Take it from a man who literally just had to have the dealership come and pick his motorcycle up so that they could work on it to get the thing started: properly storing your motorcycle for the winter is of utmost importance.

Last Fall I took my Honda 919 to my parents’ house and left it in their garage for the winter.  The ordeal of transporting the thing (without riding it, which is a dangerous proposition if you are familiar with I-95 in Philadelphia) was so trying that by the time we got to the house all my dad and I wanted to do was walk it into the garage and have a beer.  Bad idea.  Now, I am paying over $250 just to get the motorcycle started for the first time this spring.

So what should someone do if they want their bike to start right up in the spring and go for that first chilly ride?  There are a few basic things that one can do to ensure the motorcycle will make it through a winter of storage in pristine condition.

  1. Remove the battery and place it on a slow-charger.  The Battery Tender is the brand I purchased because once the battery is fully charged, you can leave it on the charger because it goes into “maintenance mode” which means that a small voltage current is run through the battery to keep the innards active, and thus, functional.
  2. Do not siphon the fuel!!!  I cannot stress this enough.  It used to be that siphoning the gas out of the tank was motorcycle-storage 101.  Not anymore.  Now, there are products that you can add to your fuel that keep it from separating from inactivity and temperature changes.  See your local dealer to pick up a bottle, there are several brands but the one I hear used most is STAB-BIL.
  3. The storage area should be a fairly stable temperature (not too hot, not too cold - maybe like luke-warm water…) and dry.  Do not cover the motorcycle with a water-resistant or non-porous cover.  This will tend to keep moisture in and that is something you do not want.  Use a cotton sheet or something similar to allow the motorcycle to breathe.
  4. Underneath where you want to park the motorcycle, place a sheet of plastic down with a towel over top of the plastic.  This will ensure moisture from the ground is blocked and the towel will help catch airborn moisture and any that may come from the bike itself.
  5. If you haven’t had the bike serviced in awhile, take it to the dealer to get an oil change.  If your service is in pretty good shape, then you can wait until you de-winterize the bike for the oil change.  This is because regardless of whether you had the oil changed immediately before storage or 3,000 miles before storage, you will need to get the oil changed upon de-winterizing anyway.
  6. Check your owner’s manual for any specifics pertaining to your motorcycle.  I found that mine instructed you to drain all of the fuel (which is what I did, and which is exactly what caused the problem I am having), but this is not a good idea.  The reason it is a bad idea is that you must be able to get ALL of the fuel out of ALL of the hoses, tanks and systems.  Not happening, trust me.  So, if only for this one item, disregard what the owner’s manual tells you.
  7. Spark plugs - some say take the caps out and replace the plug; some say do nothing at all.  It’s your choice.  Beware that if they get gummed up and aren’t producing a spark that you will need to clean the caps or replace the plugs.

These simple little tips could have saved me some money, and more so, saved me from aggravation.  It’s no fun to look at a motorcycle that won’t start and can’t be ridden.  Take the time and store that bad boy properly and you will not regret it.

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