winterization

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Social Distortion · Sat Aug 19, 2006 5:54 pm

hi everyone
read the sticky on winterization and maybe i wasnt paying attention, but can you guys explain a couple questions i have?

a) obviously, you winterize your MC if you will not be riding it over a perioud of time during the colds months of Winter ( and i live in Chicago and it gets cold!).....does this also count if you start your MC weekly, but not ride it?
or how about short little trips ( under 5 miles).
Do i still go through all the steps in winterizing my motorcycle if i do either of the above?

Just sold my MC and planning on getting a new one, but with winter kinda around the corner i am just thinking ahead-

ZooTech · #2 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:37 pm

First off, don't just start your bike up for five minutes at a time. If you're gonna start it up throughout the winter months, get on it and ride. You're doing more harm than good by starting it up and failing to allow it to reach operating temp and boil off accumulated moisture. If you're not the type who rides when it's really cold then, yes, fully winterize it and leave it be. That includes treating the gas with a stabilizer, topping off the tank, changing the oil, waxing the paint and chrome (and not buffing it back off), and rubber-banding plastic wrap over the exhaust openings. If it'll be down for several months, fogging the cylinders isn't a bad idea, either.

Bachstrad37 · Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:40 pm

If you're going to start and run the bike 5 miles once a week, you don't need to winterize it. In fact, it's wasteful if you go through the steps of fogging the cylinder walls and then starting up over and over.

This will be my first year with winterizing a motorcycle, but I've done plenty of seasons with summerizing my snowmobiles. The concept is the same.

My question to you is - why not just winterize it and wait til next spring to start it? These cold starts and short trips causes a lot of unecessary wear especially if you're not going to ride the bike long enough to get it up to its peak operating temperature. Peak varies from bike to bike so the length and how hard you run it differs. Reaching the the burn-off temp. is really important. That requires the bike to get up to max. operating temperature. Five miles may not do it for some bikes. In fact, with winter temps...it's unlikely.

IcyHound · #4 Unread post by **IcyHound** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 12:08 am

How long can you go without riding before you need to winterize?

xsyamahadg · Sun Aug 20, 2006 12:45 am

You shouldn't allow the bike to sit for more than a couple of weeks at a time before winterizing. The reason I say that is gas these days tends to turn sour in the carbs very quickly. When the gas evaporates it leaves deposits in the jets and other parts of the carbs. If I know my bikes are going to sit for more than 3 weeks, I drain the carbs, it's easy and good insurance against having to clean the carbs.

scan · #6 Unread post by **scan** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 4:21 am

I repeat what Zootech said - DO NOT start a bike for 5 minute in the cold of Winter and just shut it down. If you are going to run it over the cold months make sure you get it up to full operating temp by riding it for at least 20 minute to a half an hour. The way you are suggesting will build up moisture in your system, and in the case, yes - winterize the bike. I ride all Winter just so I don't have to winterize.

Social Distortion · Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:44 pm

thanks you guys
well, here is what i was thinking

I was planning on winterizing my MC and just putting her up when the heart of winter comes, but like most people, i am assuming that the itch to ride when the weather gets a little better will get the best of me. So initially, my thoughts were to just start the MC every now and then and go for a ride occassionally, since i dont see myself riding in the snow here in Chicago, but i also wanted to option to ride when it was bareable.
I do have a 15 mile commute and i am wondering if riding my MC atleast 2 times per week in the winter may be beneficial for my MC and i could avoid winterizing my girl......

ZooTech · #8 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:50 pm

If you're fairly certain you can ride it a decent distance at least once a month you should be fine just treating the gas with SeaFoam or Stabil and putting a heavy coat of wax on the perishables. Switching to synthetic oil (if you haven't already) would also be advisable. You'll also want to check and see if your battery is a maintenance-free gel type, or the PITA water-filled type. If the former, no worries. If the latter, keep it warm and on a tender lest you come out to battery acid eating through the frame.