Putting your bike away for the cold months? Here's how to winterize your motorcycle for maximum protection with minimal effort.
Riding season seems to have flown by particularly fast this year. While many of us still have another month or two of good weather to look forward to, Central Oregon is already staring down 34-degree days, which means snow is right around the corner at our home office.
That's always a bit of a bummer, and while we're lucky enough to continue running tours in places like Mexico and Vietnam more or less year-round, our riding days on home turf are numbered.
That means we'll be winterizing our motorcycles earlier than most, and luckily for our readers, we've decided to document the process for reference this winter.
How to Properly Winterize Your Motorcycle
We get the benefit of four full and distinct seasons here in Oregon, and as such, we've got a wealth of experience with winterizing motorcycles.
Here's our tried and true method after a few decades in the business for maximum protection with minimal hassle.
1. Go Get Gas
Your first step toward winterizing your motorcycle is arguably the most enjoyable: going for a motorcycle ride.
"Go for a ride, then fill 'er to the brim. We want as little space left in the tank as possible."
You can make that ride as long or as short as you want, just make sure you stop and fill your gas tank to the absolute brim once you're within a few miles of wherever you'll be storing it.
Having a full tank is important because more fuel = less room for air. Less air means less oxidation, and less oxidation means less potential rust buildup.
We'll also note that if you have the option of filling your bike up with ethanol-free gas (often called "recreational gas" or REC-90 depending on the gas station), you should do so.
That's because ethanol is "hydrophilic" meaning it naturally attracts and bonds with water, which can come from humidity in the air or condensation inside the tank.
Get enough of this water and ethanol mixture inside your tank and it will separate from the gas and settle at the bottom.
This essentially "gas-free" mixture is highly corrosive, so we want to avoid it at all costs.
2. Replace Old Fluids
Once you've got a full tank and a warm engine, now would be the time to address your bike's other fluids, namely the oil and coolant.
"If it's been some time since you've changed your oil or coolant, plan on changing it when you return from the gas station."
Depending on how recently you've replaced either of these, you may be able to skip this step entirely.
For the oil we recommend changing both your oil and filter if you've already gone more than 1,000 miles or so since your last change.
A fresh flush will prevent buildup and sludge from settling in your engine over the winter, and as an added bonus, you'll have one less thing to do once riding season rolls around again.
"Been a while since you opened up that radiator? Coolant protects your engine from corrosion, so it's a good idea to get it done before winter."
As for the coolant (assuming your bike is liquid-cooled), most manufacturers recommend flushing and refilling the system every two years or so.
You'll want to check your owner's manual to confirm the interval, but if you're already past it or will hit it over the winter, now is a good time to make sure you've got fresh coolant in the bike for maximum protection against both freezing and corrosion.
3. Wash and Protect Your Motorcycle
With a full tank and fresh fluids, your next step should be to give the bike a thorough wash.
"Put 'em away clean: You don't want road grime eating away at your finishes all season."
Our goal here is to get all the potentially corrosive dirt and road grime off every surface of the bike so it isn't sitting there gunking things up for several months.
If you're in a hurry, a thorough wash and dry is better than nothing, but we also recommend giving the bike a good detailing to further protect rust-prone surfaces.
"From the exhaust to the fork legs, it's a smart idea to hit any metal surfaces with a polish/protectant to prevent corrosion buildup."
That should include cleaning and lubricating the chain as well as applying some form of protectant to the exterior surfaces of the bike.
We prefer to use an all-in-one detailer in a can for convenience since it will clean and protect everything from fork legs to plastics.
Everyone has their favorite, but we've had good experiences with Maxima Speed Wax, Original Bike Spirits Spray Cleaner, and Motul Wash and Wax.
4. Protect Your Battery
Most non-start situations in the spring are simply caused by a dead and/or over-sulfated battery.
"For most folks, hooking up the Battery Tender is all you'll need to do to winterize your motorcycle's battery."
To that end, we want to do something to prevent the battery from draining too low to crank your motorcycle after its hibernation.
For most folks that's as simple as hooking the bike up to a Battery Tender or another brand of smart charger/maintainer.
Whatever brand you choose, "smart" is the keyword here, as we want a system that maintains our battery rather than just constantly charging it.
Most modern battery maintenance systems do this, but if you're still using an old-school "trickle charger" don't feel you need to run out and buy something new.
"They make Battery Tenders for lithium batteries as well, but honestly all you need to do is disconnect it for the winter."
Trickle chargers will work in a pinch, but you'll have to manually connect and disconnect the charger for an hour or two each month rather than having a simple "set it and forget it" situation.
Of course, all of this is assuming you're using a conventional lead-acid battery, whether that's liquid, gel, or glass.
For the folks out there with a lithium-ion battery, these cells discharge so slowly that all you actually need to do is disconnect your ground wire until spring rolls around.
4. Keep Your Tires In Top Shape
There are two schools of thought when it comes to tires, and both of them share the same goal: Preventing flat spots from forming and/or damage to the carcass of the tire.
"You can put your bike on stands if you have them, but inflating them fully is really all your need to do before winter."
The first is putting your motorcycle up on a jack, a crate, or dedicated track stands to get the tires up in the air and out from under the weight of the bike.
If you've got access to a stand of some kind, you might as well use it.
If you don't have a convenient way to get those tires off the ground, however, you can simply inflate them to the "maximum PSI" found on the sidewall of the tire.
Adding air pressure allows the tire to maintain as round a profile as possible under weight, and also gives the bike a safety cushion against the pound of two of pressure they'll naturally lose to time and colder conditions.
5. Protect Your Motorcycle From the Elements
Last but not least, we need to ensure our bikes are protected from wind, rain, sun, and snow while they bed down for the long nap.
"Even if you store your bike indoors, a dust cover of some kind can't hurt."
If you're keeping your bike in a garage (especially a climate-controlled one), you've already got this step handled, although throwing a dust cover over the top won't hurt.
If you'll be storing your bike outdoors in any way, shape, or form, however, you'll want to go a step or two further.
A strong, weatherproof motorcycle cover is a good start, and we prefer those with grommets underneath to help secure the bike from heavy gusts and theft alike.
You'll also want to consider protecting your bike from pests like mice and bugs (no, seriously), as they have a way of finding any little nook, cranny, or hole they can hide out in.
To that end, find a way to plug your exhaust and airbox, and remember to unplug both when it's time to ride again.
FAQ's on Winterizing Your Motorcycle
You asked, we answered. Here's our take on the internet's most pressing questions around winterization.
"Airing up for the winter? The "max PSI at cold" number is what you're looking for."
Should I use a fuel additive/stabilizer when winterizing my motorcycle?
Some folks swear by fuel stabilizers, others say it does more harm than good.
Personally we say skip it: if you're really concerned about your fuel sitting all winter, just go the extra mile and fill up with ethanol-free gas before putting it into hibernation.
What if I don't have anywhere to store my bike?
Truth be told, most folks don't have access to a climate-controlled garage, and many more don't even have access to covered parking.
To that end a decent motorcycle cover is better than nothing, but you could also consider shopping your local public storage facilities, as they often offer drive-up spaces with room for several bikes for $30 a month or less.
Do I need to start my bike every week to keep the fluids moving?
We hear this a lot, and the answer is absolutely not. Cold starts cause engine wear and drain life from your battery.
If you aren't able to actually go ride for long enough to get your bike up to full operating temperature, there's no benefit to starting it at all over the winter.
What about carbureted bikes?
"If you're riding a carbureted bike the same rules apply, just make sure you drain your bowl(s) before storage."
Some folks will tell you to store carbureted motorcycles with a dry tank and a dry carb, while others will tell you to fill 'er to the brim just like a fuel-injected machine.
We prefer the latter ourselves (especially for bikes with metal tanks), just make sure to turn your petcock off and drain your carb(s) to keep jet-clogging gunk from forming in your bowl over the winter.
Final Thoughts On Winterizing a Motorcycle
When it comes to winterizing your motorcycle, most people overthink it.
We love to pamper our bikes as much as the next person, but truth be told these are robust machines, and they really don't need all that much fuss before spending a few months in hibernation.
"Taking in the views on our Patagonia routes"
We'd sum up the bare minimum as "fill your tank, charge your battery" and if we left it at that, you'd be alright.
Yes, it's better to store your bike clean with fresh fluids and full tires, but you're not going to break anything from a few weeks of neglect either.
Thanks for reading, and we're truly sorry for the folks out there who have to hang their bikes up for the winter.
If you've got the year-round itch as most of us do, we'll take this opportunity to shamelessly remind you that we run adventure training courses in Nevada year-round, as well as tours in several parts of the world that are just getting into prime riding season!
Just saying it doesn't have to be over ;)
Reach out!
→Read More: 5 Best Heated Motorcycle Gloves To Keep Your Hands Toasty All Winter and 5 Best Winter Motorcycle Gloves To Beat The Chill This Off-Season.
