
She's fucking horrible. A real ball-buster. She cut my nutsack off 15yrs ago when we got married(although Im fine with it as she bought me a brand new '00 Hayabusa as a wedding present,which I still have). Wont let me do a damn thing,I have to ask permission to ride. God I hate my wife:hammer
 
#48 ·
Dude has gotta be in his 20's...thats when we all act like that.:facepalm :facepalm
 
#63 · (Edited)
What if you have the room for it? I see no harm of a bike in a house. Also, winter time people put bikes in garage or wherever and never go back and look at them again. Easy pickings for thieves to come and snag them, (they will get them regardless of season but checking on them less actually raises fact you wouldnt notice its gone)

Why so hostile towards keeping a bike inside? Its safe if done right.
 
#64 ·
Keeping a bike inside the house, unless it is completely devoid of fluids, isn't the smartest idea IMO. Gas and oil, chain grease, tire marks, etc...

In a garage, sure. In a shed, sure. In a storage facility, sure. In the fucking house? No way.
 
#65 ·
Unless it's a totally badass bike,like a turbo Busa:fact
 
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