Winterizing Motorcycles

My daughter is leaving for Russia for 4 months and we have never stored a bike for that long. I know some of you ride and I was wondering  if these procedures are enough http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Winter_storage:_A_photo_essay. Do the cylinders need to be fogged it doesn't talk about that. It will be indoors but not ridden for 4 months. When we went to the store to get supplies I did find this cool paddle sticker for Mooch.

You don't have to do anything......to "safeguard"........a bike that you're going to store for 4-5-months.   Zilch.    Nothing.

All of the stuff described in those links is not WINTERIZING.....it is end-of-season tuneup & maintenance that makes a bike good-to-go come Spring.

There is one single item you may want to address....the battery.
Charge it, and then pull one of the terminals.

There is no WINTERIZING to be done.
If you want to pull a maintenance on the bike....fine.

Judd

What Judd said, especially if it'll be stored indoors.  Hell, my Shadow 1100 lives outside, and I don't do much more than toss a bike cover over it.  That's my version of "winterizing".  I've gone as long as a year without cranking her up...that time I charged the battery and she ran fine.

Now that you mention it though, I need to think about getting the bike ready for spring.  With the price of gas the way it is I think I'll bust out the leathers and start using the bike to commute again...

Usagi - did not know you were a "two wheeler"  I thought of forming a club, a small splinter faction of NCKA called "Da Coast Riders"  Basically anyone from NCKA who "rides" a two wheeler will meet one a month in a small breakfast place (still to be decided)  along the coast, pick a designated beach and do a beach clean up. After that, it's BBQ time.

Anyone is welcome to attend of course...but if you don't show up with two wheels, you can't sit with the rest of us "Coast Riders" at the official picnic table You guys will have to sit on the non-coast-rider-picnic-table..but don't worry, the coast riders will feed you guys with the left over man-dogs ...cause that's how we roll 

Potential NCKA Coast Rider members:

Joel (da president - head hog) - rides a Piaggio
Tin - rides some kind of rice rocket
Usagi Pete - rides a Shadow
Kevin - rides some sort of enduro bike

I know there's more....anyone else?

...just another thread jack...sorry Mike


Mike...with my Piaggio, the dealer told me to remove the battery if and when the bike is in storage mode. I don't remember if he had told me to keep the tank full of gas or empty?? I'll have to get back to you on this...

Mike - I want that sticker on my Piagio

Hey Mooch, does my Ego electic scooter count as a coast rider?....If so, I propose we all dress up as someone else, then we could be (cue music)

"Coast Riders in Disguise."

Allen

Hey Mooch, does my Ego electic scooter count as a coast rider?....If so, I propose we all dress up as someone else, then we could be (cue music)

"Coast Riders in Disguise."

Allen

You can ONLY join us if you leave your snakes at home Especially the one with the attitude 

Mike - I want that sticker on my Piagio

got you covered

Kevin - rides some sort of enduro bike

Dude, Mooch! Its a Aprilia Caponord 1000cc 60 deg. V Twin EFI Anti vibration double countershaft duel overhead camshaft 4 valves per cyl. liquid cooled Rotax motor with 6 speed gearbox and a slipper clutch inside a double wave twin tube aluminimun/magnesium frame with 50mm hydrolic fork with progressive springs and a hydrolic monoshock with adjustable preload, rebound dampening and compression triple brembo hydrolic disk ABS disk breaks, radial tubeless tires and a 6 gallon tank.
Not some sort of enduro bike. Its a maxi enduro.

Mike just unplug the battery

As others have stated, you don't need to do much for such a short period. Filling the tank will reduce condensation inside the tank. If the bike is carbureted and not fuel injected the fuel in the float bowl will evaporate leaving a residue. You may want to consider draining the fuel out of the float bowls (after turning off the gas ). If you’ll have access to the bike, running it for a few minutes each month will help prevent seals from drying out and leaking oil later but 4 months isn’t too bad if you can’t. Disconnecting the battery will prevent any small current leaks from discharging the battery beyond recharging.

I commute almost every day year round. It's the only way to get around in bay area traffic   

K1200R
KLX300
XR200 (sons)

Thanks everyone I just changed all the fluids, topped of the tank put stablizer in the fuel, drained the carbs, let some air out of the tires and put a float charger on the Batt. If it don't start my daughter will be hunting you down 
NCKA Rocks

The best thing you can do for your daughters' motorbike for the four months while she is in Russia is start it up once per week and drive it gently around the block a few times.

Of course if you scratch it, even slightly; I never ever heard of you.

I try to ride my bike throughout the year, back and forth to work. The only thing I would recommend is to get a battery minder, not a trickle charger, that will keep the battery up.

CHEERS!

lmao ... was that you in the vid Mahi?

This is one of my favs ... sound makes it much funnier.