cold winter storage thread: I looked through lots of posts and haven't found a good one yet, but I'm sure its out there somewhere. So, to quit wasting work time, I am storing my '14 VFR in my garage for the winter. It stays roughly 45 - 50 degrees Faranheight. Other than cranking the engine once every few weeks, is there anything else I need to worry about it?
Get some Stabil fuel stabilizer and run it until you know you have some treated gas throughout your system. And a Battery Tender.
Personally I wouldn't mess with the turn the bike over once in a while deal. Most of the wear on an engine is when the engine is cold with no oil pressure. That's exactly what you're doing when you crank it over. Serves no real purpose except give you the warm fuzzies, and add a little wear to moving parts. Since I've gotten old, I end up not riding the bike when the weather turns crappy. Generally from December through March/April. I pull the battery, put it on a Battery Tender, and fire the bike back up when the weather turns nicer. No issues.
My 6th Gen spends every winter up in a ski resort in the Alps stored in an unheated garage without access to power, but despite prolonged periods with temperatures well below freezing, with minimal preparation, my VFR has always started first time when it comes out of hibernation. For me I have refined the process to doing just enough... (If however you plan storing the bike for years, then follow the far more comprehensive list of steps listed in the VFR Owners Manual.) 1. Ride bike till its warm and almost out of fuel. Then refuel with 98 octane petrol rather than regular 95. Fuel can degrade but the extra octane means it is still plenty good enough to fire up in Spring (usually mine is stored from Late October to late March). If its a long way from the filling station also fill a 5 litre petrol cannister with 98 and when the bike is parked up ensure the petrol tank is topped up completely. Without air the fuel tank cannot rust! 2. Put bike on centre stand and generously lubricate the chain whilst it is still hot from riding back from the petrol station - otherwise chains may rust badly over winter. 3. Slightly over inflate the tyres +2 or 3 lbs is enough - to compensate for possible air loss over the winter. It also helps keep the tyres from forming flat spots. 4. Remove battery and keep that indoors (or at least in a warm place) - top up the battery on a tender once every month or so - an hour is usually enough - no point leaving it permanently hooked up. 5. Balance a sack of dry sand on the pillion seat - you need sufficient weight to lift most but not all weight from the front wheel (or whatever else you have to hand ideally something which won't deform or mark the seat - but as I don't sit on that seat I don't care if it has a dent by next spring.). You just want the main stand to take almost all of the bike weight with it just resting slightly on the front tyre - this should allow the fork springs to fully extend and prolongs their life. 6. Spray pretty much any metal parts you can see/get at (EXCEPT THE BRAKES) with ACF50 spray. When you fire up the bike in spring it will make loads of smoke for 10 minutes as the engine gets hot and it burns off, but it will prevent corrosion forming, Not cheap but worth every penny. 7. In spring remove and store for use next winter the bag of sand. Remove bike from main stand and wheel it outside, fit battery, drink some tea (or just wait 5 minutes) then fire it up. Enjoy the smoke for 10 minutes or if you decide to ride off expect people waving furiously to tell you your bike is on fire. Whilst you are waiting for the smoke to clear, check tyre pressures and ensure brakes are in working order - just in case some ACF50 got on the disks. 8. Use up any residual 98 petrol in the top up cannister as soon as you can in the spring, so the cannister is empty and ready to use next winter. Hope that helps SkiMad
I know this may not apply to so many, but I would rather keep riding mine through the winter than to go through all that work.
Good reason. Here I keep them on a tender and can usually manage to ride at least every couple weeks.... I have to ride almost 40 miles to get ethanol free but I try to do that too.
I do most of skimads post however I use stands for the bikes. Another few things are 1. I also push the pads back on the front and rear brakes so I don't have to worry about the brakes binding. 2. I clean the bikes fairly thoroughly and wax. 3. After it's clean and dry & COLD I plug the exhaust.
take a *thin* coat of petroleum jelly and put on all the black bits (dash, around the grips, and the black plastic just below the seat on both side) and coat it, let sit for a few minutes, wipe off. Keeps it from getting brittle over the next year, and a nice black color. I've left it on before, and wipe back off after hibernation is over.