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Winter Storage

lasnin

New member
Well, for me in my geographical location, I may only one more month of safe, comfortable riding left..

So besides keeping the bike in the garage with cover, and some Stabil in the gas and using the battery tender now and then, are there any other suggestions for winter ❄️ bike storage?

TIA
 
Well, for me in my geographical location, I may only one more month of safe, comfortable riding left..

So besides keeping the bike in the garage with cover, and some Stabil in the gas and using the battery tender now and then, are there any other suggestions for winter ❄️ bike storage?

TIA

Regarding a cover, inside a building I would use a permeable cover like a bed sheet instead of a water resistant bike cover. This will keep dust and any bird debris off the bike but won't trap moisture under the cover.
 
I recommend disconnecting the battery to eliminate any parasitic electrical draw. If your battery is healthy and stored fully charged in a cold environment, then you can turn on the tender once a month and it will be good.

Do you have mice? They can do damage. Not something I've ever had trouble with but supposedly mothballs will keep them at bay.
 
I recommend disconnecting the battery to eliminate any parasitic electrical draw. If your battery is healthy and stored fully charged in a cold environment, then you can turn on the tender once a month and it will be good.

Do you have mice? They can do damage. Not something I've ever had trouble with but supposedly mothballs will keep them at bay.

Have I been doing this wrong? After changing all the fluids, I have always left the battery tenders connected to both bikes all winter. The Odyssey in the K lasted seven years doing this. :dunno

Mothballs and traps must work as I've never had a mouse problem. Of course there have been complaints from my better half about moth ball odour.
 
I've also left the battery connected all winter. I alternate the smart charger from bike to bike every two weeks, plugging it right in to an SAE connected directly to the battery. Any parasitic loss is corrected when it's plugged in. Other than that, I change all fluids before putting them up. The sidecar rig goes up on jackstands to make winter cleaning easier and to keep the tires from prolonged contact with the concrete. The two-wheeler goes on the centerstand with a wad of bubblewrap under the front tire.
 
Have I been doing this wrong? After changing all the fluids, I have always left the battery tenders connected to both bikes all winter. The Odyssey in the K lasted seven years doing this. :dunno

Mothballs and traps must work as I've never had a mouse problem. Of course there have been complaints from my better half about moth ball odour.

Not if what you are doing is working for you.
 
Winter Storage follow - up

Hey folks, thanks for all the suggestions, now I am just worried about parasites and mice! :)

Seriously, what are opinions on actually starting the bike up every now and then and letting it idle for a few minutes?..

TIA
 
Hey folks, thanks for all the suggestions, now I am just worried about parasites and mice! :)

Seriously, what are opinions on actually starting the bike up every now and then and letting it idle for a few minutes?..

TIA

Bad idea. Terrible. Sad! Wrong in a bigly way!

First, when you change the oil the virgin stuff is pure as can be.

Secondly, idling the engine for just a few minutes won't bring it up to the temp where moisture is burned off. If you're going to start it, run it hard for an hour.
 
Hey folks, thanks for all the suggestions, now I am just worried about parasites and mice! :)

Seriously, what are opinions on actually starting the bike up every now and then and letting it idle for a few minutes?..

TIA

Not recommended.
 
starting bike periodically

Hey folks, thanks for all the suggestions, now I am just worried about parasites and mice! :)

Seriously, what are opinions on actually starting the bike up every now and then and letting it idle for a few minutes?..

TIA

What you need to do is get it up to operational temperature for a significant time to allow enough time to evaporate any water that may have condensed in the crankcase. A brief run without a non-trivial period of being fully warm is probably not a good idea. Best option is just to ride for a 1/2 hour a month, if you are able (considering snow, etc.) Keeps the battery up, too.
 
Hey folks, thanks for all the suggestions, now I am just worried about parasites and mice! :)

Mice have already been plentiful around here- I like a mixture of "bait" and traps. The mice create problems with their urine, their chewing and nesting- especially in the air-boxes. If the bike sits for a time and you suspect mice, it's good to have a look in the air-box/filter area so you don't suck nesting materials into the engine intake.
As for starting once in a while, I don't think it matters much. The bike sat for months before it was purchased. I'm a fan of a battery tender for obvious reasons. I like a bit of a cover (not tight plastic) to keep the dust and what-not off. If you can fill and run with non-ethanol gas, you will be amazed at the benefits especially with a dose of Techron, some Stabil and a bit of two-stroke oil. I like the two-stroke oil- or Mystery oil, for the coating it leaves inside the gas tank and other metal surfaces as an inhibitor to condensation induces flash rust.
Good Luck.
Gary
 

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Scooter Forum.

Lasnin, completing your profile and providing your location and model of bike will be helpful.
A07AB043-838D-4A03-A820-427474429C25.jpg
I am in the far NorthEastern corner of California, having moved down here after 12 years in Sitka, Alaska.
 
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