Long Island New York

[DrJimmy]

Just got my Lic finally at the age of 46. So I thought I start off slow and picked up this 2000 a few weeks ago.
Of course it's already time to get ready for the winter and I'm looking for some advice..

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by DrJimmy

Of course it's already time to get ready for the winter and I'm looking for some advice..

Regarding what exactly ??
Storage......winter riding.......???????

The first can be found with a search here and as for riding in the winter time.....don't. :biggrin:

[burkbuilds]

Welcome to the forum! Hope you love your bike, I stated riding again at age 44 after about a 25 year lay off, and I'm hooked again. If you plan to store it for a while, I would at least recommend draining all the fuel out of it or you will probably have gum and varnish build up and bad fuel too when it's time to ride again in the spring. There's probably more you should do, check the posts like Easy Rider recommended, it's not a problem for me down south, I ride all year round pretty much every day.

[mrlmd1]

Rather than draining the fuel out and emptying the tank, another recommended option is to totally fill it to make the air space in the tank as small as possible and eliminate condensation (water) forming in the tank, add a fuel stabilizer, run it for a while to circulate that into the carb, and change the oil before storing it. Lube the chain with whatever you want so it doesn't sit and get rusty. Clean and wax it up before you lay it up, it's easier to clean if off in the spring if it just sits in a corner somewhere for many months. Check the tires pressure, roll it around a little every few weeks. Charge up the battery periodically with a battery tender or small output charger. Start it up and run it for 10 - 15 min once every week or two.
Many more tips on here if you search a little.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

Start it up and run it for 10 - 15 min once every week or two.

Can I comment on this without you going off on another tirade ?? :roll:

That was pretty much perfect advice, except for the above. Most "experts" recommend that you NOT do that; that you not start it at all unless you can actually ride it long enough to get it up to normal operating temperature (hot).

[mrlmd1]

OK, no tirade, just a question - if it sits running for 10-15 min., won't that have it warm up to normal operating temperature? I realize there is no load on the engine but mine seemed to do that within 3-5 min., maybe even less as I no longer needed the choke before I was down to the end of the block for it to be running fine.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

if it sits running for 10-15 min., won't that have it warm up to normal operating temperature?

Yes, mostly. It probably won't hurt anything, really.

I did exactly that for a LOT of years but then saw an opinion or two that said you don't really get the condensation out of the pipes by just idling (and you likely leave a small puddle of rusty water on the floor). Also that everything doesn't circulate completely with long periods at idle.
Then there is the cooling question with an air cooled engine and/or a coolant circulation question with a liquid cooled one.

It is also generally recommended that you don't idle any engine for long periods of time (except those that are designed for it). Big diesels seem to be an exception; maybe they are designed for it.

Then I got to thinking about all the engines we had around the farm that we didn't bother to start up every few weeks during the winter........that lasted what seemed like forever......and I changed my mind.

It is just an opinion.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

Rather than draining the fuel out and emptying the tank, another recommended option is to totally fill it to make the air space in the tank as small as possible and eliminate condensation (water) forming in the tank, add a fuel stabilizer, run it for a while to circulate that into the carb, and change the oil before storing it. Lube the chain with whatever you want so it doesn't sit and get rusty. Clean and wax it up before you lay it up, it's easier to clean if off in the spring if it just sits in a corner somewhere for many months. Check the tires pressure, roll it around a little every few weeks. Charge up the battery periodically with a battery tender or small output charger. Start it up and run it for 10 - 15 min once every week or two.
Many more tips on here if you search a little.

i would agree with most of that, but i would take the battery out so it does not set out in the cold all winter, and yes stick the charger on it a few times threw out the winter but keep the battery in side where it is warm, fill her up with gas and put some stabilizer in there, rool it around so the tires dont set in the same exact spot all winter, that way there should not be a chance of getting flat spots in the tires. and every other thing mentioned here but.......


i dont think i would run it much, as some one else mentioned depending now how cold it is. if it is much below 30 degreese i probably would not start it up. warm up times will probably be long in those temperatures and i always hear its not good to run the bike at idle for long periods of time, not much air moving threw the motor at idle..

[alantf]

Not MY comments - Just copying a paragraph from "the motorcycle handbook" by Ben Gresler, S.A.E. and Kevin M.G. Maher, A.S.E.

The capitals are theirs.

Once you have put it in storage, LEAVE IT ALONE. You can drool on it (as long as you dry it afterwards). You can rub body parts against it (as long as you don't scratch it or remove too much wax). You can get in your leathers, sit on it and go "Vroom . . . Vroom." while spitting on yourself. But don't start it just to listen or to "warm the motor". Idling it won't warm the motor very much, probably will not charge the battery, definitely won't do anything for the drivechain and will most likely leave some condensation in the exhaust to rust your precious pipes and mufflers. LEAVE IT ALONE UNTIL IT IS PROPERLY REMOVED FROM STORAGE.

This comes at the end of 10 pages of good advice on winter storage, so it's up to you whether you take their advice or not. :popcorn:

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by dannylightning

i would agree with most of that, but i would take the battery out so it does not set out in the cold all winter,

OK, you would do that; I got no problem with that.....as long as you know that cold is NOT bad for a battery, down to the freezing point of the acid solution.......which is about -20 F or so.

You lose some capacity WHILE it is cold but that's temporary and is regained when it warms up.
The battery will self-discharge LESS in the cold.

So, leaving a little margin for error, my recommendation is to not mess with it unless the temp. will get down to 0 F. and stay there for more than a few hours.

In an unheated shed in Illinios, I have a truck, a tractor and 2 mowers. They all get a shot from the charger about once a month........while still IN the vehicle. My bike is in a partially heated garage so it keeps it's battery too.