I'd siphon the gas out of the tank and run her dry. Call me silly but I wouldn't be too keen on sleeping with the possible gas fumes.

Oh and don't forget the Christmas lights for that festive bike look in Dec

 

Christmas lights + f4i = converstaion piece.......

 

Hey it would be great if there was a Sticky How-To on winterizing/ storing. Since there are different extents to which ppl need to winterize it could be broken up by number of months the bike would be stored.

I would think Minnesota would need to do more than NJ - but based on how much snow we got here last winter - maybe not!

 

I wouldn't start it up unless you're going to run it for at least long enough to evaporate all the condensation and get the revs up high enough long enough to recharge the battery.

Otherwise, this is good advice. If you can't put the bike up on stands, you might want to roll it forward or backward a few inches every week or so to prevent flat spots on your tires. And definitely make sure the tires are fully inflated. And do an oil change before you put the bike away for the winter.

 

If you leave your bike outside or in a garage with cement floors, keep your bike on wood or your front and rear stands to prevent speeding tire degradation.

As for changing your oil before or after the winter, a lot of people disagree with this. I usually change my oil a couple months before the winter time so since I am usually due for a change when November comes anyway, I just change my oil and refill with really cheap walmart grade 10W-40 (it costs me about 8.00) and change again when I am about to ride again in the early spring.

As for the fuel, again, another debatable topic. I run the Sta-bil. I don't run empty as rust could form in the tank.

What I do is this:

Fuel stabilizer, air up tires to 36/42; wash and wax bike; change oil with cheap oil (change again before I ride), remove battery and keep inside house being on Tender periodically, put bike on stands (both front and back) and lube the chain.

I've been doing this for the last 3 winters and haven't had any problems. Sure, you could argue that most of the above is a waste of time, but it is worth it to me.

 

Car oil isn't good for your clutch. why not just leave the old oil in it and change in the spring? Here in IN, we sometimes get a 50 degree in Jan. and I might feel like going for a ride. I wouldn't wan't to do that with cheap car oil in my pride and joy.

 

Good question and a good point.

I just like having fresh oil in my bike over the winter. However, I never ride during the winter no matter how warm it gets. If it is not late March or Early April warmth, my bike is not started or ridden.

The oil is just a filler. I put it in, it sits, then I change it out before it gets a chance to run through my engine. Additionally, a lot of forum folks here like to use automotive Shell Rotella 5w-40 synthetic--which I also use during the riding season, so it's not the first time car oil has been in my bike. Again, this is just a preference of mine that I have been satisfied with.

 

Shell Rotella is not car oil. It is oil for diesel motors that so happens to be JASO-MA certified. That is the certification given to oil that meets the requirements of Japanese motorcycles. It also doesn't contain the friction modifiers that are bad for your clutch. The T5 blend Rotella oil is not JASO-MA certified. Only the full synthetic and dino oil. As far as putting oil in, why not leave it empty then? All its doing is sitting in the pan. It doesn't even touch the crank shaft. It would do you good to start it periodically to lubricate the motor and charge the battery. It's your bike. Do as you wish. It just sounds like extra money and labor that's going to waste.

 

Thanks for correcting me, but my mention of Shell Rotella being automotive is because it meets the specifications for automotive (gasoline) oil as well, although the primary use is heavy duty/diesel.

I've only used the full synthetic.

To answer your question about why not run empty, I never knew you could. My bike usually sits from November until March/April, and I am not sure what problems can occur such as rust or moisture build up or whatever else. If it is safe to run empty, I would.

For starting my bike, I've read mixed feeling of people saying if it is a good idea or not, so I just decided not to go that route and keep my battery on and off a tender for the 5 months of sitting.

 

Starting your bike every couple of weeks is far better than letting it sit for 3 months. If internals are going to rust, it will rust just from sitting regardless of what's sitting in the pan. If you start it, you'll be lubricating the upper parts of the motor. If it sits, the only thing bathed on oil is the pick up.