Winter Chill - Kills! *Prepairing for Cold Storage*

[Mr.Wizard]

There are several threads about what everyone does to prepare for cold weather. We don't really have it super cold like many of you guys do but we do put our bikes up for a while.

If this takes off I'll make it a sticky. This way there is no need to search.

How about it guys.. What do you do to prepare for your winter months on your Harley?

I'll start with an easy one... Never store a dirty bike. A good wash and wax job will keep your baby shinning all through the storage months when you put a blanket on her for bedtime.

[icebite1]

Mines pretty easy, oil and filter change General look over and clean up. Then into my heated barn and covered for the winter.

[OlBandit]

Mine is easy too! Keep on riding, the streets are cleaned of snow inside 24 hours usually, so I dont store it, I ride all winter long My heated gear is good down to about -20 degrees

[STG246]

I usually wash, wax, oil change, Sta-Bil in the tank, top off the fuel, check tire pressures and I usually pull the spark plugs and spray some fogging oil in the cylinders then turn it over a couple times to coat the cylinder walls, if its in a place where chipmunks, mice etc can possibly get in I bring the seat in the house and stick steel wool in the pipes, the critters love building nests in there...Oh and hook it up to the battery tender...

Ryan

[rhino 2]

I ride all year, I didn't buy a 30 thousand dollar Machine to store 4 or 5 months a year.
But i ''can'' understand why some would.

[Skeet7373]

How do the owners put a bike in storage at the dealer? I couldn't stand it to know my bike was not in my garage. Oh, it does get cold in Tennessee, but the last few years, people are still riding in the winter months, especially if we have warm days that are sunny and 50-70 degrees. Yep, TN has gotten warmer during the winter than past decades. I may only ride in the neighborhood, but I can say "I rode on Jan 1"! I hate cold, got too fat for any cold weather gear, but if no snow on the roads, the trike will be ridden on xmas day and Jan 1. They don't make enough cow skin anymore for me to ride in the cold. I know I need to step into the 21st Century, they do make heated gear. Or else I look like the Michelin tire man. Or maybe I should leave the engine mods alone until March, trike would be warm and toasty to ride....not

[Skeet7373]

Oops, and your question was what to do for the winter months. Wash, wax, clean everything, check fluid levels, on the little trickle thingy, and make sure the tank in full of fuel.

[rmrc51]

Mine is easy too! Keep on riding, the streets are cleaned of snow inside 24 hours usually, so I dont store it, I ride all winter long My heated gear is good down to about -20 degrees

Ditto!

[msocko3]

I'm with the majority, wash, wax, change fluids. Place it on a battery tender and cover it up for the long winters nap. We store them all in my dads garage which is heated and use my heated garage for any automotive work which may need done.

Winter is also a great time to do any upgrades one might be wanting to do. I seem to always have one or two motorcycle related projects planned for the winter.

[Oldmsocko]

I'm with the majority, wash, wax, change fluids. Place it on a battery tender and cover it up for the long winters nap. We store them all in my dads garage which is heated and use my heated garage for any automotive work which may need done.

Winter is also a great time to do any upgrades one might be wanting to do. I seem to always have one or two motorcycle related projects planned for the winter.

I do what has already been posted except I don't have my rear door totally closed. I close it and then push on the button to open it and that way it don't keep pressure on the gasket. Possibly that will prolong the life of the gasket and keep it from leaking. I always try to have a winter project so M3 don't get bored.

[meredog]

I usually wash, wax, oil change, Sta-Bil in the tank, top off the fuel, check tire pressures and I usually pull the spark plugs and spray some fogging oil in the cylinders then turn it over a couple times to coat the cylinder walls, if its in a place where chipmunks, mice etc can possibly get in I bring the seat in the house and stick steel wool in the pipes, the critters love building nests in there...Oh and hook it up to the battery tender...

Ryan

I was recently advised by my small engine shop to run engine till it runs out of gas if am to store equipment over 30 days------He said over 80 % of his repairs is carburetor work caused by ethanol---also advised against the use of sta-bil with ethanol fuel----

[kimber45]

I'm lucky to live in North Texas, I just keep riding all winter!

[Ozarkryder]

As with most here, wash, wax, oil change. Ride the trike until it is almost out of gas (about 20 miles after the low fuel light comes on) and fill with premium no-ethanol gas, (can still get it some places in MO) and add the recommended amount of Seafoam. Get a 5 gallon jerrycan of the the ethanol free gas and Seafoam that for topping off the tank at home. Check and replace brake, clutch, rear end fluid and coolant - replace as needed. Drain summer air out of tires and install proper winter air for your area.
Get out the heated gear, make sure all the plugs and controls work. Put the insulated liners back in the jackets , get out the winter gloves and neck wraps. I keep the battery maintainer plugged in - don't ride quite as much in the winter so it is good to keep the battery healthy.
Before each winter ride, make sure to check and adjust the PSI of the tires. For every 10° drop in temp, the tires drop 1psi. If you last checked your air pressure at 90° and the temp is now 40° you have lost 5psi. That is a big per cent of the air in the rears, as most of us seem to run somewhere around 20 psi.

[GARYD]

I did the same thing as STG246 does when I use to store my bike, but now I ride it all winter(Chicago). Years ago I even tied the clutch lever to the grip per an old timer saying it kept the plates from sticking together or something like that.
Instead of steel wool in the pipes, I just put a ziplock bag over the end with a rubberband - no rust.
Get the wheel off the ground and put corregated paper on the concrete floor under the whole bike.
Garage is not heated.
I would also spray the bike down with S&S Corrosion Protectant or equivalent if you also park your car in the garage after comming home with the car covered with snow and road salt.

As rino 2 said.

Then I sit back, close my eyes and get a big grin on my face listening to all the the others crying about how they can't wait for spring so they can ride again.

If you dress for it, it's not that bad riding in the winter.

[onahog]

Ditto as above, but every now an again over the 6-7 months my bikes have to sit for winter{Canada},,, I pull the clutch lever in...Helps to keep things movin and alows oil to get between plates..Just my 2 cents..HB

[wimoonshiner]

Clean it, make sure all 3 wheels are up on a piece of wood so it's off the concrete floor, steel wool up the exhaust pipes, Bounce fabric softner sheets every where ( ie. where ever there are wires so the little micey's don't chew on them ) Seafoam in the tank, battery tender on, items out of the tour pak and trunk, remove the seat and bring it in the house, give 'er a kiss & thank it for another safe year of "Bootleggin" and cover it up and close the doors!!

[GARYD]

Ditto as above, but every now an again over the 6-7 months my bikes have to sit for winter{Canada},,, I pull the clutch lever in...Helps to keep things movin and alows oil to get between plates..Just my 2 cents..HB

Glad to know I'm not the only one that does something with the clutch. I thought maybe that old timer was pulling my leg. Sounded right.

[rivercityjack]

The best possible way to store your trike for winter is as follows:
Clean up everything, check everything, pack the tourpack, fill with fuel
Drive trike in Haulmark trailer, secure with Condor front wheel lock
Secure rear of trike with tydowns to floor, to keep from moving sideways
Leave in neutral, so as to not damage the tranny, and apply rear trike brakes w/handle
Cover with trike cover to keep road dust away
Finish packing trailer with enough junk to last the winter
Leave Illinois and head SouthWest to Arizona for 6 months
Upon arriving in Arizona, unpack trailer, remove trike and ride all winter or until you need fuel again, then fill and keep it up going.
That is my way to winterize the trike. Leaving about the 26th of October and spend Halloween watching the candy parade in the SW

[rmrc51]

The best possible way to store your trike for winter is as follows:
Clean up everything, check everything, pack the tourpack, fill with fuel
Drive trike in Haulmark trailer, secure with Condor front wheel lock
Secure rear of trike with tydowns to floor, to keep from moving sideways
Leave in neutral, so as to not damage the tranny, and apply rear trike brakes w/handle
Cover with trike cover to keep road dust away
Finish packing trailer with enough junk to last the winter
Leave Illinois and head SouthWest to Arizona for 6 months
Upon arriving in Arizona, unpack trailer, remove trike and ride all winter or until you need fuel again, then fill and keep it up going.
That is my way to winterize the trike. Leaving about the 26th of October and spend Halloween watching the candy parade in the SW

Ya know,,, that sounds great! The hell with waiting until June to retire. I'll retire now, pack up my trike and go with you, lol.

[Bikerbozo]

[QUOTE=Ozarkryder;127174]Drain summer air out of tires and install proper winter air for our area.[/QUOTE
Summer/winter air? Either I am dense and missing the joke or I am a clown and missing the reason for different seasonal air?
I, of course, don't know the meaning of the word Winterize. TG is 2 years 4 months old. Passed 47,000 miles. Going to bring it in for an early 50k check at HD before riding out to Tucson next month for Thanksgiving.