Winterizing!

[B440]

Sulu! Bitch factor five.... engage

[Kurlon]

Sulu! Bitch factor five.... engage

[darkduc7]

- fill with gas
- put stabil in
- run till bike quits, drain residual from carbs (skip for fi)
- change oil
- battery tender
- stands if u got em
- get really drunk all winter to forget your sadness OR stud up dirtbike OR both.

[TheIglu]

I've never put my bikes up on stands and never overfilled my tires. Also never had a flat spot. And that's with 6 bikes every year, which means 5 years of my experience is equal to 30 years of a normal person.

Keeping your bikes somewhat warm is most important IMO. Or at least at a consistent temp.

Only carb issue I've had in the last 5 or so years has been my 4 wheeler since it lived outside for a spring/summer, gummed right up. All my other bikes (14 carbs worth) don't seem to have any issue being put to sleep with ethanol gas in October/early November and woken up in April without Stabil. They live in the basement where the temperature fluctuations are slow and minimal.

I don't even have to pull the batteries anymore. Just have a pigtail on all of the bikes and I swap the tender every week.

[FalArAk]

I am still in denial,there might be a good weekend left before I park it in my living room.

I'm originally from CA so I never winterized before.Last year(my first bike season here) I just put Startron in the tank,changed the oil and coolant put the bike in my living room and took it apart.

[me109g4]

I just winterized the KZ1000, put it on the bike lift, changed oil and filter, draned the carb bowls and put a shot of light oil into each. I drained the tank and put a pint of 2 stroke oil in and slopped it around. As to the battery, past experience has shown that leaving the tender on all the time can slowly evaporate the water out of the battery, so i put a timer on the tender so it only charges 20 mins a day. I do that for a week, then the tender goes to the other bike for a week. Thats how i do mine, so far it seems to have proved itself.

[TheIglu]

As to the battery, past experience has shown that leaving the tender on all the time can slowly evaporate the water out of the battery, so i put a timer on the tender so it only charges 20 mins a day. I do that for a week, then the tender goes to the other bike for a week. Thats how i do mine, so far it seems to have proved itself.

That's a good idea. I'll probably do the same.

[RandyO]

I still haven't got around to mounting my studded front tire

[Kitt]

Keeping your bikes somewhat warm is most important IMO. Or at least at a consistent temp.
All my other bikes (14 carbs worth) don't seem to have any issue being put to sleep with ethanol gas in October/early November and woken up in April without Stabil.

You're experience is counted as 1. 6 bikes 5 years? NEWB

Consistently cold (sub freezing) is no good... but fluctuating temps can help "age" your fuel. What I'm curious on is - what is the "woken" up process you speak of? It sounds like you keep them above freezing inside, which is awesome (jealous)... many of us don't have that luxury. Do you fire em up with the fuel from the fall?



I will go through this thread and update post #1 to gather some of the great points people have made. I will also say, I have had issues with "flat spots" (meaning i can feel an imbalance at speeds) on soft carcass tires - Not sure if that suggestion gets pulled.

[TheIglu]

Yeah, I run them in the spring with the fuel from the fall. Have only had an issue when the machine was left outside for the winter or inside in a non-controlled temp.

[Sheppo]

Mine have always been in a non-heated garage, never had an issue due to cold. Tender 1 week a month, nothing special to the tires, a little stabil in a full tank and that's it. I change my oil in the spring. I get 5-6 years out of a battery and have never had an oil issue.

[Kitt]

Yeah, I run them in the spring with the fuel from the fall. Have only had an issue when the machine was left outside for the winter or inside in a non-controlled temp.

Be careful with this... aged fuel can burn pistons. breaks down and causes lean condition. I am now in the habit of draining winter gas before I start anything.

[G21forme]

Be careful with this... aged fuel can burn pistons. breaks down and causes lean condition. I am now in the habit of draining winter gas before I start anything.

This, I give it to my boss for bonfires as a couple gallons of fuel isn't worth and damage.