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In the past conventional wisdom has been to drain the gas tank and carbs and to
disconnect the battery but with current options this is no longer the best thing to
do
exposed metal creates water condensate in cold weather and water and oxygen
creates rust (iron oxide)
in the past the rust was the lesser of two evils as gas sitting for a length of time
tends to settle out (varnish) and gum things up big time - but with STA-BIL this is
no longer the case
so for winterizing today you should add some sta-bil to the tank - and ride a little
bit to make sure the treated gas is what is in the carbs and lines - you then should
FILL UP FULLY before storing (and add some more sta-bil) - the full fill is to avoid
EXPOSED metal that will condensate and create water in the tank .. gas and water
do not mix - and watter settles to the bottom of the tank (the usual rust out point)
the more gas you have filling the tank = the less exposed metal you have
collecting water vapor as condensation - you should also add a little HEET to the
gas tank to chemically bind up whatever water does occur - heet is a specific type
of alcohol that does mix with water and chemically binds it so it is part of the gas
mix and not settled on the tank bottom
side note: I even add heet to the tank once a month during the ride season as
well to reduce water rust effects - plus I also add some STP occasionally to help
stretch the time between required carb cleanings ... and one last thing I do 3-4
times a season is add a capful of marvel mystery oil to the tank (a little goes a
long way - do not overdo)
back to winterizing... you should also do an oil change before putting the bike up
for the winter as dirty oil is slightly acidic from the metal and carbonized by
products - fresh oil reduces the etching effects by not being as acidic as old oil -
fresh oil also has less particle sludge that could settle to the bottom of hollows
inside the engine over the winter - and your engine will be MUCH happier pumping
fresh oil through it's first start up in the spring instead of old sludge ... and you'll
be much happier being able to ride those early warm days instead of having to
worry about an overdue oil change
regarding the battery - most today tend to hook the battery up to a motorcycle
specific trickle charge battery tender - be sure to get the kind with auto overload
cut off and designed for motorcylcle use
and finally - try to refrain from starting the engine just to hear it idle in the winter ...
unlike a car with a belt that is running even if the car isn't in gear - a bike usually
only produces electricity when it is moving at a decent rpm for an extended period
- 30 mins of continuous near highway speeds is usually what it takes to recharge
the battery from the drain of a start up (which is why the people who "only ride 10
miles to work and back everyday" get so confused when their battery dies on
them one day - throw in a longer weekend ride periodically to keep the battery
charged) again a battery tender does help this but start ups also do more than
just tap off the battery - they also are a little more wear and tear on the insides of
the engine and some bikes must be moving in order for proper oil flow to occur -
and it uses gas that lowers the level in the tank (see rust caveats above) - not to
mention the exhaust dangers of a enclosed garage ...so basically try to refrain
from starting the bike up unless you intend to actually go for a ride
that said - with a bike that has a full tank of sta-bil-ized gas - and a charger
tended battery - and fresh oil in the engine there is no reason not to be able to
just hop on and fire it up when those first tempting warm spell days crop up in the
spring - or even those rare sunny dry mid winter thaw days ... try to avoid riding
where wet salt spray can get on you and the bike - and watch out for the insidious
salt dust from dry roads - it's not pleasant to get in your eyes - and salt eats bikes
far worse than it eats cars - and in some areas sand from the plow trucks is also a
factor to be cautious of in the spring - and one thing some may not have
considered is man hole covers or drainage grates do sometimes get plowed up or
otherwise dislodged and might flip open under your tire when you ride over them -
so be especially alert in the spring - and keep in mind that even on warm spell
days it gets COLD fast when the sun drops
doing as I outlined has the ride ready at a moments notice (just unhook the
battery tender and go)
hope this helped with some things to consider and keep in mind
http://forum.motorcycle-usa.com/?f=17&m=49482&g=49487
===========
fill the tank FULL with gas - to lessen the exposed metal surface area that collects
water condensation ... plus be sure to put STA-BIL in the gas tank ... I also put in
some STP and HEET to help bind up whatever water does condensate ... make
sure the fuel petcock is tuned to OFF ... change the oil so its fresh and ready for
spring and so sludge doesn't settle over winter ... some disconnect the battery -
others put it on a motorcycle battery tender slow trickle charger for the winter ... I
also take mine out for a short spin when it's a rare dry sunny day in the winter -
and be sure to top the tank off just before putting it back
disconnect the battery but with current options this is no longer the best thing to
do
exposed metal creates water condensate in cold weather and water and oxygen
creates rust (iron oxide)
in the past the rust was the lesser of two evils as gas sitting for a length of time
tends to settle out (varnish) and gum things up big time - but with STA-BIL this is
no longer the case
so for winterizing today you should add some sta-bil to the tank - and ride a little
bit to make sure the treated gas is what is in the carbs and lines - you then should
FILL UP FULLY before storing (and add some more sta-bil) - the full fill is to avoid
EXPOSED metal that will condensate and create water in the tank .. gas and water
do not mix - and watter settles to the bottom of the tank (the usual rust out point)
the more gas you have filling the tank = the less exposed metal you have
collecting water vapor as condensation - you should also add a little HEET to the
gas tank to chemically bind up whatever water does occur - heet is a specific type
of alcohol that does mix with water and chemically binds it so it is part of the gas
mix and not settled on the tank bottom
side note: I even add heet to the tank once a month during the ride season as
well to reduce water rust effects - plus I also add some STP occasionally to help
stretch the time between required carb cleanings ... and one last thing I do 3-4
times a season is add a capful of marvel mystery oil to the tank (a little goes a
long way - do not overdo)
back to winterizing... you should also do an oil change before putting the bike up
for the winter as dirty oil is slightly acidic from the metal and carbonized by
products - fresh oil reduces the etching effects by not being as acidic as old oil -
fresh oil also has less particle sludge that could settle to the bottom of hollows
inside the engine over the winter - and your engine will be MUCH happier pumping
fresh oil through it's first start up in the spring instead of old sludge ... and you'll
be much happier being able to ride those early warm days instead of having to
worry about an overdue oil change
regarding the battery - most today tend to hook the battery up to a motorcycle
specific trickle charge battery tender - be sure to get the kind with auto overload
cut off and designed for motorcylcle use
and finally - try to refrain from starting the engine just to hear it idle in the winter ...
unlike a car with a belt that is running even if the car isn't in gear - a bike usually
only produces electricity when it is moving at a decent rpm for an extended period
- 30 mins of continuous near highway speeds is usually what it takes to recharge
the battery from the drain of a start up (which is why the people who "only ride 10
miles to work and back everyday" get so confused when their battery dies on
them one day - throw in a longer weekend ride periodically to keep the battery
charged) again a battery tender does help this but start ups also do more than
just tap off the battery - they also are a little more wear and tear on the insides of
the engine and some bikes must be moving in order for proper oil flow to occur -
and it uses gas that lowers the level in the tank (see rust caveats above) - not to
mention the exhaust dangers of a enclosed garage ...so basically try to refrain
from starting the bike up unless you intend to actually go for a ride
that said - with a bike that has a full tank of sta-bil-ized gas - and a charger
tended battery - and fresh oil in the engine there is no reason not to be able to
just hop on and fire it up when those first tempting warm spell days crop up in the
spring - or even those rare sunny dry mid winter thaw days ... try to avoid riding
where wet salt spray can get on you and the bike - and watch out for the insidious
salt dust from dry roads - it's not pleasant to get in your eyes - and salt eats bikes
far worse than it eats cars - and in some areas sand from the plow trucks is also a
factor to be cautious of in the spring - and one thing some may not have
considered is man hole covers or drainage grates do sometimes get plowed up or
otherwise dislodged and might flip open under your tire when you ride over them -
so be especially alert in the spring - and keep in mind that even on warm spell
days it gets COLD fast when the sun drops
doing as I outlined has the ride ready at a moments notice (just unhook the
battery tender and go)
hope this helped with some things to consider and keep in mind
http://forum.motorcycle-usa.com/?f=17&m=49482&g=49487
===========
fill the tank FULL with gas - to lessen the exposed metal surface area that collects
water condensation ... plus be sure to put STA-BIL in the gas tank ... I also put in
some STP and HEET to help bind up whatever water does condensate ... make
sure the fuel petcock is tuned to OFF ... change the oil so its fresh and ready for
spring and so sludge doesn't settle over winter ... some disconnect the battery -
others put it on a motorcycle battery tender slow trickle charger for the winter ... I
also take mine out for a short spin when it's a rare dry sunny day in the winter -
and be sure to top the tank off just before putting it back
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