How to: Winterize your bike
by Michael Ross

Winter is fast approaching and if you live in a frigid climate it's time to store your bike for the season. In storing your bike for a few months over the winter, your main concern is to avoid corrosion while in storage and the goal is to have a bike that is ready to go when you are.

The most crucial areas in need of protection are the piston rings, cylinder walls, and valve seats. The enemy here is moisture, which can enter the engine from any of a number of places and cause serious damage. Since its not really practical to try and close up all of the possible areas of entry, we will concentrate on moisture proofing instead.

The first step is to warm-up the engine. This drives off any moisture that may have accumulated already and it makes it easier to get a good coating of oil in each cylinder. Turn the bike off and remove the spark plugs. Then, using a turkey baster, suck up 25cc's of engine oil and squirt the oil into each plug hole. Turn the engine over by hand (put it in top gear and turn the rear wheel) with the plugs still out to coat the cylinder walls, piston rings and valve seats. Then replace the plugs and drain the existing crankcase oil.

Next, fill the crankcase with fresh oil. I suggest you retain the old filter and plan on dropping this oil come Spring, but if you decide to use this oil after the thaw, you will want to change the filter now. The hard part of prepping your bike is now done and you can breathe a little easier knowing that moisture will not rust the piston rings to the cylinder wall. I just over hauled an engine that had been left unattended for a year and the cylinder wall was so badly pitted with rust that it had to be bored out 1 mm before I got down to good metal. Likewise the valve seats were a mess and I had to replace the head.

But we aren't out of the woods yet.

The next step is to protect the inside of the fuel tank from rusting. Fill the tank to the top with fuel that has been treated with a fuel stabilizer. I have had good luck with a product called Stabil, which you can get at any marine supply store, but any type will do. You also want to drain the float bowls by unscrewing the small screw on the carb float bowl. Any fuel left in the bowls for more than two months will turn into a jet-clogging sludge that will cost you a carb overhaul to remove. If you have a fuel injected bike then you can skip this step and move on to the next.

Because batteries self-discharge, it is necessary to keep it charged up when the bike is stored. The best way to care for your stored battery is to hook a Super Smart Battery Tender to it. The Battery Tender is one of the latest generations of "smart chargers." It will maintain the charge in your battery without any other attention from you for years. The battery can also be left in the bike. If the posts on your battery are corroded, now would be a good time to remove the battery bolts and clean them up. A little grease on the threads of the bolts will keep them corrosion free all season. Make sure you top off the electrolyte with water if your bike does not a maintenance free battery.

Get the bike, the rear of the bike anyway, off the ground. If you're lucky and your bike has a center stand, use it. Wipe all the bird doo-doo off and give the chrome the once over with a coat of polish to keep it from pitting. Wax the tank and squirt some rubber protector on the rubber parts to keep them from drying out. Make sure you wipe any smashed bugs off your fork tubes before you throw a tarp over the whole thing.

If you live where it gets really cold then you should make sure your coolant has enough anti-freeze in it to keep the system from freezing. It's easy to check the coolant with a hydrometer that is made specifically for this purpose. Bikes don't have freeze plugs like cars, and a cracked cylinder head is a very ugly sight indeed.

That's about it. If you live in an area where rodents will crawl up the tailpipe looking for a place to nest, there are rubber plugs available that you can by to keep them out. They are made for dirt bikes, but will fit any street bike. Also, when you're ready to bring your bike out storage, you might consider changing the brake fluid. It can pick up water from the atmosphere and it's a good idea to change it annually any way.

If you have performed all of the above steps you can be sure that the bike you store for the winter will start and run perfectly come spring.

Mike Ross is a roadracer, writer and instructor at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute. His columns will be appearing in the Superbike garage each month.

WET WEATHER RIDING             Fall and Spring are particularly wet seasons in most parts of the country, but that’s no reason to leave your Harley parked in the garage, especially if you are equipped with the proper riding gear and knowledge.             Riding in the rain can even be fun if you are wearing the right kind of water-repellant apparel and know what to look out for on the road.             Roadways are the most slippery for the first 15 minutes after a rainfall begins, as that is when oil and other debris that has accumulated on the road during dry times rises to the surface and starts to run off. If you can’t pull over and wait out those first few minutes of a rain shower, the following strategies can help you keep upright and safe on wet surfaces.             The center of the traffic lane generally has the greatest buildup of oil, anti-freeze and brake fluid that has dripped from passing cars, so try to follow the right or left tire tracks of cars in front of you.             Since roads are designed to slope to the edges to facilitate runoff, the area closest to the centerline is less likely to accumulate puddles and has less oil, though the downside is that it puts you closer to oncoming traffic and exposed to more spray from passing cars. Riding too far to the right has its own dangers, however, such as dirt turning into mud, or wet leaves and other roadside debris.  Don’t ride too close to the center paint strip, nor to the outside fog line, as such painted surfaces get especially slippery when wet!             Be on the lookout for potholes, which when full of water look the same whether they are an inch deep or deep enough to swallow your front tire. Scan ahead for rainbows in standing water, as this indicates a high concentration of petroleum.               Intersections are dangerous territory since there is more oil accumulation from cars idling while waiting for a light to turn, and can have more painted surfaces such as crosswalks as well. Adding to the challenge, manhole covers are more likely near intersections and they also become much more slippery when they are wet. Remember too that pulling up to a pump at a gas station is more treacherous in wet conditions since not only do you have the liquid dripping from cars as they fuel up, but the surface is usually smooth concrete and may have gas and diesel spills from the pump.             Now that you are aware of the potential traps for motorcycles during inclement weather, the next step is to safely maneuver through or around them. Riding a motorcycle in slick conditions requires the rider to make every movement s-m-o-o-t-h. Slow down and concentrate on making each input into the bike gentle and gradual. Try to avoid turning the bike while you are passing over obstacles. Reduced traction could cause you to slide. Don’t panic if the rear wheel slides a little. It may not feel stable, but as long as the front tire is going where you want it to, physics will hold the bike up.              Lastly, keep in mind that riding in wet, cold conditions physically exhausts you more quickly, so if you start feeling achy or chilled, don’t hesitate to pull over and grab a cup of hot coffee and take a breather. Numb fingers and chattering teeth are distracting, and a distracted rider isn’t a safe rider.             With winter coming on, these tips apply to riding in snow and ice as well as in rain. Though it’s best to avoid riding in any wet, slippery conditions, if you travel there may be times when you get caught unexpectedly, but at least you’ll be prepared and know what to look for – and look out for.

Fall Riding Tip: Avoiding Dehydration During the heat of the summer, drinking plenty of fluids while you’re out riding should be a no-brainer…but you may not be aware that even as the mercury drops during autumn, those falling temperatures may be accompanied by high humidity, which reduces your body’s ability to evaporate sweat and cool itself.  Therefore, keeping properly hydrated is always an important safety issue year-round at any temperature.  Cold-weather riders will often forget to drink enough water, and resulting dehydration can zap a rider’s concentration and cause headaches, dizziness and much worse.  Always be aware of the early symptoms of dehydration, which include:  •           Flushed face  •           Extreme thirst  •           Dry, warm skin  •           Cannot pass urine  •           Dizziness  •           Weakness  •           Cramping in the arms and legs  •           Headaches  •           Dry mouth, dry tongue, with thick saliva  Also pay close attention to these warning signs in your fellow riders--even under layers of leather and cold-weather gear and gloves. It is important to stress to all riders that not only should you carry water with you on your bike during your ride, but you must drink water at every stop.