Best way to winterize a 6th gen?

OK. There are quite a few "die hard bikers" this far north - and when asked "how do you winterize your bike" tarps, bungee cords and "chained to the sled dog house" have been the answers thus far. It gets cold up here. -40F is the norm during the dead of winter. I had a shed built for the bike for summer housing. Having said that - a few folks (non-bikers) up here think I'm overly cautious because I am very worried about over-wintering my baby in an unheated shed. I brought my bike in the house last year. Took out the battery and added fuel stabilzer to the tank - and all was fine. So....what to do? Leave my baby in an unheated shed or bring 'em in the house for the winter? I'm just wondering what other people have done to winterize their ride.

 

Brrrrrrr ... at -40 I'd have to figure how to winterize me!!! Inside I say .... inside!

 

Hey VG. If you can't store it inside or in a sheltered area, make sure the coolant/antifreeze will protect to the lowest temp you think it will get. This will keep the liquid from freezing and possibly cracking a head or cylinder from frozen coolant. Most antifreeze bottles have a instructions on the back to tell you how to mix it for a certain temp range. You can also cover it up to protect it from the wind, which makes it colder (at least feel colder anyway). Hope this helps some and hope I haven't repeated something you may already know.

 

............im glad this topic came up.....a friend(harley guy) thinks im crazy cause in the past i always brought the bike inside ,used gas stabilizer,removed battery ,etc...never had any problems down the road...he was concerned about the gas fumes,and/or possible fire potential....i discussed this potential hazzard with a different friend (car mechanic)...and his thoughts were that its probably reasonably safe since the gas tank is sealed....id like to hear some other opinions on this....thanks!!!

 

Heh - Keet - I was worried about those things too. So last winter I checked into a few things. Apparantly the gas cap on the VFR is the same as on a jet plane. Therefore, no fumes - ever! And having stored it in the house last winter - I can safely say - no fumes. Fire hazard? Don't store it near a heater or next to the fireplace.

Vman - great advice! (As always.) The bike is in the shed as we speak. Tomorrow it's coming out of the shed and I'll clean out the spare bedroom for the bike to move in. A cracked head or cylinder case is my worst nightmare for winter storage....thanks for the info Vman! OK...OK...so the VFR will have it's own bedroom...I know...I know...but, heh - we all ride eh? So YOU know what it's like....LOL! It's my BABY!

 

What leave it outside in a cold shed? no-way bring that baby inside. you did fine last time why not do it again. Good call I say, only thing I would do different is I'd leave the battery in and start it once a week, get it could and warm I'm not talking one of those run it fopr a couple minutes thing is to heat cycle get the water up to temp let it circlate around but since this sounds like it's deep in the house that might not be so easy. Reason keeps the oil stirred up, and keeps the parts lubed up, long term sitting is hard on an engine. plus oil that sits also gets acid build up so you might want to change the oil, then warm it up a bit that way you don't let it sit with contamanted oil. Most oil once used only has a life of like 4-6 months, at least thats what I've read ,so cheap insurnace to for me to change it if I know she's going to be still for awhile.

 

Thanks RVFR - the bike will be coming inside. But - I'm not going to start the VFR up once a week inside my house - or ever - inside my house. Best leave that for the spring and outdoors. Besides - I stored the battery in the closet last winter.

 

Hi viffergirl. I have been to Whitehorse a number of times, usually in winter, brrrrr, so I know the cold issue, really like the place so peaceful after the city. I think you have got pretty good advice so far. I am not sure how easy it is to get the bike in and out of the house but if it is not to difficulty I would try and get it outside reasonably often and run it till it gets fully warm then bring it back inside. You definitely should not run it inside. The tight air seals on most houses up north make for a very bad mix with fumes. It is important to get lubrication to the cylinder walls so you don't get rings in the cylinder walls. Even turning the engine over without running it will get the oil moving and the cylinders typically don't stop in exactly the same place. Although I inderstand that this is not as big a problem with modern engines as it used to be. They use different cylinder liners than in the old days.

A bedroom for the bike, I wonder if my wife would go for that? Nah. Mine has to sleep in the garage but at least we can run them year round down here (Vancouver)

 

The owners manual talks about removing the spark plugs and putting in a tablespoon of oil, then with the plugs are still out you hit the starter button and move the oil around to coat the cylinder walls I haven't performed a spark plug change on the bike so I have no idea how difficult it is to do. Also they suggest storing it with a full tank of gas and then replacing the gas and oil when spring arrives... I wish it was spring already! It sounds like a lot of work so I was just going to start it up a couple times per month during the dog days of winter.

 

I've always done the sta-bil in the full gas tank thing and never had any trouble with the bike running in the spring.

I just put it in my 04 this weekend and didn't feel any difference when I rode it. Mybe a little tiny bit of smoke on start up put none after the bike warms up. I also use 1 1/2 times as much as the directions recommnend.

 

I have a friend who used to park his 97 VFR in the dining room year-round.

 

Yes, I think I've had wonderful advice so far! Thanks everyone! And yes - the bike has it's own bedroom. But - I'm an "oddity" amoung women. At least that's been my impression. Everything is for the ride. :biggrin:

 

i do the same thing ,cause i work on mine too.

 

I live up here in New Hampshire... Not quite ascold but cold enough... Mine might be going my basement this year. Previous years it was in my Dad's garage... My house does not have a garage...(GRRRRRR)

My plan contingent on how my Dad is about it this year... In previous years it was no problem as he was travling cross country below route 10 (For those uninformed Route 10 accross USA never freezes.) Thus nobody but me would go in and out of corwded garage... I put Stabil in the gas and left the battery in and started it once a month and let it run... Even took it out on a warm day in January....

However, Dad is probably not making the trip this year and I have since just called the Dumpster comany to remove the 20 yard dumpster filled with all the crap that used to be in my basement. SO I think I will be moving it into the basement removing the battery and getting a battery tender... The Gas tank will be full and with Stabil as well...

I have been using Stabil in My Boats, Mopeds, and now motorcycles for over 10 years... In 2 cycle situations I have noticed that minor adjustments of the lean-rich adjustment makes the machines run just fine... In all 4 cycle applications I have noticed no issues with running out the first tank out in spring.. In fact I emptied last springs tank on a 200 mile loop around NH...

In your applicaton I think inside is best...It's a shame you do not have basement and you have to take up a spare room... Is your shed Insulated? I only wish my wife had your attitude about this... LOL But I would consider insulating your shed... It will still get below freezing inside it but maybe not as bad... This will sound funny but consider passive solar heat to keep the shed above freezing?

Bah...what do I know... I''m actually looking into building a shed for the bike... During the summer it stays in the driveway with a cover... yuck... But the Kids have Power wheels and I would rather stor them outside bring the batteries inside... And leave the bike out in the shed to start it once in a while.... Maybe build a big enough shed to do some work on it...

 

-40 !!! if its under 70 I get cold. But living in Arizona its year round riding for us !!! But like most people have already told you, i would put it inside again this year. If it gets that cold there i would be worried about a cracked head.
So do you decorate the room for your bike ?

 

Best Way to Winterize a Motorcycle:

BUY BETTER GLOVES AND BOOTS!

Just kidding, I spent the last 6 yrs in Idaho and know about winter. If it is stored outside, make sure the coolant won't freeze, fill the gas tank (I never used stabil before), fill the crankcase with oil (drain and change before riding), take the battery inside somewhere warm and where any fumes wouldn't matter. I covered it twice, once with a bike cover, once with a tarp (keeps the snow off).

On the other hand, if I had had a garage (or a spare bedroom I suppose), I would have left out the covers and filling the crankcase with oil.

I am moving to Hawaii in 3 weeks... and something tells me that I won't be winterizing anything... on the other hand, I won't be tooling around the north GA mountains either.

 

Well....I was thinking about decorating the room for the bike. Actually creating a mural with the "ideal" twisty road. Something to dream about during the very long winter up here.

Arizona? What do you do in that heat? I'd melt!

Mr.JoelieC - I do have a basement - but the entrance is too steep to get even my bicycle downstairs. So - the spare bedroom it is for the Viffer!

 

You should kick the hubby or boyfriend out. It could share your room then.

Perhaps put it in your bed, you lay a matress on the floor for yourself.:loco:

 

This is my first bike but I have stored a number of cars over the years and living in Calgary I have some (all too) familiarity with the cold. My two cents:

- change the oil
- pull the plugs and put oil in the plug holes, crank over to coat the cylinders
- if you are going to leave it in the shed, which might even be better since then it's exposed to less moisture and the cold will "preserve" it, then if you can't get the coolant to a safe temp zone being assured it won't freeze then drain the coolant completely (being in the shed would also help to keep the oil attached to the cylinder walls when it's cold rather than draining to the bottom), remove the battery
- if you feel you have to take it inside, then just don't drain the coolant and do disconnect the battery (preferrably put it on a trickle charger to keep it in good health)
- a friend of mine advised changing the oil (but not the filter) again in the spring due to further polluting as it sits in the bike but I've never done that before and that seems to be a bit of overkill to me
- you may want to deflate the tires somewhat (a few psi) if you take it in doors as well to take pressure off the rubber somewhat
- I too have never used fuel stabilizer and have not had any issues (always stored with a full tank)
- replace battery, plugs, fill tires, and coolant in the spring and ride safe!

Again only my two cents. Btw since this is my second post are my posts only worth a penny each?

 

Piperdown - sounds like you've got a good winterizing plan.
Hopsterman - LOL! Heh - like the colour of your bike. Is it custom painted?

The bike is in the house in it's own bedroom. Bought new curtains (black) which off-set the red wonderfully (girl-thing). The battery will be taken out this weekend and the trickle charger put on.

thanks for the advice all!