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Preparing Your Motorcycle For Winter Storage
Autumn Winds Beckon Motorcycle Winter Storage
That time of year has rolled around again. Autumn leaves scurry across the ground ahead of chill winds hinting at the winter to come. Naked tree branches point bony fingers at darkened, lowering skies that will soon shower the landscape with sleet and snow. It is time to start preparing your motorcycle for winter storage. That, of course, means doing a little more than simply parking your motorcycle in an out of the way corner of the garage or pulling a cover over it while it sits in storage building. Proper motorcycle winter storage will go a long way to getting your bike ready for spring and a long, useful life.
The first step in getting your bike ready for its winter hiatus is reading the maintenance and repair manual. The manual will give you valuable tips and maintenance that should be done before storing the bike for the winter. Even if the repair manual does not delve into the steps of preparing for winter, it will outline maintenance and tune-up procedures for trouble free riding when the weather warms in the spring.
Winter Storage Tips
Here are a few tips for preparing your motorcycle for winter storage.
- Clean and wax the bike. A clean bike will keep grease, oil, dirt and corrosive materials from damaging the paint or parts of you motorcycle.
- Park the bike in such a way that both tires are sitting on wood. This will protect the rubber from cracking or rotting. If the bike is outside for the winter months, you certainly do not want the rubber sitting on the ground where the tires can weather check or rot and crack.
- Drain the oil and flush the crankcase. This will keep corrosive and gumming deposits from building up over the winter months. Replace the oil filter at this time while you are at it. You had just as well begin the spring with a new oil filter.
- Lubricate the chain or shaft drive. This will prevent rust from forming that can damage the chain or shaft while the bike is in storage.
- Drain the fuel from the fuel tank and the carburetor. Sediments in gasoline can clog fuel lines. Old fuel can create a harmful varnish on carburetor parts and fuel lines. Old gasoline can also get stringy, plugging carburetors and fuel line filters.
- Go over the wiring. Run your fingers along all exposed wiring to check for cracks or breaks in the insulation. If any are found, repair or replace the defective wiring right away. While you are at it, be sure and check to make sure all wiring connections are corrosion free and tightly fitted together.
- Disconnect and remove the battery. The battery will discharge during the winter months. The acid solution in the battery will freeze when the battery discharges. This freezing will crack or damage the battery case. You also want to make sure no one tries to start the bike while the crankcase is empty of oil.
- Clean the battery cable connections. This is a good time to clean the battery cable connections and the battery posts. These connections can become glazed during use. Fine steel wool or a battery cleaner will brighten them back up. Once they are cleaned you can coat them with grease to seal them. This grease can be easily removed next spring.
- Check the brakes. Check the wear on disc brakes and make sure the brake fluid reservoir is filled.
- Clean or change the air filter. This is also a good time to clean and change the air filter.
- Change your insurance policy. Most insurance companies offer special reduced rates for motorcycles that are in winter storage.
A repair manual will give you all of the how-to information that you will need to perform these simple maintenance procedures. This manual will also tell you the correct filters to use when replacing filters and other components. You can also check with your dealer for additional how-to information to help you get your bike ready for storage.
Winter winds, ice and snow may force you to park your bike for a few months, but with a little end of the season maintenance, your bike will be quickly ready for spring.
Get ready now for those balmy spring days that seemingly beg you to swing astride your motorcycle. Your bike will be ready to ride much more quickly next spring by following a few simple motorcycle winter storage tips.
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Preparing Your Motorcycle For Winter Storage |
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