First Snow of the season and what to do about it...

We had the first snow of the season on Monday. For the off-road guys or the ATV customers it just means another season to challenge their skills and something different to play in. For the Street customers it means the end of their fun for the next five months. Yeah i know there are some of us that don't take our bikes off the road in the Winter. We will take any day or couple of hours of dry roads when the temperature gets above freezing. That is what separates the real motorcyclists from the pretenders. What many of these posers fail to realize is that letting a motorcycle sit unused for four or five months is the worst possible thing you can do for it. This is especially true today with such high alcohol content in most of our gasoline.

Here are a few tips for keeping you bike working great during the Winter and avoiding big repair bills in the Spring.

The first thing you need to do is NOT listen to your neighbor, buddy, uncle or Grandfather who used to have a "mo-sickle" back in the day. Even though Harley's are based on sixty year old designs, many things have changed and what worked back on the farm can actually do more harm then good today. Metric bikes have to be cared for like the well crafted and manufactured machines they are.

#1 DO NOT DRAIN THE GAS or motor oil. What you should do is to top off the tank before you put it away. Add fuel stabilizer to the gas according to the manufacturers directions. A half empty tank will allow more air space in the gas tank. Air in the tank means more moisture can cause rust and corrosion. Run your bike long enough to circulate the stabilized fuel through your carburetor or fuel injectors. If you were to drain your carburetor float bowls, there is a good chance they would quickly corrode and in the Spring need a complete cleaning.  DO NOT use Mystery Oil or FOGGIN Oil added to your gas. Those may have worked in the 1950's and 60's , however in today's engine's they can cause excessive carbon build up on valve seats, ring grooves, spark plugs and fuel injector nozzles. This can lead to very poor performance. TRUST ME, even today's spark plugs are high tech and some plugs can cost over $25 bucks EACH. Modern fuel stabilizers are designed to work with modern engines, ignition systems and fuel systems. Sorry Gramps, that's just the way it is. You never leave an engine sit without motor oil in it. That's just stupid. If you can't change the oil before you put it up for the Winter, leaving dirty oil in it is better then leaving it dry.

#2 Ride it once a week. Ok so you can't because you took it off the road to save money. Or there is seven feet of snow on the ground and the roads are covered in ice until Spring. Then at least start it and let it run for ten or fifteen minutes once a week. ( In a well ventilated area! Yes, i know, but there are stupid people out there that would sit on their bike and run it inside an enclosed small shed and end up killing themselves. ) This will insure that everything stays lubricated. Engine oil seals won't dry out and corrosion won't built up. Speaking of sheds, if your bike is stored in a shed or out building is is a very good idea to put Decon or some other form of mouse/rat poison around it. Mice have a nasty habit of making homes inside air boxes, exhaust pipes and any other cozy spot. Running your bike once a week, and putting out rat poison will help keep Mickey away from gnawing on your air filter. Hey this will just save YOU money in the Spring and it will keep me from having to remove seventeen pounds of acorns from the bowels of your motorcycle.

#3 Use a Battery Tender. You plug it in and forget about it. It keeps the battery at the proper charge state and insures your battery won't freeze in un-heated sheds or garages. Many of today's bikes have alarms, clocks and other gadgets that slowly drain the voltage out of your battery. If your not riding your bike on a weekly basis it won't be to long before the battery is dead. Batteries left dead for weeks or months usually won't re-charge in the Spring. Batteries are very expensive these says.Spend the $30 bucks on a Battery Tender, it will save you allot of money!

#4 Cover your bike, but don't mummify it! NEVER, EVER wrap your bike so tight in plastic that air can't circulate around it. It's a great idea to cover it, but allow air to circulate and dry up any moisture that develops under the cover. If your lucky enough to have a heated garage, your bike will love you. If your fortunate enough to have a secure shed, then your bike will like you. If you have to keep your bike outside, then you better spend some extra time preparing your bike for a long, cold, damp, camp out or your bike will make your life a living hell in the Spring. Remember what they say, "Pay back is a Bitch".  We have all seen them. Poor, neglected motorcycles wrapped in blue tarps like a dead body laying on the side of the road. These poor bikes are exposed to the worst mother nature has to offer. If you can't avoid this type if Winter storage, then give every metal surface a heavy coat of wax before putting it under wraps. Spray down your wheels and other metal parts with light lubricant or silicone. EXCEPT your brake rotors. Don't coat them with anything! you will just have to deal with possible rust in the spring. Coating brake rotors is dangerous.  Everything else can use a good coat to keep it from rusting. Just make sure in the Spring to give your bike a good bath BEFORE riding it.

I want to warn folks about paying someone to store your bike. In today's bad economy, no business is safe. Bike shops are going out of business at an alarming rate. Some people have told me that they have had their bikes get tied up in legal bull shit because the shops creditors came down and padlocked the doors and it took weeks and months to get their bikes back! If you are going to take the chance that they will be in business in the Spring, request to see a copy of their insurance policy that covers possible loss or damage to your motorcycle. Get everything in writing. And go visit your bike from time to time.  Many of these shops use your bike as a hostage and it ends up costing you big bucks in storage fees and labor costs because its funny how there is always a "problem" when you want to retrieve your bike.

It's all pretty much common sense, but that's another rant for another cold night. Hopefully this Winter won't be to bad. Here in New England we deserve a break. Try not to ignore your bike or your local dealer. They can both use a little of your attention this Winter.