Winter Storage

[NK]

I am about to put my S2R away until spring. What are the proper and best ways to preserve and winterize my bike for the next for 5 months?

[That Nice Guy Beck!]

take out teh battery
fill up the tank then put some fuel stabilizer in it
cover it up

[akmnstr]

In addition to the above you should keep the battery charged. 
Many suggest changing the oil, I never get around to doing that until Spring. 

[Howie]

Also fog the cylinders and , if possible, put the bike on stands, if not, inflate the tires to maximum pressure marked on sidewalls.  Make sure the cover is breathable.

[NAKID]

Fog the cylinders?

[Popeye the Sailor]

Fog the cylinders?

I'm assuming that means get some oil in above the piston.


On older carb'd cars what I've seen is people just dumping oil slowly into the carb until it choked the motor. Personally I just pull the plugs and squirt some oil in there.

[corey]

okay okay okay.
my first winter with a duc, and yes indeed, a bike at all...

what exactly is the problem with starting it up once a week and letting her run for about 30 minutes, while in the meantime checking her over for problems, leaks, corrosion etc?? (aside from the fumes in the garage...which i can deal with)

[Buckethead]

what exactly is the problem with starting it up once a week and letting her run for about 30 minutes, while in the meantime checking her over for problems, leaks, corrosion etc?? (aside from the fumes in the garage...which i can deal with)

Nothing, but you're still going to want to add fuel stabilizer to a full tank before you store it.

And I'm sure 30 minutes will be plenty, but you'll want to make sure you get the engine oil up to at least 200^o F to get the moisture out of it.

[NAKID]

Water boils at 212 degrees F

[corey]

sounds like a plan. i figure if i start my lady's gixxer up right next to it, with the heat that stupid thing radiates, it'll reach 200 in about 5 minutes...

i guess fuel stabilizer would still be necessary for a bike sitting that long, even if it is being run once a week.
i assume good ol' fashioned sta-bil is just fine to use?

[Buckethead]

Water boils at 212 degrees F

True, but by the time your oil temp gauge reads 200, the oil circulating trough the cylinder heads will be significantly warmer, and most of the water will have been cooked out of the oil remaining in the galley.

Sta-bil is fine.

[NAKID]

Just messin with ya.


But you know that oil is continuously circulated right? There shouldn't be much difference in temps in the short amount of time from the heads to the crankcase....

[Buckethead]

But you know that oil is continuously circulated right?

Shenanigans, I say! 

[Howie]

Fog the cylinders?

Marine and some small engie stores have a spray product to oil your upper cylinders, more effective than squirting a little oil into the spark plug hole and turning over the engine.  I should have realized this needed explanation.  Here is one brand
http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/STA-FOG.html

[somegirl]

Water boils at 212 degrees F

At 1 atm.




Just messin with ya