preparing a spyder for winter

[wmh9680]

Good evening, We are in Chicago and usually I just try to start my bikes once or twice a month and take her around a 5 mile trip I lay out and never winterize her. Any suggestions, pro/con either way? I do the same with all my small engines. I just read about fogging/wheels off the ground/take batt out and inside to stay warm and charged. I do have a batt tender. It's times like there I wish I lived in a much warmer climate. The bike is originally from Tampa so this will be here first winter. Thanks, Mike

[4 MARIE]

welcome to the Midwest. There will be a month (at least), where you will not be ryding
5 miles, or 5 blocks. I don't necessarily go with picking the wheels up, but certainly treat
your fuel, making sure you get the treated stuff up to the injectors, then slap it on the
battery tender or maintainer, not a charger. Then you should be good till the next practical
ryde time.

[Peteoz]

I prepare my Spyder for winter by putting a warmer jacket on, Mike .....sorry, couldn't help myself

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

i also clean, wax, leather conditioner before i put cover on and over inflate tires with carpet on floor if it is to sit on ground.

[Highwayman2013]

Not in the real cold anymore. Moved to Las Vegas from Pa. But I used to treat the fuel, hook up the battery tender and not touch the bike until spring. I put cardboard under the tires on concrete. I also found the regular cover that came with the bike held moisture in and I found condensation on the bike when I took the cover off so I just used some old blankets.

[Spyder_Ryder]

i also clean, wax, leather conditioner before i put cover on and over inflate tires with carpet on floor if it is to sit on ground.

Just curious, but how does laying the tires on carpet help?

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

[Bob Denman]

I just keep riding until they start salting the roads...
Fill it up with fuel
Add some StarTron
air up the tires
Plug in the Battery tender.

And wait for the "Dark Spell" to pass!

[Mazo EMS2]

welcome to the Midwest. There will be a month (at least), where you will not be ryding
5 miles, or 5 blocks. I don't necessarily go with picking the wheels up, but certainly treat
your fuel, making sure you get the treated stuff up to the injectors, then slap it on the
battery tender or maintainer, not a charger. Then you should be good till the next practical
ryde time.

This is what I'll be doing again this season in southern WI. I would also add a few extra pounds of air to the tires as well. Oh, and I like to store it with a fresh oil/filter change too. If you choose to run it once in a while, it certainly needs to get hot enough to dry up the moisture in the exhaust.

[trikermutha]

I am in the same area as you. I park it in the garage and put on the battery tender. If I have any winter plans I do my projects on the bike and sits there till spring.
Nothing special needs to be done..Maybe a wash if you like and cover..

[ARtraveler]

I fill the tank with premium, add Stabil, put it on a battery tender and let it sleep from usually November-March. It usually starts on the very first try.

A very respected member has suggested not to go for small jaunts to re-charge the battery. Unless you drive for a half hour or longer, the engine does not get properly up to temperature. That can do more harm than good.

[scarecrow]

Denise and I are preping our spyder for winter too. We added light sweaters and jackets to the back box. May move from fingerless gloves to full gloves in January. With the shorter days coming need to polish up the foglights.

[bigbadbrucie]

When I lived in Northern British Columbia, the temperature would often drop to 30 below F. and winter usually started the middle of October until the first half of May. I would change the oil and filter, fill the tank and stabilize the fuel, park my M/C in my unheated shed, hook up the battery tender/maintainer and walk away, locking the door until spring. The shed had a wooden floor, so I did not do anything special with the wheels/tires. The hardest part is NOT starting it during the dormant period. Leave it alone. Then come spring, the bike would turn over and start just fine, however make sure to check pressures and volumes before your first ride. Doing this my bike was ALWAYS ready to ride, with no over winter issues.

[redrt]

Midwest bike's we have 8 bike's, all get oil and filter change, stabile in gas ( no alcohol ) and battery tender hooked up. Never had one not start in the spring. Thing I don't like about winter ride's is road salt on the bike. I have seen too many parts get corroded from it, chrome and polished aluminium don't like salt. Jim

[wmh9680]

Thanks everyone. I hope to ride a little before putting her away. Thanks again, Mike

[Deanna777]

I fill up gas tank/stabilize fuel,

put it on a tender/maintainer ,

change oil/filter,

cover it with a full cover,

set tire pressures,

check condition of battery.

Also, in the spring have it inspected, test battery, Wash, set tire pressures.



*** wait for spring to get here so I can *** and hope the winter is short.

Deanna

[jerpinoy]

Change your oil coz old oil got all that dirt and contaminants and can corrode the working surface.

[40Xshooter]

Just curious, but how does laying the tires on carpet help?

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

Keeps moisture away from the bottom of the trike. A sheet of plastic or cardboard will do the same thing.
The one year I didn't put something down underneath my Harley, come spring I found pits in the chrome. Also, once I put it away for the winter I didn't start it til spring. I don't think you can get it warm enough to evaporate all the water out of the crankcase so I just leave it (with battery tender on of course). I'm from the Chicago area, too.

Just my .02

Bill

[Spyder_Ryder]

Sounds good Bill. Perhaps a small heater and or dehumidifier would help too.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

[Bob Denman]

Keeps moisture away from the bottom of the trike. A sheet of plastic or cardboard will do the same thing.

I park mine on a couple of pieces of old carpet remnants... It can't hurt, and it takes less than a minute to lay them out.

[Ex-Rocket]

Do as Cruzr Joe does. Buy a nice Persian Rug to park your Spyder on in a nice climate controlled garage.

[BigGuy66]

(snip), then slap it on the
battery tender or maintainer, not a charger. Then you should be good till the next practical
ryde time.

New to hooking battery tender to my 2010 RT. Can I hook the tender to the terminals under the seat or do I need to attach directly to the battery terminals? Please let it be the under-the-seat terminals.... I read the manual about how to get to the battery...
Jim

[robmorg]

Good evening, We are in Chicago and usually I just try to start my bikes once or twice a month and take her around a 5 mile trip I lay out and never winterize her. Any suggestions, pro/con either way? I do the same with all my small engines. I just read about fogging/wheels off the ground/take batt out and inside to stay warm and charged. I do have a batt tender. It's times like there I wish I lived in a much warmer climate. The bike is originally from Tampa so this will be here first winter. Thanks, Mike

If you plan to ride it a few times during the winter, I think your plan sounds OK. That's what I do, plus I keep it on a Battery Tender over the winter months. Just one word of caution... Don't start the engine unless you do plan to ride it about 5 miles or so. The reason... water is a natural byproduct of internal combustion engines, and unless you get the engine up to full operating temperature for a while, the water won't entirely evaporate and can corrode internal engine parts.

[wmh9680]

I do have a 5 mile course I ride in the winter in addition to letting her warm up 1st. I only go out if the road are clear and clean. I just hate not to ride all winter. Thanks, Mike

[rcturner]

5 miles is not enough to burn the moisture out of the engine. You are better off not to start it at all. Also, you would probably be better off covering the bike with a blanket or sheet if you feel the need to cover it at all. A little dust will not hurt anything. Moisture captured by a cover could.