[Wingnut]

My 2012 will be garaged for the winter here in a few weeks, I always add a Fuel stabilizer to my fuel, only have approx 250 miles since my last full service.



I will take out the battery and put it on a tender, run the tank down fairly low, spray some Yama-lube on the chain and sprockets, and that is all I have planned.



Am I missing anything?

 

[Drifter]

My 2012 will be garaged for the winter here in a few weeks, I always add a Fuel stabilizer to my fuel, only have approx 250 miles since my last full service.



I will take out the battery and put it on a tender, run the tank down fairly low, spray some Yama-lube on the chain and sprockets, and that is all I have planned.



Am I missing anything?

Drain your carburator bowl,and I run it dry,some people put in on a lift to keep weight off the suspension,and to avoid flat spots on your tires.Some remove spark plug and put a couple drops of oil in and cycle it a few times,but that is debatable.

 

[sethhoffman6984]

I always add Stabil to the fuel tank. Run the bike for a bit to get the Stabil through the carb. Then I drain the carb. Remove battery or put it on a tender. I usually put the bike on blocks or a stand. I've never sprayed WD-40 or alike into the spark plug socket. However, I make a habit of going out and starting the bike every month or two to run some oil through it over the winter. Then I drain the carb again.



I generally try to change the oil as well, that way the sludge doesn't sit in there all winter.

 

[PalmStateCrawler]

Empty the gas and put it in your car. No need for stabilizer. After running the carb dry, pull the bowl and spray everything with carb cleaner and reinstall. And definitely throw the battery on your tender. I usually just throw a new spark plug in at the beginning of the riding season. This is also a great time to lube and adjust everything so when it's time to ride again all you have to do is add gas and ride!

 

[pgilles]

A rag in the intake and exhaust to prevent mice from building a nest. If it's gonna sit outside or an outside garage maybe even remove the seat so they don't chew up the foam for a home.

 

[sethhoffman6984]

A rag in the intake and exhaust to prevent mice from building a nest. If it's gonna sit outside or an outside garage maybe even remove the seat so they don't chew up the foam for a home.

Good suggestion. I usually leave a radio playing in the garage and leave a box of Decon out for the winter as well. My grandfather told me leaving a radio on keeps the critters out of the garage, who knows how true that is.

 

[losttourist]

Good suggestion. I usually leave a radio playing in the garage and leave a box of Decon out for the winter as well. My grandfather told me leaving a radio on keeps the critters out of the garage, who knows how true that is.

Guess it depends on what kind of music the station is playing. Rap music would keep them out for sure.

 

[jflynn]

Tarp it (especially if it's outside, no matter where you live). That is unless you want it to develop a grizzled patina.

 

[mrlmd]

Completely fill the fuel tank with gas (and a fuel stabilizer) to eliminate the air space in the tank as much as possible to prevent condensation of water vapor in the tank and water in the gas.

Once you winterize it, do not start it up once a month - just let it sit 'till you are ready to ride it in the spring.

 

[n2o2diver]

Completely fill the fuel tank with gas (and a fuel stabilizer) to eliminate the air space in the tank as much as possible to prevent condensation of water vapor in the tank and water in the gas.

+1 Fill the tank, use non ethanol gas! Add stabilizer!

Air in the tank causes rust! Run the Carb completely out of fuel, open the drain screw.

 

[Wingnut]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I had not thought about the fuel tank being metal, everything I run here..... mower,snowthrower,chipper/shredder, trimmers all have plastic tanks. I will top it off.



Thanks again.

 

[mrlmd]

If you run stabilizer AND something like Berryman's B12 Chemtool or Seafoam through the fuel system into the engine by running it for a few minutes before you shut it off, you don't have to empty the carb. But if you do run the engine with the fuel shut off 'till it dies, thinking the carb is empty, that is wrong. You must get all the gas that is sitting in the bottom of the bowl out by opening the drain plug, otherwise that little bit of gas will be all gummy in the spring because of the volatile components evaporating. Some people advise leaving the fuel in the carb so that seals don't dry out, others say to empty it completely, and that means blowing it all out of the jets too. Your choice, either one works but not if you do it half-ass.

 

[srs713]

I'm just glad I've never lived far enough North to need to put the bike away for more than a week at a time.

But knowing what I've done in the past, I'd probably put ice screws in the tires and keep riding in just about anything.

 

[iowatdub]

I always put a stabilizer in the fuel.. some old guy i knew said that evinrude outboard motor fuel stabilizer is the best...but seafoam is what i have used lately and works great. I have a echo chainsaw that i have done nothing but run 87 octane fuel with seafoam in it from about 2000 and it has started on the 2nd.or 3 rd pull since i owned it. Really almost the same with the TW fuel system. Just keep it full of gas with no ethanol and keep seafoam in it in the winter and it will be fine. The battery needs more TLC than the fuel does in a TW for the winter.

 

[Point37]

i think most of it has been covered already...my tw has a plastic tank and a sla battery...i usually just pour in some seafoam run it a bit and shut off the gas and let it run till it dies...i don't drain the bowl cause i usually just clean the carb in the spring anyway and i ride it during the winter sometimes...it's parked on a peice of plywood in my garage, never had flat spots on the tires (on any of my bikes) just like the wood there for when i make a mess working on it...could put it on a stand if you want but then it's more of a pain to move if needed



now if i had a metal tank and a stock battery i would start it, run it for a while, shut off the gas, let it consume the rest of the fuel in the line and die, fill the tank with gas, top off with seafoam, pull the battery and put it on a trickle charger in a room temperature area...done...clean the carb in the spring while doing your oil change

 

[andrewsclues]

I always put a stabilizer in the fuel.. some old guy i knew said that evinrude outboard motor fuel stabilizer is the best...but seafoam is what i have used lately and works great. I have a echo chainsaw that i have done nothing but run 87 octane fuel with seafoam in it from about 2000 and it has started on the 2nd.or 3 rd pull since i owned it. Really almost the same with the TW fuel system. Just keep it full of gas with no ethanol and keep seafoam in it in the winter and it will be fine. The battery needs more TLC than the fuel does in a TW for the winter.

We can't even get ethanol-free gas where I live.

 

[gskeem]

Yep that time of year. I filled up the near empty tank with fresh gas, added Sta-Bil and ran it for a few minutes. I have the luxury to park it in our basement hallway, (the first year didn't go over well with the Mrs but this year she asked me when I was bringing it in

...) This winter I will install the Shorai charger and do some detailing.

 

[goldenhtr]

We can't even get ethanol-free gas where I live.

check this site



http://www.buyrealgas.com/Pennsylvania.html

 

[mrlmd]

Point37- Do the oil change before you lay it up for the winter, not in the Spring. You don't need dirty oil with all the acids in there sitting for months in the engine for no reason.

 

[mrlmd]

If you are going to lay up the bike for the winter months - Do the oil change before you lay it up for the winter, not in the Spring. You don't need dirty oil with all the acids in there sitting for months in the engine for no reason.



(Sorry for the duplicate post, can't seem to find how to delete it.)