Putting it away for the winter

[rocketjohn]

Well there could come to be condensation in the tank if it is not parked full...but I would not worry about the engine. For winter air is dry dry dry...and if the engine is to be run you must run it to FULL operating temperature. That will make the insides hot enough to boil off any moisture that may have crept in from the last time. But if there's any doubt; come Spring, change the oil, which you probably do at that time anyway.

 

[Triple Trouble]

The moisture doesn't come from the air it comes from the byproducts of combustion which produce about 7 lbs of water for every gallon of non ethanol gas.

 

[Bedifferent]

I'm not quite ready to put mine away yet. I keep it in my cargo trailer and here is what I do...

I change the oil, filter and final drive
I wash and wax it really good
I make sure I have been running ethanol free fuel the last few tanks and make sure the tank is full. I add stabilizer and put a little sea foam in the tank
I run the engine long enough to make sure everything is hot, dry and the fuel additives have circulated around.
I leave the battery in, but keep it on an Optimate all winter. I buy a new battery every three year without fail @Rocket Scientist and you're welcome to take my slightly used one if you like
I hang several bags of DampRid in the trailer to help with any moisture.
I keep a heat lamp on in the trailer to help deal with the moisture.
I do not start it during the winter as I have read that is not recommended.

It looks as nice in the spring as it did in the fall when I put it away. If I didn't have the trailer, I would being using some ACF 50 on it or things will start to pit and rust over time. There is a place in town that has ethanol free premium fuel. Research shows fuel with ethanol will pull moisture in 3 months no matter what you do with it, but fuel without ethanol will not draw moisture and will remain stable over 12 months. Hard to find many places that carry that fuel.

 

[Willyone]

I have a garage, I park it on 2" rigid insulation, never had a problem with tires. I also stuff some bounce sheets under the seat, battery area, top of motor etc. Mice for whatever reason don't care for the smell of them and keep away from the bike....just remember to take them out before set-up. And no stupid comments from other captains......still not as Fu&#ked up as pledging your bike.

New guy here, with no Rocket, yet....still shopping But I've been riding for +45 years here in central NY, so winter storage of bikes (and boats) is an annual routine. I store my two Harley's, Road King and Heritage Springer (no comments necessary, please & thank you LOL) plus my nieces Sportster, in a 14 x 16 not heated shed with a wood floor. They get washed/waxed then I run the fuel tanks down to as empty as I dare. Then add marine grade stabil, and fill the tanks with 91 ethanol free gas then ride'm home and into the shed they go, after oil/fluid changes. I take the saddle bags and seats off (fark'n mice ) then stuff bounce sheets all over the bikes. Then I shove stainless steel scrubber pads (Wallmarts finest) and or tin foil into the exhaust pipes, add battery tenders, cover the bikes, and lock the shed up for the winter. They've always started come spring time, 'cept my nieces sporty this past spring, with the too old battery

I like that foam insulation thing you do, great idea!! Think I'll go get me some

 

[Deacon1950]

Sad but true, it it time for me here in Canada to put my R3 away for the winter. Unfortunately it won't be garaged like my previous bikes. Any "make sure you..." suggestions before the snow flies here and the temp drops like crazy. I do have a center stand which I can put back on and use that, or I can use my motorcycle jack instead of using my kick stand. I have topped off the tank and put fuel stabilizer in. I am not sure if I should pull the battery of just use the trickle charger that is already on my bike and just plug it in. Will my battery freeze while it is on the trickle charger? I need a house with a garage!!!

I have a motorcycle folding tent garage that works great and not to expensive. Would sell mine but it would be lots of freight.

 

[barbagris]

Tish and Pish - live somewhere warm and dry - and away from the coast. Easy.

 

[Bernard Vinet]

From the experience that I've had, if you are keeping it in freeze garage I would not start it at all during the winter. Since the cooling of the metal is extreme when you start the engine the dilation of the metal is not equal there's a good chance gasket and seals might start to leak. Happened to me one season many years ago. Change all the gaskets and did not ever have that problem again. I wait for 10c before I start it, or throw 200 watt heat lamp under the tarp and wait 24hr before starting it. Metal expands and gaskets are tight.

 

[warp9.9]

Hmmm I go the easy way if I can I pull the beast into the basement where its warm. Or if I leave it in its trailer I start her and run her once a week. Charge my batteries once a year. When is think about it. Spring comes I ride

 

[coolrocket]

Down here in south Florida its just the opposite. The weather is now just starting to cool down to the point that I can ride ATGATT without being soaked either from sweat,rain or both. We get 6-7 months of great riding here, then we are toast...literally!

Pretty much like us over here in Southern California only we have great weather all year around but a tad hot in the summer. My desert cruising season starts in November when it's anywhere between 80-95 then close it down in May when it starts getting to hot again...

 

[coolrocket]

@Paul Bryant

ATGATT = All the Gear, all the time -- ride as if you could go down, and what you wish you had on when it happens.

To each his own, 57 years old and I ride shorts and t-shirt all the time been riding since I was 14 and have owned over 60-70 bikes, haven't stopped pushing the envelope yet and if it's God's way I end up being road Pizza then so be it my choice his decision...