Winterizing too often?

While we are on the subject ...

Truth be told, (and depending somewhat on the locale) good winterization includes more than attention to the fuel.

A good wash and fresh coat of wax can't hurt. Put the bike away clean, and moisture is deprived of a base to which to bond, thereby retarding most chemical action (deteroiation) on the metal, chrome, or other parts.

In some places, it is necessary to seal off the ends of the exhaust pipes, lest insects, house meece, or sneaky woodland critters take up residence.

The same applies to the air intake at the airbox. Upon taking his Harley out after winter storage several years back, one local friend discovered a dead mouse lodged under the tank -- when a mysterious odor wafted up to greet him at a stoplight. He went home and removed the baked mouse remains. But the residual odor still took a while to dissipate. Apparently, the mouse was fleeing the air box when he met his untimely end.

For general purposes, putting the bike on the center stand on a level surface is better than leaving it on the side stand.

Parked on the center stand, it is further helpful to air the tires to spec, and then slide a block of wood or styrofoam under the front tire to get it off the slab or dirt. Some old school techs used to recommend a rubdown of the tires with WD 40 at this point to stave off dry rot. By the time it hits the road again in the sping, the lube has lost its slickness.

Finally, covering the bike with a breathable cover (i.e., one that does not retain humidity) to keep dust and crud from accumulating will do wonders for prolonging the finish.

No claim for origionality here. I read most of it someplace that I just can't recall.

Last winter (my first in a cold climate), I filled up the tank and did nothing else and didn't ride the bike for a few months. When spring came around, I charged the battery and went riding. It was a little reluctant to start at first, and it stumbled every now and then with that first tank of gas.

This year, I just kept riding. I ride at least a day or two per week, fill up when I need to. The battery stays charged and the bike runs great (once it gets warmed up, which is about the same time I pull into work).

If I weren't going to ride it, I'd top off the fuel before puting it away. In the spring, I'd drain it and dump it in the cage and fill up with fresh gas.

Winterizing

I have used stabil for years on various makes of bikes with no problem.
Last year I used a marine product that was written up in Motorcycle Consumer News called 'Valvtect, an ethanol gasoline treatment' on an R1150RTP and had no problems.

Peter
2013 F800GT

I Likes ma Sta-bil!

Me too. Winters here while cold are dry most of the time. So, I try to ride when I can.
Stabil in the FULL tank of non-ethanol fuel works best for me. I also use Sea-Foam mixed with the gas a couple of times during the warmer climes to help keep things from getting gummy.

164809 said:

I have used stabil for years on various makes of bikes with no problem.
Last year I used a marine product that was written up in Motorcycle Consumer News called 'Valvtect, an ethanol gasoline treatment' on an R1150RTP and had no problems.

Peter
2013 F800GT

Click to expand...

james1300 said:

Me too. Winters here while cold are dry most of the time. So, I try to ride when I can.
Stabil in the FULL tank of non-ethanol fuel works best for me. I also use Sea-Foam mixed with the gas a couple of times during the warmer climes to help keep things from getting gummy.

Click to expand...

WoW...you guys dug up an oldie. Good to see you lookin' 'round
OM

Wonder if Brad or Gale (lorazepam) are still riding. Last posts were 8 years ago.

Oh, what the heck, I'll add to an old thread:

Up here in east central Wisconsin the winters get pretty cold and dry. I usually ride from mid-March to the end of November. Put the bike away but at the ready for those odd few days in the winter when I can get it out and actually ride it. But, I never start it up during the winter "just to warm it up" and shut it down. That does NOTHING good for the engine. If I do start it up, its for an actual ride that gets it fully warmed and exercised.

When I do put it away (going on 19 years with my 94 RS and 172k miles) I have never used Stabil. I always fill it full with non-ethanol gas. I also regularly use Chevron Techron at least twice a season. My 94 RS is still on the original (untouched) fuel injectors, fuel pump, fuel regulator with no problems. Idles smooth and is easy to balance the TB's using my cheapo mercury sticks. But I think another factor is to regularly ride the bike, and a ride is at least a 1/2 hour of constant highway speed, not just putting around town in 3rd gear.

I have seen a bunch of BMW's in the shop with corroded/gummed up fuel systems because the bikes only get ridden 1500 miles a year if that much. So if the bike spends most of its time idle, not ridden, especially if ethanol blend fuels are your only choice, then I think Stabil is a good product to use.