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Old 11-05-2007, 10:19 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Default How do you treat your Bike in the winter?

I'm certainly not done riding this season - as the fall weather here in SW Missouri is just beautiful! However sometime in the next month or so I'm sure my riding will fall off a bit with winter weather arriving and my question is this...

How does everyone treat their bike in the winter?

I have mine wired up for a trickle charger tender and around this time of year I like to use a touch of StaBil when I fill up with gas.

Is it hard on the bike to fire it up once a week and let it idle for 15-20 minutes?

Other than keeping the battery charged - gas tank full and the bike clean and covered up is there anything else I can do to keep the VStar in tip top condition over the winter months when I can't ride her?

What does everyone else do?

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Old 11-05-2007, 10:36 AM   #2 (permalink)
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I ride
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Old 11-05-2007, 10:52 AM   #3 (permalink)
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I ride
. . . and I live around the corner from him, so . . .
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Old 11-05-2007, 11:19 AM   #4 (permalink)
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Is it hard on the bike to fire it up once a week and let it idle for 15-20 minutes?

Yes, it is hard, don't do that. Let it sit completely. My manual says to fill up the tank, put fuel stabilizer in the tank, remove the spark plugs and pour a tablespoon of oil in the cylinder, put the plugs back (unconnected) and top off the oil to the rim.

Wash the bike and cover it with a breathable fabric.
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Old 11-05-2007, 11:22 AM   #5 (permalink)
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. . . and I live around the corner from him, so . . .

And I live South of both of them.............................................. .





LOL
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Old 11-05-2007, 11:42 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Most I do is the Stabil in the fuel...and then I disconenct the battery.

But, it's right there in my heated garage...so soon as there's a warm day & it's dry..I'm on it.

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Old 11-05-2007, 11:59 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Forgive me as I'm no mechanic but how can letting it idle be hard on it?
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Old 11-05-2007, 12:06 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by Apertureguy View Post
Most I do is the Stabil in the fuel...and then I disconenct the battery.

But, it's right there in my heated garage...so soon as there's a warm day & it's dry..I'm on it.
Just did all that this past Sunday.......tire pressure checked, oil checked......topped off tank with Sta-Bil.......went for a 15 mile ride and tuked her back in my garage.....oh yea, also connected up the pig-tail for my BAttery Tender Plus.....

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Old 11-05-2007, 12:06 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Louis View Post
Yes, it is hard, don't do that. Let it sit completely. My manual says to fill up the tank, put fuel stabilizer in the tank, remove the spark plugs and pour a tablespoon of oil in the cylinder, put the plugs back (unconnected) and top off the oil to the rim.

Wash the bike and cover it with a breathable fabric.
That sounds like a lot of work!

I ride also....

Only with my Kawi which is a carb bike, I get the carb tweeked for colder weather.

It must be hard for those who have to store their bikes every winder....
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Old 11-05-2007, 12:10 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Not really Kay...if you own the garage you're storing it in...you can always still sit on it & make Vroom Vroom noises.

...and trust me, it does help make the withdrawl a little easier.
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Old 11-05-2007, 12:12 PM   #11 (permalink)
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where I live.. its always good time to ride.. well.. except when a hurricane approaches.. beyond that .. all seasons are open and fair game for riding
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Old 11-05-2007, 12:42 PM   #12 (permalink)
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We need to meet up in some place in the middle where we can all hang/ride a bit Mark suggested Birmingham, AL ... opinions? This goes for Scott and Smurf ( and on this side would be Landry and myself ).

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Old 11-05-2007, 02:30 PM   #13 (permalink)
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BTW anyone else that wants to join ( no dates or w/e yet ) is more than welcome... we're just close so I figured I'd mention specific names.
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What the hell am I looking at? When does this happen in the movie? You're looking at now, sir. Everything that happens now is happening now. What happened to then? We passed then. When? Just now. We're at now now. Go back to then. When? Now! Now? Now! I can't. Why?
We missed it. When? Just now. When will then be now? Soon.
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Old 11-05-2007, 02:52 PM   #14 (permalink)
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Birmingham sounds great. I'm 45 minutes north of there. Party at my house.
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Old 11-05-2007, 03:51 PM   #15 (permalink)
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Birmingham is a straight shot for Mark and myself and we stay on one road. Seriously, we should do this sometime ( preferably while all those northerners have their bikes garaged lol ).
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Old 11-05-2007, 04:11 PM   #16 (permalink)
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The strangest hint I have heard is about mice, apparantly they have been known to crawl into the air filter and carburator. A mechanic suggested putting a few moth balls in to a cloth bag and leave in the air filter. The purpose of the bag is to make sure you get all the moth balls back out. Also cover or plug the exhaust ports.

This is something I would have not thought of myself.
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Old 11-05-2007, 05:22 PM   #17 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kstateskier View Post
Forgive me as I'm no mechanic but how can letting it idle be hard on it?
Unless you are actually riding it, it doesn't really get up to temperature AND lubricants don't flow around completely.

Notice what comes out the exhaust pipe..........LOTS of water vapor. Some of that water stays in the pipes; result: rust. Some of it stays in the crankcase.

IMHO, only do what is REALLY necessary.

If it is about due for an oil change, do that.
Fill tank. Put in Stabil.
Put Tender on battery.
Make sure key is OFF and not PARK.
Make sure petcock is NOT on Prime.
Cover.
Done.

Not necessary to disconnect or otherwise monkey with battery (unless it will be stored outside somewhere north of Detroit).
Not necessary to oil the top end unless the storage period is more than 4 months.
Also probably not a good idea to wash unless you can be sure it is THOROUGHLY dry.

If you have periods of warmth during the winter where moisture might accumulate, a light coating of WD40 or the bare metal parts is good.
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Old 11-05-2007, 06:59 PM   #18 (permalink)
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Forgive me as I'm no mechanic but how can letting it idle be hard on it?
Letting it idle is not hard on it, starting it is, and not getting it fully warmed up is.

An article I read a while back said that up to 85% of all engine wear happens in the first 5 seconds of start up, and that number goes up if the engine has been setting for any length of time.

Cold heavy oil, that has had lots of time to run off the cylender walls, equals advanced engine wear at start up.

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Last edited by Rickster; 11-05-2007 at 07:05 PM.
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Old 11-05-2007, 08:39 PM   #19 (permalink)
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How does everyone treat their bike in the winter?
I yell and point at it and say "What are you good for! I shoulda gotten a snow mobile, but look at you, you just sit there, doin' nothin'.......nothin'!!
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Old 11-05-2007, 08:46 PM   #20 (permalink)
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I am thinking about using Lucas oil stabilizer for the winter. I need to research it more but I know that we use a stabilizer in the machines we manufacture. I have seen the demo doodad and NAPA and the effect is obvious. What do the rest of you think?

Funny! I did a spell check and "doodad" must be a word. Google check did not identify it as misspelled.
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