Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Not sure if I need to Winterize my bike...

Hi all!

As I have begun my first winter with my TBA, I'm wondering if anyone can answer a question. You should know that I'm from Western suburbs of Philadelphia,PA. Now that the cold, ice and snow is starting to come in, I'm guessing its time to postpone some riding, however, I can't seem to chaulk off riding 'till March. In the hope that a few nice days will occur in Dec, Jan or Feb, I've decided not to officially winterize my bike, but instead fill it with gas; add some stabilizer; shut off the gas valve; and run the carbs out of fuel. This way, when the nice day comes, I'm ready! This all occured approx two weeks ago. However, I heard today that I should change my oil. It this right? It was changed about 1400 miles ago at the dealer during the 500 mile service (the bike has 1,900 on it). I'm hearing that "dirty" oil is bad to let sit for a few months? Any advice. Just trying to look out for my girl.

Thanks,

Steve B.

i would put clean iol in it. i heard the same thing. check tires, battery tender, and some say to leave gas in the boals so nothing can gunk up in there. if gas is bad they are easy enough to drain

Frank

I run my bike with the sta-bil in to get it in the float bowls.That way if the bike sets for 3 months the gass in the bowls won`t ture to laquer and seal up the main jets when I finaly get to starte her back up in the spring.I also change my oil befor putting her away to be sure theirs no water from condisation in the oil.

Frank and Bigjake, Thanks for the input. Looks like I'm changing some oil this Wednesday. Do either of you guys have any suggestions/recommendation for oil type / weight? Any advice would be appreciated!

Steve B.

Here in W. Pa., I'm on my 3rd winter with my bike in an unheated garage. I don't winterize my bike except for putting the Sta-Bil in the gas tank and making sure the tank is full. I put a bit more in than the recommended dosage and run the bike to make sure the treated gas makes it into the carb bowls.
As for changing the oil, I think that's overkill. If you are worried about condensation in your oil, level the bike, and loosen the drain plug just enough to let a bit come out and see what it looks like. Oil is lighter than water so any water should come out first. Tighten the plug and top off the oil, if needed.

Just my humble opinion.....

Of course, a good clean and wax job before it gets cold is part of my winter prep.

Last year was the only time I did anything to weatherize my bike. I put seafoam in my tank. Forgot to do it this year. But often times I can sneak in a ride in January or February. This year I rode more in February than I did in March or April. So usually I just shut off the petcock and park it.

I agree with Grump and Friar. I have an 03 and havnt done anything other than stable in the gas, and this year, if santa is my freind , put a tender on the battery. I am sure I will go for a ride the first warm shot I have here in north western[kind of] Maryland. I am more concerned about my 75 xs 650 and the winter. I am sure it will be a bear in the spring.The bonne will be fine.

Change the oil for sure, especially if the last couple of rides were short. Condensation combines with chemicals in the oil and combustion byproducts to form acids that aren't especially good for the engine.
There should be a drain screw in both of the floatbowls. With these you can completely empty them, better than just running the engine untill the level is too low to run. The resedue left behind when the leftover gas evaporates will not completely dissolve whe you start riding again and that can cause you problems.
Make sure the fuel tank is filled to reduce the air volume and minimize condensation. Even better would be to empty the tank, empty it and set it upsidedown with the cap removed.
The tires will fare better if you can raise the bike enough to take the weight off them. Lifting them off the floor is better yet.
The battery will do best if it is removed and set on a board (a wood shelf would be ideal) where it will be dry and cool, but not terribly cold. it should be kept fully charged but not overcharged.
A heavy coat of paste wax on the painted *and* shiny metal will make spring cleaning easier and help guard against oxidation.

Yea, what they all said.
I add StaBil, run it a bit, turn off petcock, run dry. Then remove battery if it gets really cold, and I can go riding when those rare warm and sunny days appear over the winter.
I have had at least one great day of riding each January and Februrary for the last 3 years. While not a lot of days, just one is good enough for me!
Keep it waxed nicely, and maybe spray some WD40 on the underside of you go out and it's "dusty" with salt crud on the roads. Then just wipe it off when you get home. Or if you can, wash it off then dry it off as good as you can.
I tend to sit in the garage in the winter, turn on the heater and wipe every nook and cranny with rags and windex. Takes all winter, but she sure does get clean too.