Thoughts on motorcycles in winter

[SoMeWRX]

Erro,

Ive been playing around with my bike in the barn today (figure 8s cause I just really wanted to get on it) and cause I wanted to start it up since it has been sitting since early November. Does anybody have any thoughts on what, if any, precautions I should be taking while storing it? I was thinking about pulling the battery and putting it under my couch to keep it room temp. I have also heard that some products can be used to keep the fuel from degrading, lines freezing etc.

First winter with a bike so go ahead and ream me if needed. Just be gentle.

Oh yeah, I have a yamaha vstar 1100 custom

D

 

[Matt]

Mine was comfortably inside and warm for awhile. Lost that battle and it went to the garage. I just go out and start it once or twice a week and let it warm all the way up. Occasionally ride it through the parking lot weather permitting.

 

[brycetron]

Always a good idea to remove the battery and bring it inside. Also, if you have fuel with ethanol in it, get some marine stab-il. The blue one. It's pricey but will help prevent issues with water in the gas.

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[Apollyon12]

My experience is with older bikes and cars, so normal maintenance includes things like cleaning the carbs, points and adjusting the valves.   In my opinion, simply being frozen/below freezing is not going to do any damage to the car/bike.   So for that reason alone there is no need to start a bike or car over the winter.   Killing the battery (from low temps) and gumming up the carbs (from gas evaporating) are the only issues in my opinion.   Keeping the battery fully charged (with a battery tender) or/and inside at normal temps will save the battery.   Stab-il will help the gumming issues.   I keep stab-il in all my gas.  Stuff for the lawn mower, weed wacker, snow blower and in the Datsun.   In a car, the proper anti-freeze mix will keep the water from freezing and cracking the block or blowing out a freeze plug.

Older bikes recomend an oil change schedule based on time and use as well as milage.   So go with what your manufacturer recomends.   Older bikes, I change the oil at the begining of every season and the filter every two years.

 

[CoupedUpSubie]

I recommend getting at least a half gallon of aviation fuel. It is 100 low lead but a small amount won't hurt. It has no ethanol in it. My family puts it in snowmobiles for the summer and all the small equipment for normal use. When you break it out for the spring take it and fill it with normal pump gas as it does seem to burn a bit leaner then the normal stuff. It actually straightened out my uncles snowmobile last year when it would barely run.

 

[i-wagon]

My Vulcan sat in my grams garage all winter without a trickle charge or running at all. Stabil is the most important with this new gas