5 Steps To Winterizing Your Motorcycle The Right Way
Tucking your bike away for the winter season ahead should include more than just parking it in a dark corner of the garage and throwing an old sheet over it. But that doesn’t mean the process has to be difficult either. Take the battery, fluids, and tires into consideration before locking up your bike for the season. These things can slowly deteriorate without your even realizing it, especially during an extended time of non-operation. Trust us, we’ve seen our fair share of problems that could’ve been easily avoided with simple low-buck products and precautions. Minimize potential headaches down the line by taking the time to prepare for winter now.
Motorcycle batteries aren’t cheap, so don’t pack your bike away without connecting it to a Battery Tender. Electronic accessories have a tendency to drain batteries even when the bike isn’t turned on. Instead of dealing with unfortunate surprises come spring, be sure to take precautionary measures now.
Battery Tender
To keep your cell well maintained while it sits unused for an extended period of time, make a small investment in the Battery Tender 800 charger. This particular model is built tough, is super lightweight, and only costs a fraction of the price of a new battery. Even if your bike’s battery does happen to drain, the Battery Tender 800 will charge it back to life again. This must-have gadget is also small enough to pack up to ride with, so there’s really no reason to be stuck without one.
When storing your bike for the winter, you’re going to want to cover it to keep dust and all sorts of other junk from caking on and making a mess of things. If a regular cover isn’t your bag though, check out the BikeCapsule and think about creating a climate-controlled environment for your baby to slumber in until it’s time to ride again.
CarCapsule
The BikeCapsule is constructed of ultra-durable 10mm double-polished PVC with radio-frequency-welded seams that deflect items from potentially damaging your bike inside. The capsule itself is kept inflated by a high-pressure fan that provides continuous airflow to keep the air inside dry and circulated. That air is filtered too, which keeps dirt and dust out of the bubble for good. For those not wanting to subject their bike to potential accidental damages and don’t want to keep it hidden under a cover, the BikeCapsule is an impressive alternative to the regular hibernation process.
Another step to prep your bike before packing it up for the season is to treat the fuel with a stabilizer that will defend against corrosion and other problems related to long periods of stagnant gasoline sitting in the tank and fuel lines.
STA-BIL
STA-BIL’s 360° fuel treatment and stabilizer can be used during riding season, as it keeps your engine running cleaner and leaner. When the unfortunate time comes to pack your motorcycle away for a few months, this same formula will keep the fuel left in the tank fresh and nontoxic to your bike. Get in the habit of using it now with every fill-up, and enjoy the simple bump in performance.
When parking your bike for a considerable amount of time, think about what all that downtime does to your tires. Instead of letting the weight of your bike press down the bottom of your rubber for months, put your bike on a legit motorcycle lift to take the weight off, and maintain the overall condition of your bike’s tires.
OTC
THE OTC 1545 motorcycle lift features a 1,500-pound capacity along with 17-inch long skids that will accommodate even the widest of cruiser-size bikes. The removable handle provides 360-degree access to your bike, and the lift includes a foot pedal release, which keeps the casters locked in place to avoid any freak accidents while your bike is being stored. It’ll be sweet to have a lift like this around the garage for regular maintenance purposes and wrenching sessions as well as for storage. Get a reliable set of jack stands and free the lift whenever you need it for another project.
Another recommended step to take before tucking your motorcycle away is to change the oil. This is an important one, unless you really want dirty, contaminant-soaked oil sitting in the system for months. So take the time to drain the old oil and refresh it with Mobil 1 V-Twin synthetic. It’ll be one less thing to keep you up at night.
Mobil
This six-pack of quart bottles of Mobil 1 oil is enough to fully replenish your bike after draining it dry. This formula features enhanced lubrication for maximum horsepower delivery, and helps protect against harmful dirt deposits and promotes resistance to thermal breakdown. Nothing is better than waking your bike from its period of rest knowing that it’s equipped with squeaky clean oil.
