Outside a single white snowflake falls... Disbelief falls on your face as another snowflake falls... Then you realize, another riding year over and it's time to put the bike away for the winter. This is the time to get in that last few riding days and put our bikes properly away for the winter so they are ready for the next riding season to start again.
Storing your bike for winter
Well, it's that time of year again! Soon the snow will be falling and the motorcycles will be tucked away for the winter
And each spring your dealer's phone will ring off the wall with customers who did not store the ol' bike properly and now wonder why it won't run.
Some preparation now will ensure that you are out riding in the spring instead of waiting in the dealer's lineup.
- Location - where are you going to put it?
One solution may be to ask your dealer if he offers a storage program. This is ideal because he will often prep, store, and have the bike ready to ride when you are ready again. If you decide to store it yourself, you will need a place that is dry and out of harm's way.
When possible. Chose a location away from windows. The ultraviolet light can fade paint and plastic parts. Direct sunlight can raise the ambient temperature of the storage area which will promote condensation when the sun goes down, so cover plain glass with some sort of opaque material. Also, cover your bike with a specially designed bike cover not a sheet or a tarp. Why? Because a sheet absorbs moisture and hold it against metal surfaces and then rust forms. Also, damp fabric will breed mildew and this may attack the seat material. A tarp prevents moisture from getting in but it also prevents it from getting out. Moisture trapped will condense on the bike and then the rust monster is back!
A specially designed motorcycle cover is made of a mildew resistant material. The material is slightly porous, so it can breathe.
- Change The Oil
Tip: Just like cars a colder winter grade oil will allow your bike to start easier in colder weather. If your motorcycle runs ok with a cold winter grade oil (5w30) then changing the oil to this grade will help startup and running in spring.
Even if the oil is not due for a change, byproducts of combustion produce acids in the oil which will harm the inner metal surfaces. Warm the engine to its normal operating temperature, as warm oil drains much faster and more completely.
While you are at it, why not change the filter too? Add fresh motorcycle grade oil. Remember to dispose of the drained oil and old filter in a responsible manner. What to do with the old oil? Recycle it. Most stores you have purchased the oil from will take it back free of change to be recycled.