Prepping your bike for winter storage………
The best winter preparation for your Harley–Davidson® motorcycle has to be making arrangements to get you and your bike into a warm climate! Yes, you know winter here in Canada is not exactly paradise. The heat waves radiating off of the hot pavement in July will be replaced with that white stuff, that dreaded thing called snow.
You know what winter preparations need to be done for your household concerns, the following information will hopefully help you on preparing your bike for winter storage:
( 1 ) Wash your Harley–Davidson® motorcycle.
A trip to the car wash to give it a good cleaning will do a world of good. Don’t forget the underside of your frame and the powertrain components. Take the time to give your paint and chrome a good coat of wax.
( 2 ) Gasoline Stabilizer.
The gasoline stabilizer will reduce the oxidation process that occurs when gasoline is stored for extended periods. Over the winter, the gasoline tends to oxidize and form varnish and sludge like deposits that can clog injectors, fuel lines, carburetor jets, and float bowls may even stick. You could have some starting problems come springtime. If the bike does fire up, your performance level may not be what it was when you tucked your baby in for the winter. Gasoline stabilizer ( Part # 99893 – 91A )is a cheap form of insurance for your spring time start up.
Add the recommended amount of gasoline stabilizer, for your gas tank volume, with the tank level down. Fill the tank with Premium gas, and ride home, letting the stabilizer mix with the fuel volume and make its way into your fuel injection system. Filling the gas tank also helps prevent condensation forming in your gas tank.
( 3 ) Clean oil.
It is very important to change your oils and motor oil filter for this winter siesta. Having clean oils in place, is just a much better environment for all those bearings and moving parts to be sitting in for this extended period.
( 4 ) Battery Tender.
Your battery should be connected to a 12 volt battery tender over the winter. A SUPERSMART Battery Tender ( Part # 94654 – 09A ) has the “smart” feature that will turn itself on and off as needed, maintaining the proper voltage level in your battery, and your battery never overcharges.
At Calgary Harley–Davidson® we install the battery charging harness for the Battery Tender when we do the Pre – Delivery Inspection. You will find the black plug in for the Battery Tender tucked in at the front of your seat. You can leave the battery in the motorcycle, or remove it for the winter, the choice is yours.
If you need the battery charging harness and / or the SUPERSMART Battery Tender for your bike, we have them ready to go in our Parts Department.
( 5 ) Fogging the cylinders.
Fogging the cylinders is a good idea if your bike will be stored in an unheated garage. This process prevents moisture from causing corrosion in the combustion chambers.
How do you fog your cylinders? Remove the air filter and the filter cover. Start the bike. With the bike running, spray a generous shot of the fogging oil into the intake. Shut the bike off, and reassemble the air filter assembly. Remove your spark plugs from each cylinder head, spray a 3 to 4 second burst into each cylinder, and reinstall the spark plugs. Make sure you torque the spark plugs to the proper specification.
( 6 ) Cover your bike.
Putting a cover on your bike will help ensure that wax job you just finished on your paint and chrome stays looking good, ready for the spring start up, or when you bring your friends out to the garage to show them your Sleeping Beauty. There are different bike covers available for all our Harley–Davidson® motorcycles, some are all weather / water proof and others are dust covers. Check with our Parts Department Team to see what you should be putting over your Harley-Davidson motorcycle this winter.
V-Rod® owners, PLEASE check your motors’ liquid coolant to confirm it is up to snuff for our winters’ freezing temperatures to avoid freezing damage.
If this is a bit beyond your comfort level of mechanical ability, please give our Calgary Harley-Davidson/Buell Service Department Team a call so that we can get going on prepping your bike for winter storage and spring start up. Pickup and delivery service is available.
