Tips for Winterizing Your Motorcycle

Mike Rush

The roads on the Delmarva peninsula are clear of ice and snow for a major part of the winter season.  However, not all motorcycle riders are warm-blooded enough to keep riding during those cool months.  If this is true of you, you will want to take care of your bike during hibernation. Here are some essential tips to make the spring thaw easy on you, your bike and your wallet.

Fuel System:
We recommend you use a fuel stabilizer to keep your gas fresh and protect your carburetors/fuel injection system and gas tank from corrosion and residual deposits.


Star-Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment cures and prevents Ethanol fuel problems.  Fill your tank and add Star-Tron following the directions on the bottle.  Run the engine for 5-10 minutes to circulate the treated fuel through the system.  If possible, turn off the fuel valve and run the engine until it runs out of gas. This helps prevent the formation of gum inside your carburetor.   It works great in lawn mowers, garden tools, snowmobiles and personal watercraft too!


Tires:
Tires are affected by heat, sunlight, dampness and ozone (created by electric motors, pollution and lightning).  Keep your bike out of direct sunlight and away from electric motors, i.e. the refrigerator and/or freezer in the garage.  Store your bike with tires fully inflated in a cool, dry place.  Use your center stand to take the bike's weight off the tires.  If you do not have a center stand, try to move the bike a few inches every couple of weeks to prevent flat spots from forming.

Battery:
The simplest way to prolong battery life is to keep it fully charged.  We recommend either a Battery Tender or Optimate Charger/maintainer.  With either unit, you may leave your battery connected indefinitely.  They self-regulate to keep the battery fully charged.  Always use caution:  Follow the battery manufacturer's instructions and the charger directions when handling a battery!  It is also beneficial  to keep the battery in a warm dry place.  Please remember to handle your battery properly.


Lubrication:
During use, your engine oil becomes acidic from combustion.  Prior to storage, we recommend that you change your oil and run the engine for a few minutes to circulate it.  You may want to change the oil again in the spring, as condensation may form during storage.  However, the fall oil change is more important.  Don't forget to lube the chain and all the cables & linkages, too!


General:
There are several cover options, from inexpensive Dowco indoor dust covers to the Dowco Guardian/Weatherall covers, for outdoor protection.  Additionally, a liberal coat of good, quality wax or protectant is a great idea to protect your investment.

These precautions are not only great for winterization, but are great year-round practices that will save you hundreds of dollars in repair/replacement costs and riding time.  You will maintain your bike's peak condition for safe riding and possible resale or trade-in.