Since summer is over and old man winter will soon be walking up the sidewalk heading towards the door. Some of you may be fortunate enough to be able to ride all year round. For those of us who live where the snow flies. Here are some recommendations on how to prepare your motorcycle for a long winters nap, or even to just keep your ride in tip top shape. Unless of course you can talk your wife into letting you keep it in the house. Say honey look how much we could save on storage fees, or tell her it’s a new coat hanger.
This list is recommended best to prepare for winter storage.
- Add fuel Stabilizer
- Take your bike out for it’s last ride for the year and fill the gas tank up and add the stabilizer. Ride it for about 20mins to allow the fuel stabilizer to mix. Filling the tank will prevent the empty gas tank from drawing moisture.
- Change the oil after you get back from your ride when the engine is hot. Changing your oil now removes any sludge or dirt that would otherwise start to deteriorate over time. This also gives you a fresh oil change for the spring start up.
- Keeping a battery tender on the battery is recommended
- Wash the bike as you were getting ready for a show. This keeps any road grime from eating away at the paint over time. Your bike will be ready to go in the Spring.
- Clean any saddlebags or leather on the bike. Be sure to use a leather conditioner to prevent from drying out.
- Any dirt, salt sand over time will begin to eat away at any metal surface over time. So be sure to Clean and Lube up any moving part such as cables and use a metal protectant spray to prevent rust from forming. Be sure to include the chain.
- Check your tires to be sure they are properly inflated. It is best to deflate tires first to expel any moisture, then refill with clean compressed air. Make sure to repeat this process in the spring.
- If at all possible elevate your bike on stand to keep pressure off of the tires.
- Where you are going to put your bike lay the tarp or old rug down. To avoid moisture from rising up around the bike.
- Take an old sheet and cover the bike making sure that the sheet does not touch the ground. This allows air to circulate.
You could take this list even more in detail, but this is the basics. This will help ensure that your pride and joy gets a nice nap for the winter.