[phobiaphobe]

For those of us whose homes are barely fit for human habitation for 7+ months of the year:

Will you be prepping your bikes for winter? ie draining fluids, removing battery, etc.

Personally, I won't do a thing with my 'Blade this winter. I plan on just going out to the garage and starting her up every few days. I'll probably change the oil and bleed the brakes in the spring but that's about it. Here in Calgary the chinook wind often melts the snow in the dead of January and I like my bike to be ready to ride for such occasions. I rode my old VFR on Christmas Eve last year. It was a little icy but I'm a little stupid.

[Joel]

It's not a good idea to start the bike up and not ride it. What happens is you get the thing partially hot, but not enough to drive the moisture out like when it's been riden. When you shut it down moisture condenses and rust forms. You're best off using fuel stabalizer, get the tires off the ground, use a battery tender and keep it covered. Your bike will be ready when you are.

Or, of course you could send it over here to California. I have room for your 1000RR, and I would ride it once per week, keeping it in great shape for you when the spring comes.

[phobiaphobe]

I think I would move to California if it weren't part of the United States. Thanks for the advice.

[colryn]

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

I think I would move to California if it weren't part of the United States. Thanks for the advice.

Wow, slam the US. How dare you. Watch out, after were are done in Iraq, Canada is next. The next big oil field......

How about Florida? Great weather here... execpt for whose darn hurricanes. Oops, here comes another one.

[phobiaphobe]

I think I would move to Florida if it weren't part of Florida.

[soon2b954]

[quote=Joel]It's not a good idea to start the bike up and not ride it. What happens is you get the thing partially hot, but not enough to drive the moisture out like when it's been riden. When you shut it down moisture condenses and rust forms. You're best off using fuel stabalizer, get the tires off the ground, use a battery tender and keep it covered. Your bike will be ready when you are.

Ditto!!

I also put a plastic bag over the end of the exhaust pipe.

[colryn]

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

I think I would move to Florida if it weren't part of Florida.

Come December, I am sure you would wish that you were in Folorida, not Canada. I do not have to worry about preping the bike for the cold months.

[phobiaphobe]

Originally Posted by colryn

Come December, I am sure you would wish that you were in Folorida, not Canada. I do not have to worry about preping the bike for the cold months.

yes but how do you prep your bike for 200mph winds? or bullets?

BTW, looking forward to that invasion. Will it be anything like the one in 1812?

[colryn]

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

BTW, looking forward to that invasion. Will it be anything like the one in 1812?

I hope not. We just need to make sure to envade during the summer months...

[phobiaphobe]

Summer months? You mean summer weeks.

[TGZ13]

Put it up on its stands, stabil in the gas, battery tender for the battery (obviously) and cover the baby with some soort of soft cover.

Most of the winter I am doing stuff to the bike anyway but I dont start it without riding it.

One thing I did last yr was after the winter I changed the oil and filter before I started it up and it was all good to go after that

[phobiaphobe]

Originally Posted by TGZ13

Put it up on its stands, stabil in the gas, battery tender for the battery (obviously) and cover the baby with some soort of soft cover.

Most of the winter I am doing stuff to the bike anyway but I dont start it without riding it.

One thing I did last yr was after the winter I changed the oil and filter before I started it up and it was all good to go after that

I have a rear stand but no front... Is it wise to just prop it up on some blocks? I'll probably have mine torn apart when the snow hits. I plan on taking the body panels into my bodyshop (I work at a car dealership) and having them clearcoated 2 or 3 or 60 times.

Has anyone here had the tank cover off a 1000rr? Will I need to drain the tank or can I actually take just the cover off. That would be hellagood.

[Red Rider]

The single most important thing you should do to your bike before storing it for a long period is to change the oil. Otherwise, the acids can do all kinds of nasty things to the internals.

[TGZ13]

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

I have a rear stand but no front... Is it wise to just prop it up on some blocks? I'll probably have mine torn apart when the snow hits. I plan on taking the body panels into my bodyshop (I work at a car dealership) and having them clearcoated 2 or 3 or 60 times.

Has anyone here had the tank cover off a 1000rr? Will I need to drain the tank or can I actually take just the cover off. That would be hellagood.

On the 1krr the cover just comes off if I am not mistaken.

As for the front if you dont have a front stand you can try just about anything. I have the stand that goes in the fork tubes but since I was working on the suspension I had to find another way. I used auto jacks but I have seen people use just about anything to keep the tire off the ground. If you just move the bike around it will be fine. I just dont like to let it sit on the same part of the tire for to long

[TGZ13]

Originally Posted by Red Rider

The single most important thing you should do to your bike before storing it for a long period is to change the oil. Otherwise, the acids can do all kinds of nasty things to the internals.

I have heard of that before. I dont remember if I changed mine before but I dont think I did

[colryn]

Help a warm weather biker out.

Why do you have to keep the tires off the ground? Will the cold damage the oil, gas, brake fluid that much What temps can do damage?

[TGZ13]

Originally Posted by colryn

Help a warm weather biker out.

Why do you have to keep the tires off the ground? Will the cold damage the oil, gas, brake fluid that much What temps can do damage?

Tires will go flat... probably not over the winter but I am anal

Oil I changed afterwards figuring stuff has months to settle down

Gas goes stale is left to long and can actually goo up

Mine is in a heated garage so cold isnt really a problem its more of the time sitting there

[soon2b954]

I don't have a front stand so I just place the front wheel on a sheet of 3/4" plywood.

[slowpoke]

How many peeps actually put oil in the spark plug holes and crank the engine?

[sheepofblue]

Originally Posted by TGZ13

Oil I changed afterwards figuring stuff has months to settle down

I would think that changing it prior to winter would get the stuff out before it settles and bonds in crevices plus the acid comment.

We get some ride time here so I always do one before season and one after (a good idea in the polar north also, since oil ages similar to gas)

[TGZ13]

Originally Posted by sheepofblue

I would think that changing it prior to winter would get the stuff out before it settles and bonds in crevices plus the acid comment.

We get some ride time here so I always do one before season and one after (a good idea in the polar north also, since oil ages similar to gas)

I think this season I am going to do one at the end and then my usual pre-season change.

[TGZ13]

This might sound dumb but do Vtwins use different oil then I4's

[EDDIE110171]

Originally Posted by colryn

Wow, slam the US. How dare you. Watch out, after were are done in Iraq, Canada is next. The next big oil field......

How about Florida? Great weather here... execpt for whose darn hurricanes. Oops, here comes another one.

We don't want to own Canada, we have too many Canadians' wearing speedos here already.
And don't touch the hurricanes Please...we're a little sensitive right now.