Preparing your metric bike after winter

Wednesday, 24 January 2007

Are you tryiing to remember all the steps to getting your motorcycle ready for the long winter nap and/or bringing it out for another season? This article skims over the TO-DO list of parking your motorcycle over winter. What to do before and also what to do when the pavement shows itself again in the spring. Like anything that is seasonal, it requires special attention to ensure that it remains running and operating as good as possible even over the down time of the machine. This is not meant to be a complete list but you may want to read our other article - The BIG Spring Checklist - for more details. Preparing your Metric Bike before winter * Check over the motorcycle for any mechanical problems. * Change the engine oil and oil filter. * Fill the gas tank, add stabilizer according to the instructions on the can and run the bike for a few minutes. * Check the battery, clean the battery terminals and connect a Battery Tender or similar trickle-charger. * Clean and wax the bike. * Cover the bike. If possible, keep the bike in a warm garage. * Make sure the bike is locked up and the registration and other papers are removed in case the bike is stolen. Preparing your MetricBike after winter Valves: The manual says to adjust them when the engine is cold. Give the cam lobes a shot of oil when you are done. Torque the cylinder head too. Battery: If it spent the winter well charged, as with a Battery Tender or a regular trickle charge, then it's is probably ready to go. Give it a regular service (fluid level and slow charge) and send it on its way. If it was neglected all winter, give it the same service and then check it. If it comes out looking a bit sickly, replace the battery before it causes problems. Be certain the vent tube is connected and properly routed. Oil: If you changed the oil immediately before you stored it, it is probably ready to rumble. Fresh oil can be contaminated by water, which will give it a milky appearance when it is first run. If you didn't change oil before storage, replace it now. Otherwise, those normal contaminants have been joined by a measure of water, a recipe for corrosion. Change the filter unless it was new. Use a torque wrench on the drain plug. Fuel: If you left your tank full (a good way to avoid rust), the fuel has probably stratified, unless you used a fuel stabilizer. Before turning on your petcock and letting fuel into the carb, disconnect the fuel line and drain the tank completely. (Pour the old gas in your car--or your neighbor's.) This is a good time to clean your fuel filter and look inside the tank for rust. If you didn't drain your carb float bowl(s) before storage, pull them off now and take a look. If the inside has something that looks like varnished cottage cheese, you probably have clogged jets, too. Carb cleaner might help, but you might need new jets and a professional de-clogging as well. Engine: A shot of oil in each spark plug hole followed by a couple of spins of the engine with the plugs removed will protect the cylinder walls and rings during those first few revolutions. When you pull the plugs, check the gaps too. If you haven't serviced it during the winter, the rest of those engine service items (air filter, carb synch, drive-line fluids, etc.) should be attended to as well. Brakes: This is a good time to install fresh fluid--after your old stuff has spent all winter soaking up water and is at its spongiest. You definitely should do it if you skipped it during the last year or two. Check the pads or shoes too. If they are "sort of" thin, get new ones now. Suspension and steering: Prop the front wheel off the ground, sit in front of the bike and grasp the fork lowers. Move them forward and back to feel for steering-head looseness. If you feel any movement or clunking from the steering head, tighten it properly. Have you changed fork oil recently? Is a fork seal leaking? If so, take care of it now. Finish protection: This is a great time to pull things apart and thoroughly wax everything you can get your fingers and cotton swabs on. Remove any corrosion, and put on a nice thick layer of wax or other appropriate protectant (leather dressing for leather saddlebags, etc.) to preserve it during the riding season. Routine stuff: Before riding, you should check over all those normal pre-ride items: tire pressure and condition (date), wheel true, spoke tension, wheel bearing condition, control function and adjustment, lights, sprocket and chain condition, etc. Look for leaks anywhere there is fluid. Take time and a couple of wrenches and check the tightness of every fastener you can reach. Pay particular attention to anything that can hurt you--brake lever pivot bolts, axle nuts, drain plugs, etc. Your owner's manual will have a complete list of points to check before riding. Or if you don't have one (ask your dealer or the manufacturer), you can use the T-CLOCK checklist created by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation as an outline. (T-CLOCK stands for Tires and wheels, Controls, Lights and electrics, Oil and fluids, Chassis, Kickstand.) Spares kit: If you haven't done so already, why not make up a spares kit for on-the-road problems you are capable of handling yourself? This might include fuses, chain master link, tire tubes/patches, headlight bulb, instrument bulb, a bit of wire, some nuts, etc. You might include a first-aid kit too, with an eye on abrasions, insect stings, and other on-the-road adventures. Put it all in a package that you can take with you when you are traveling farther than the county line. For more information - The BIG Spring Checklist Related Articles: How-To: Change Motorcycle Disc Brake Pads Confederate Motor Co. Inc. Honda Motorcycle Trainer How to Improve the Ride and Suspension Performance of Cruiser Motorcycles Fork Seal Replacement Seven Flip-Face Motorcycle Helmets Compared How-To: Cut Down a Motorcycle Saddle

Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 September 2009 )