Hibernation

[wolfman]

Officially put the girl to bed for her annual long winter sleep last weekend.  Changed oil, battery out, empty tank completely and carbs drained completely dry, rubberbanded baggies over the muffler openings, and all covered up under a tarp in the storage room/shed.  She'll sleep there most likely for about 5.5-6 months.  I think she was trying to tell me something the last few times I started her (choppy weak starter despite fully charged-and even boosted-battery)  Guess I have at least 5 months to come up with a replacement starter seal....

Of note to other's whose bikes hibernate...place a couple of moth balls under the tarp (not on anything painted!) to keep Mickey and his furry friends from setting up house in your aircleaner or nibbling your wiring harness...

[Lucky]

I'm still trying to figure out how to keep the damn cats out of my cover durring the riding months!

[Extent]

Just use bigger moth balls.  :P

[louthepou]

Or, Lucky, I could lend you one of my German Shorhaired Pointers...  ;)

Wolfman, where are you stranded to be forced to be on four wheels for 5 or 6 months??? My sincere condolences...

Louis (hibernating for, hopefully, no more than 4 months)

[Josh M]

Hibernating my bikes is on my to-do list.  I keep putting it off because I keep hoping for that sunny 70 degree day in December :P

I think that out of my 3 running bikes, the Vision will be the last one to be stored.  I try not to let them sleep for more than 3 months if possible, they tend to get cranky if they oversleep ::)

[MotorPlow]

Emptied the tank for storage?  I would be afraid of condensation build up with an empty tank.  When i used to have to winterize a motorcycle, I always topped the tank off to the very top and added some stabil, seafoam or some other gas stabilizer/dewaterer.

So far this vision has the original tank, no tank lining and no rust (that I know of).

I have heard others say they empty the tank, so I guess it's just personal preference.

~Chris

[kiawrench]

uh,, i dont put mine to bed at all,,, just ride it out , but now that living at beach, cats under the cover was a problem,,fixed that , not now .


      

[MrMe]

About winterising is there any thing special to do with a liquid cooled bike or is it just like a car i.e just make sure it has enough anti freeze in it .
Thanks

[Josh M]

Just make sure the antifreeze is topped off, fresh oil, stabilizer in the tank if there is fuel, and change to winter air in the tires.

[Lucky]

Josh, I use helieum in the tires in the winter, keeps 'em from flat spotting.
--Lucky
















 ;) ;)

[Rick G]

In MN I usually parked the bike  isome time in late October or early November.  I'd start serviceing it in early april  and wait for the sand to be washed off the roads by the first spring rains.
Unless the tank has been treated with POR15, I'd leave it full of gas treated with Seafoam or stabil.
I was fortuate the last winter in MN, as I had built a heated room in the garage , so I was able to bring the bikes in side periodicly , and warm them up  and start them . Here in AZ its not really a problem.

[louthepou]

Now this won't be useful for Rick in AZ...  >:(

But around Ottawa in winter, we can have a cold night with temp going below minus 30 Celcius (in F = ?). I always check the density of my coolant just to make sure it won't freeze when everything else does.

I was thought that the full tank of stabilized gas is indeed better when temperatures and humidity will fluctuate back and forth during storage; this will make condensation in the tank. An empty tank with cap removed stored in your bedroom could work to, but...

Louis

[Lucky]

ok, Right! do you have any idea what would happen to me if i brought parts into the Bedroom??!!  she already calls the bike my mistress..


(she's right, lol)

[QBS]

About 30 years ago I lived in an apartment.  My Honda CB450 lived covered under the apartments' car port.  One day I noticed that there was a really strange and nasty oder coming from the Hondas' engine when it was hot.  I couldn't figure out what the source or cause was.  Then one day, as I was approaching the bike, I saw a large cat jump out from under the cover and run off.  I realized that the oder I was smelling was cooked cat pee.  I was livid and swore revenge.

It just so happened that I parked the bike right next a car port pole that had a timed security light on it.  So, I bought an adapter that would screw into the security light socket and provide a light socket and an electrical outlet.  I place a light bulb in the light socket and plugged an extension cord into the outlet.  Next came a wire coat hanger that had been straighted and cut into two equal lengths of about 18".  The wire pieces were then plugged into the female end of the extention cord and then held 3" apart in place down the length of the bike seat with duct tape.

My apartment bedroom was quite close to the parking spot and at night I would listen with gleeful anticipation for the arrival of sweet revenge.  Two night passed with no results.  However, on the third night around eleven thirty, a cat shreik was heard coming from the parking area.  

The next morning I checked on my trap hoping to find a dead cat on the Honda seat.  Alas, it was not be.  But I did find fresh claw marks in the seat cover.  The cat was never seen or heard of again.

Cheers.

[redxz550inoz]

he he he, good one QBS.

we fix our cat problems with two large dogs ...  :)

i think i can consider myself very lucky to be here in Aust. No real need to hibernate our beasties over here!
sure winter can get a bit wet n windy but no where near as cold as the rest of you experience. (snow/ice a rarity here in Perth)

still, we do get alot of fair weather fairies over here. you know, those that are terrified their bike might melt if it gets wet!!  8)

[fiddlesticks]

Yep both of our bikes are currently hibernating as well.  We also drained the tank, took her off and oilsprayed er. Drained the carbs and pulled the battery. We even made a little shed for it out of wood and tarps. (the agreement I made with my dad didnt include storing 2 bikes in his garage) One is at his place and one is in our little shed thingy.   :'( Such a sad thing to put her away for the winter.

[silicon_toad2000]

Yeah I'm one of those fair weather fairies. I do my maintenance in the winter. Winter also gives me a chance to spend some time with my other mistress, my datsun. Have to register everything once a year