Winterize or not....that is the question.

[Pale Rider]

I have searched the archives and found varying opinions on this subject.  I reside in Northeast Indiana which gives us a few months of cold weather.  My Valk resides in an attached garage that rarely dips into freezing temperature.  My intent is any favorable days this winter, I will get it out and stretch it's legs for a few miles.  I intend on adding stabil from this point forward until spring.  I acquired this bike last fall and had the carbs completely cleaned due to residue issues.  I want to avoid that expense again.  With that said, am I better off to due to park the bike, do the carb draining........or will that occasional ride keep me good?  I would appreciate any opinions.

[Jess from VA]

PR, what you have in mind is also what I have done for years. 

Here in NoVA, we get cold weather and even the occasional snow (or blizzard), but there are generally riding days every month all winter.

I do not winterize my bikes (as I did in MI), but continue as always to keep them on Battery Tenders (24 X 7), with tanks topped up.  I will ride them when I can, but obviously not as often and not as far, so I treat the gas with Marine Stabil and SeaFoam, and make sure this mixture is run into the carbs before shutdown.  If I can't get a ride every two or three weeks, I will open the shed doors and run both until hot.  If it is really frigid for an extended period, I will put a little ceramic heater under the crankcase to warm the bike/oil before I start and run them.  I have had no ill effects from this practice for a number of years.

I am also going out and getting some of this Startron Enzyme ethonol treatment to add to the fuel as well.    http://mystarbrite.com/startron//content/view/14/37/lang,en/

[fudgie]

Welcome. I know what you mean about the winters. I run Seafoam in mine and park it in the garage. Thats it. I may get it out once or twice in the winter but always add the seafoam before I repark it. I put Lucas fuel staybilizer this year since it was accesable. May dump seafoam in it yet this year. I dont do the battery tender thing and my batteries last 5 years. I pull her out in March and work on it.

Where you from?

[vanagon40]

Hey Pale Rider,

I'm in Greenwood and I'm in the same camp as the previous posters.  Once cold weather threatens, I start adding Stabil to the fuel just in case the bike might sit for over a month.  I too park the bike in a detached garage, but I have an oil furnace I run when the weather gets really cold to keep the temps from dipping below freezing (not so much for the bike as for the paint, beer, soda pop, and other liquids I keep in the garage).

I never start my bike just to warm the engine.  If I want to ride, I ride.  If not, the bike sits.  I think last winter there may have been a three month period of complete inactivity.  My 2001 Standard has always started in the spring with no problem (I do not use a battery tender or charge the battery over the winter, but as noted above, it rarely gets below freezing and never temperatures less than the upper 20s).

So long as there is fuel stabilizer or additives in the gas in the cards, I would not worry about draining the carbs.

[Daniel Meyer]

I repost this:   
http://lifeisaroad.com/winterizing.html

(Humor...NOT a constructive answer at all) 

[Spirited-6]

I repost this:   
http://lifeisaroad.com/winterizing.html

(Humor...NOT a constructive answer at all) 

This is FUNNY ! BUT:::: There are some very short steps for a safe off  riding season. Stabel , or like, Oil change, FULL tank, Air up tires, wash and wax, cover and do not start unless you plan on riding 10 miles, and then repeat most of above !

I will come to your Home and Winterize your Valk for $3,500 . 

[dago mooserider]

Winterize? What's That?   .  j.k.

[doubletee]

I'm in NE Indiana, too. I also have an attached garage in which the Valk lives and have never winterized my Valk. I add Stabil to the tank beginning about now, and make sure any gas added over the winter is also treated. I at least start her and let her reach operating temp every two weeks. I try to get a short ride in at least once per month, if for no other reason than to just say I rode her every month of the year.     Trickle charger on the battery for 24 hours if she happens to set longer than 2 weeks.

I've never had a problem the following spring.

[R J]

97 Tourer, 242K+ miles.

About Nov 1st, I change the oil & filter, ride the bike about 50 miles, pull into the gas station, dump in a FULL can of Seafoam, fill it up, and ride home go about 5 miles.

Gets the seafoam into the carbs.

Park the bike, MGM usually sets there till spring.

Start MGM up, let hiom get to operating temp and change the oil & filter, go riding.

Next November, repeat the above.

DO NOT, just start the bike in the winter, if ya start it, RIDE it.......

[Jess from VA]

Anyway we have tentatively scheduled our winter for February 14th through the 21st.

Smartass!   

[Baloo]

Funny! Your US winter is about as long as our Canadian summer... at least around my place...

[RP#62]

Well, here in Phoenix........bwahahahaha just kidding.


Actually, when I was in Pittsburgh all I ever did was charge the battery if I hadn't ridden in a couple of weeks. If I thought to do it, I'd put some Seafoam in and run one tank through.  Even through the winter though, I could always get a ride in at least once a month.
-RP

[Sodbuster]

Living here in Minnesota means a minimum of three months of no riding.  For years it has always been practice to remove battery and charge once a month and DRAIN those carbs. Working as a wrench years ago I've seen what happens every spring when a motorcycle wasn't properly setup for the winter.

Here's a good read for the non-informed ....

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/winter_storage/index.html

Also, if your exhaust system has holes big enough for a mouse to crawl it's a good idea to stuff some steel wool in there to keep the little buggers out ....

[Big IV]

Yup. Move south and keep riding.

[donaldcc]

 

I winterized . . . changed the bottom portion of the Baker Airwings.  

[Printer Mike]

As has been mentioned, I agree that draining the carbs is a bad idea. Just make sure that the fuel stabilizer treated fuel is run into the carbs well.

[paps350]

My 97 Standard stays in heated garage all winter here in Pittsburgh and all I have ever done was put Stabil in the tank and run a few minutes to get it into the carbs, close the petcock, hook battery to a battery minder and cover.Over winter I do my maintenance and cleaning as those of us up north and retired need stuff to do while cooped up in the house.I have never had a problem and it sits for 5 or 6 months.I'm a fair weather rider and once they start salting the roads I do not ride so as not to ruin my wheels. The only time I had trouble with my mowers and snow blower was when I drained the tank and carbs for storage.

[doubletee]

I winterized . . . changed the bottom portion of the Baker Airwings.  

That's just plain mean.            

[doubletee]

DO NOT, just start the bike in the winter, if ya start it, RIDE it.......

I'm curious as to why? Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've started it and let it warm to operating temps without riding it over the course of the last 7 years with no ill effects (at least none of which I'm aware).

[Ricky-D]

That's interesting!

How can you tell when operating temperature has been reached?

I think you can get the cooling system up to a high enough temperature for the radiator fan to go on but still not have heated the oil in the motor up.

It's the heating of the oil in the motor that's needed more than anything else.  But only if you start the motor.

There is nothing wrong with letting a motor sit for three or four months without starting. Nothing will happen.

Starting a cold motor will allow contaminants to get in the oil that then can do damage.  Don't start the motor and that becomes a non-problem.

***

[Sodbuster]

As has been mentioned, I agree that draining the carbs is a bad idea.

Not sure where that was mentioned but if you are going to store it with wet carbs I would at least put in non-oxygenated gas mixed with some stabil and NOT ethanol.

It's your choice but all you have to do is talk to mechanics about the effects of ethanol gas in anything stored for long periods of time especially marine engines.

[bigdog99]

i too live in NW indiana. i have never drained my carbs. i too await a few good days. i wanted to ride with Fudgie on a day when it was "0" out, but he has already put his under the fur coats.  i have heard you cannot hide money
i keep a tender on the battery, but never put her up. only this year did i hear of sea foam. maybe when it gets nice, give me a heads up and we'll ride.

[BF]

I winterized . . . changed the bottom portion of the Baker Airwings.  

Ditto.  Winterizing is turning the Bakers to block the wind instead of catching it.   

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I'm in the Brazil Indiana area. (Close to Terre Haute and Indy) I've got three bikes in the unheated barn, two Valks and a Ducati. I put them on battery tenders, add some sea foam and my son or I ride them as often as possible. He gets cold easier than me and therefor rides less in the winter. I generally ride to work  through most of November. When it's cold I top off the tank every time I put 20 or 30 miles on it. That way the gas is always fresh and there is little room for condensation in the tanks. My OEM battery on my valk lasted 10 years. It never did go bad, I just replaced it because it was starting to worry me.

I seldom just start them up though. If I'm gonna start them then I like to ride them.

[fudgie]

i too live in NW indiana. i have never drained my carbs. i too await a few good days. i wanted to ride with Fudgie on a day when it was "0" out, but he has already put his under the fur coats.  i have heard you cannot hide money
i keep a tender on the battery, but never put her up. only this year did i hear of sea foam. maybe when it gets nice, give me a heads up and we'll ride.

I rode little over a hour to Elkhart last month in 44 deg rain and froze my butt off. 3rd worse ride of the year. Not sure if I can do 2 hours in no deg. 

[BigM]

Also if not going to ride a few months may consider leaving it on the jack so wont have flat places on the tires and also makes it easy to move,roll jack where the bike is out of the way for more room in the garage.

[sheets]

My rig gets gassed-waxed & prepped last week of Oct. Treat the gas... let it get to/thru the carbs. Shut off the gas valve. Fill the tank as full as possible to prevent condensation within. She is on the lift covered with a flannel sheet November thru February. I plug in the battery tender for a trickle charge in January, then again the day before she wakes up from her nap. She comes out of hibernation sometime in March when the sun pops out. I've never drained the carbs. No problems to date... that I'm aware of. Yrmv,     

[MarkT]

I at least start her and let her reach operating temp every two weeks.

Two problems with this I know of:  

This is one of the surest ways to give your chrome pipes some nice pretty colors.  Unless you set up a fan to blow air over them.

The greatest wear an engine suffers is during start and warm-up.   You can minimize that by externally pre-heating the oil or engine. See http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/


Our bikes are stored in an unheated bike barn.  Night temps here typically drop into the 20's, daytime usually above freezing even in January - often gets up to 60. I don't take special steps for winter because here on the front range, you can ride pretty much every week and I do with the help of electric heated gear.  Unless we get a lot of snow that doesn't melt enough between storms and the too-low driveway doesn't dry out.  If it gets up to a month I'll add SeaFoam to the bikes tanks.  If it gets up to 2 weeks I plug in digital maintenance chargers.  Never have had a problem - clogged carbs, dead batteries - resulting from this program.  I might notice out of balance tires for a short while after starting out, now that I've installed Ride-On and it can pool with extended parking - until it warms up and redistributes.

[Spirited-6]

I repost this:   
http://lifeisaroad.com/winterizing.html

(Humor...NOT a constructive answer at all) 

This is FUNNY ! BUT:::: There are some very short steps for a safe off  riding season. Stabel , or like, Oil change, FULL tank, Air up tires, wash and wax, cover and do not start unless you plan on riding 10 miles, and then repeat most of above !

I will come to your Home and Winterize your Valk for $3,500 . 

OVER KILL, OVEERKILL.  The only thing I failed to say was park on a mat / rug . My above steps will work for 70% of our members, the rest have a much more detailed "dry dock" for thier Valk`s. I.E , storage longer than normal, 6 months. If I have missed somthing, I`m sure some will tell me.  BTW, drain carbs ??? Why ? That`s is what gas treatment is FOR.     

[BigEagle]

I live in BC, Canada.  Our bikes get parked in the detached garage for the most part of Nov to April, with no extra treatment for the winter months.  Been doing this forever with no problems whatsoever.  We give them a good detail cleaning, park, cover and forget until Spring.  Don't know what all the fuss is about here.  The same goes for my lawn mower, weed eaters, chain saws, etc.

[Smitty W.S.]

I live in BC, Canada.  Our bikes get parked in the detached garage for the most part of Nov to April, with no extra treatment for the winter months.  Been doing this forever with no problems whatsoever.  We give them a good detail cleaning, park, cover and forget until Spring.  Don't know what all the fuss is about here.  The same goes for my lawn mower, weed eaters, chain saws, etc.

I like the way you think.  I've decided that all I'm going to do is to add a fuel stabilizer, fill the tank, drain the carbs, get the weight off the wheels and cover her up in my detached garage.  It's all cleaned and waxed so hopefully, in the spring, it will be a quick transition from storage to highway.

[Spirited-6]

I live in BC, Canada.  Our bikes get parked in the detached garage for the most part of Nov to April, with no extra treatment for the winter months.  Been doing this forever with no problems whatsoever.  We give them a good detail cleaning, park, cover and forget until Spring.  Don't know what all the fuss is about here.  The same goes for my lawn mower, weed eaters, chain saws, etc.

WOW. You do nothing to bikes for 5 months sitting idle ? No full tank,no fuel treatment, no batt. charge ? The gas in Canada must be without "corn" in it.   Like I said , a lot of storage prep is over kill, but what else do we have to do ? Besides, it brings us closer to our Valkyries.
Big, I hope I have not been the cause of the " told you so" GODS upon you.  Sorry,, if so next SPRING forget my name ! 

[gordonv]

I live in BC, Canada.  Our bikes get parked in the detached garage for the most part of Nov to April, with no extra treatment for the winter months.  Been doing this forever with no problems whatsoever.  We give them a good detail cleaning, park, cover and forget until Spring.  Don't know what all the fuss is about here.  The same goes for my lawn mower, weed eaters, chain saws, etc.

Richmond BC, and my VT1100T has been stored for a year now. I did add some Seafoam last year to the balance of the tank (50 miles?) and I put a charger on it about every month or so, so I don't kill the battery, as I've been riding the Valk instead.

With the Valkyrie gone, I'm "working" on my Tourer instead, and will be running the engine a few times over the winter. Stored in an underground parking. I expect to get the bike on the road after Easter sometime, based upon the weather.

[Spirited-6]

Well, I`ve done "my thing" on the Tourer. Ready to park til next year, 60 temps.  Changed oil, filter, wash, wax, air tires up 3#, Sta-bil in full tank, cover ready.  PROBLEM is , going to be 70 degrees for the next few days. Screw it, I`m gonna ride. I can do over a few things.