Winterizing your bike - was: to oil or not oil

[larrydk]

Starting to think about winter storage and I'd like to get everyones input on putting fresh oil in before the bike sits for 3-4 months in the garage.

Some feel that fresh oil should be put in at the start of storage, then drained at the start of the next season with fresh oil.

I kind of feel that the oil in there has about another 1000 miles left on it, I'd rather leave it and drain it in the spring.

Also, any thoughts on periodic warm-ups would be helpful, I do have the BMW "special" charger

[PAULBACH]

The Master Mechanic, Paul Glaves, recommends changing oil in the fall to eliminate all the products of combustion and condensation. As I recall, and I do have severe CRS, he recommends another change in spring to ensure removal of any products of sitting still for an extended period.

Me, change the fluids in the fall, fill the tank with StaBilized gas, hook up the battery tender directly to the battery and give the motorcycle a well deserved rest.

Don't forget the mothballs.

[reimerdavid]

Here's my storage routine
1. On your last ride before storage top up the fuel tank, I also use a fuel stabilizer
2. Drain the oil and filter, add fresh oil......depending on how cold it gets in your area you want to think 10W 40 weight oil.
3. Run the bike to let the new oil and fuel additive to run thru their systems.
4. I also run the bike once a month. running the bike will help the valves seat in different positions. Example valves that may of been open will likely be in a different position after shut down. Since my bike has CanBus am not sure to remove the battery or not.
5. In the Spring I again change the oil and filter especially if I did monthly warm up runs.

Good luck and I'll be searching this forum for the Battery remove or not to remove
advice.

[AntonLargiader]

Honestly, for three or four months I wouldn't do anything. If I really wanted to overthink it, I'd figure out if the bike needed an oil change, and if it was close I might move it up so it was sitting with clean oil, but that's about it. Maybe some fuel stabilizer. You will need to keep the battery charged; that's the big one. [edit:] and fill the tank.

Changing the filter before AND after winter? Can't see throwing away an unused $17 filter. What's wrong with it after sitting with clean oil in it for three months?

Around here we have a lot of bikes. Some don't get used for months at a time. I start them up and ride.

I suspect a lot of 'winterizing' culture is carryover from the days when oils were worse, fuel tanks and crankcases breathed a lot more and got more condensation, etc. The gas in our /3 turns to crap in a few months but newer bikes are fine after six months or more.

If the bike is in a reasonably consistent environment (attached unheated or better) it'll be fine. Outdoors is a whole different story, though.

[aaaaaa]

+1 to Antons opinion
robert

[PGlaves]

Since I have been cited as a reference I will elaborate a bit on my advice.

I like fresh oil for storage. If the oil was nearly new I might skip it. What I don't want is any sulfer dioxide (combustion product) and water (combustion product) combined in and not boiled out of the oil. The combination is H2SO4 - commonly known as sulfuric acid. One droplet trapped in the oil - say against a crank journal or cam lobe can do significant damage in a three or four month layaway.

So highest priority is fresh oil if it is going to sit a while. Certainly if I was 1,000 miles away from an oil change (that would be 5K on the oil, 1K to go to 6K change) I would change the oil.

Modern oils do little oxidation just sitting so changing again in the spring is less important and may be overkill. I like to do it - have sometimes not. There is no need to re-change the filter that I can see.

Less talked about - but something I am more concerned about is the fluid in the transmission. It depends a lot on climate, but a lot of cold then warmer then colder then warmer days and nights can cause enough condensation of moisture in the gearbox to give you a foamy emulsion after the first ride in the spring. And since transmissions seldom if ever get hot enough to boil off the moisture like an engine does this can be a serious problem.

Significant condensation is less likely in North Dakota or Upper Michigan where it gets below freezing and stays that way a long time than it is in Missouri where the air gets cold and warm and cold a warm several times during storage.

So my personal minimum on fluid changes is oil going into storage, and transmission oil coming out of storage. Even if I changed everything in the fall I would do the transmission again in the spring.

[marcopolo]

Also, any thoughts on periodic warm-ups would be helpful

I see nobody has answered this. I'm the furthest thing from an expert, but I've always heard that warm-ups are not recommended. Just winterize the bike (including the recommended fluid changes) and leave it alone until you're ready to ride it.

Anyone care to comment on the "warm-up" business?

[widebmw]

I see nobody has answered this. I'm the furthest thing from an expert, but I've always heard that warm-ups are not recommended. Just winterize the bike (including the recommended fluid changes) and leave it alone until you're ready to ride it.

Anyone care to comment on the "warm-up" business?

I agree. If you start it up take it out for at least an hour or 100 miles, which ever comes first.
You don't want to just "warm" the bike up you want to get it hot for along enough time to steam off any condensation that may be in the engine.

[ANDYVH]

I'm with Paul, Marcopolo and WideBMW. My 94 RS has 125,000 miles (I know, not all that much) and I've few problems of any note. At the end of the season I change the oil, top up the fuel (never have used Stabil), plug in the Battery Tender and say goodbye. If I know I won't be riding at all for three or four months (I live in Green Bay, WI) then I'll plug the intake and duct tape the exhaust. One of the nice things about the oilhead RS is a plastic fuel tank. No Rust!!

These past ten years, it seems there is a chance to ride every month, winters are just not what they were before (global warming?). So if possible I get the bike out and ride for a good hour at highway speeds, then back for another rest.

Since my bike is stored in an unheated garage I don't have condensation issues. So come spring I start out on the gas and oil in the bike. But I can understand the issue about tranny and final drive fluids.