Over the winter

[Sascha]

A few questions about winter storage...

Its underground in a private parking lot but its pretty cold down there so I thought I would ask a few questions.

1. Is the gas going to freeze? I put stabalizer in it and ran the motor for about 5 minutes (as per the bottle instructions).
2. I took the battery and put it on the tender
3. changed the oil in the motor
4. Anything else? Reccomendatations?

-Sascha

[cyclon36]

the stabilizer is good. It's a good idea to start the bike once a week and let it run till it's warm and then shut it off again. If you plan on really storing it and not touching it until spring, I would do the following.

Remove the battery and keep it on a tender inside the house.
Lift the bike on it's center stand or on a bike stand so that the tires are off the ground or at least not supporting any weight.
Treat the seat heavily with vinyl protectant to keep it from drying out as well as the hand grips, and any other rubber or vinyl parts.
Clean, polish, and wax your entire bike to add a layer of protectant to the metal bits. Do no leave the wax on the bike though as it can be a nightmare to take off if it dries over a season.


Here's on bit that I've always seen mixed reviews on. I've heard to keep the tank topped off so that the inside doesn't rust, but to turn the petcock off and run the bike until it's empty and empty the carb bowls. The argument is that a system with no fuel will will stay clean and not gunk up over the winter. However, others say that having small deposits that are always left will gunk up faster even if it's treated with stabilizer and to keep the fuel system saturated.

ideas?

[jensen]

Hi,

I spray the entire bike with vaseline, give the battery a full charge or take it out.
Top off the gas tank with fuel, remove the speedo and headlight. and remove the carb bowl and seat.

Sore these parts in a warm environment, and unless the temp is far below -10 degrees Celsius I wouldn't worry about the rest of the bike. what is the humidity ?

Jensen

[Jethro]

You bring up a good point cyclon. I was wondering about the gas thing this last fall while winterizing. I'm pretty sure a lot of the rubber components in the petcock and my carb are original and I didn't want them to dry out or get gummy. I ended up draining all the auto gas out and put some avgas in for the stability but left the petcock on so the carb wouldn't dry out. Not sure if I did it any service or not.

[eriksw]

Hi,
Happy New Year. Love your site. I really enjoyed following Sasha's progress report on his ride. I prefer close to stock look but I must say that is a beautiful piece of workmanship!
About the winter storage. I have found that going out to the shed every couple of weeks, pulling in the clutch and using the kick starter to turn the engine over till the lever moves through it's stroke without moving the pistons anymore. That keeps that annoying problem of sticking clutch plates to a minimum at spring startup. It also may keep the siezed piston syndrome from taking place as the engine does turn over every couple of weeks.
Thanks for the input from all you guys at this great site

[Sascha]

Hey eriksw,

Thanks for the great feedback... Its appreciated, it was a long haul and a lot of the guys here are to thank for getting me through some of my mechanical set-backs. I also appreciate your information and suggestions on winter storage. Post a pic of your bike!

-Sascha

Hi,
Happy New Year. Love your site. I really enjoyed following Sasha's progress report on his ride. I prefer close to stock look but I must say that is a beautiful piece of workmanship!
About the winter storage. I have found that going out to the shed every couple of weeks, pulling in the clutch and using the kick starter to turn the engine over till the lever moves through it's stroke without moving the pistons anymore. That keeps that annoying problem of sticking clutch plates to a minimum at spring startup. It also may keep the siezed piston syndrome from taking place as the engine does turn over every couple of weeks.
Thanks for the input from all you guys at this great site

[e3steve]

Also, Sascha:

• - Drop the float bowl, empty the gas out and spray the inside of the bowl and the carb's exposed components with WD40; leave the bowl off
  - Pull the plugs, get the pistons at BDC, pour an eggcupful of engine oil into each pot; then snick up into 4th gear and move the bike forward, slowly, in order to coat the bores without ejaculating the lubricant
  - Screw the plugs back in loosely; inspect and, if necessary, repeat monthly
  - Remove the battery to the house and carry out an overnight charge every month or two in a well-ventilated area (with no flames or sparks nearby!)
  - Drench all the brightwork, including aluminium, with WD40; dab off the excess with a cloth

I drain my tank, by pulling a carb feed tube off at the banjo, into a proper, sealable fuel container. I brim the tank with diesel fuel and let a little through the petcock and into a bowl under the carb then shut off the cock. Prep for first fire-up is reversing the procedure, brimming the tank with petrol, before snapping the float bowl back in place. Then, a copious squirt of WD40 down the plug 'oles, rag over each and kick it over a few times to expel the now-diluted oil.

I run a diesel vehicle so I just pour the fuel-oil into my car's tank. The bike soon burns off any oil excess and washed-out diesel fuel-oil.

Just a few pointers of tried & tested ideas, but you'll soon distil your own methods.