Winterizing

[auntmay9]

Is there anything that you should do to winterize your Spyder? We just did our own oil change and it was pretty easily done. Time consuming but easy. So my next question is.. Is there anything specific you need to do to winterize the Spyder? Besides antifreeze... We live in eastern TN so it does get colder and we do not have a place to store it indoors only a cover. Thanks for all the advice in advance!

 

[Lamonster]

http://www.lamonstergarage.com/putting-your-spyder-to-bed-for-the-season/

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

ANTI-FREEZE

I'm 99.999 % sure all Spyders are delivered with anti-freeze, ( even in Fla. ).........because it's also an anti-corrosive .....Mike :thumbup:

 

[Deanna777]

Use a battery tender that says" Switches automatically from charge to float! 12 Volt 750 mA can be used for motorcycles, cars, tractors, ATV, Snowmobile, Boats. Reverse polarity protection ensures safety. I have the above and I use it on my spyder. Deanna

 

[Brentc]

Protect from critters

If storing outdoors do your best to make it mouse proof. They love to get at wiring and hide in exhaust systems.

 

[GOZFST]

Fill it with non-oxygenated fuel.

 

[Chupaca]

Agree..!!

I'm 99.999 % sure all Spyders are delivered with anti-freeze, ( even in Fla. ).........because it's also an anti-corrosive .....Mike :thumbup:

And a lubricant for the water pump and seals...that makes it 100%....:2thumbs:

 

[speedbuggy]

Here in Canada it gets cold in the winter. All I do is hook up the battery tender and make sure I have a full tank
of gas(high test).
I start it up every weekend and let it run for awhile, and if the roads are bare, take it for a ride up the street.
Have been doing this for years, even before I went Spyder.:yes:
I put wood under the tires to keep them of the cement floor.
Never had a problem, always works well.:yes:

 

[pegasus1300]

I put wood under the tires to keep them of the cement floor.
Never had a problem, always works well.:yes:

So what happens if you just leave them in contact with the cement floor?

 

[Bob Denman]

It helps to hold the floor down! :roflblack:
Seriously; add some fuel stabilizer to the tank, and then let the bike run for a bit. You need to let it get run up into the injection system...

 

[Cleg]

Stabilizer

It helps to hold the floor down! :roflblack:
Seriously; add some fuel stabilizer to the tank, and then let the bike run for a bit. You need to let it get run up into the injection system...

A suggestion, after the stabilizer is added, let the bike run until the exhaust 'smells'nojoke you'll be sure then, to have allowed the stabilizer to circulate throughout the complete system....

 

[Doug]

battery tender, inflate tires, place on carpet(plastic), gasoline stabilizer, moth balls, rodent traps, and cover.

 

[jaherbst]

If you live in Arizona, continue riding! :joke:

Jack

 

[robmorg]

I think that if you live in Eastern Tennessee, there are going to be a lot of winter days you are going to want to go riding. I'd just keep a battery tender on it, and ride it when there is no snow and ice, which would be most days.

Just my opinion, you of course should do what's best for you.

 

[erwin]

Winter riding Branson Mo & NW Arkansas

Hopefully, most winters we have several days in the mid 50's even 6o's and we only get about 7" snow a year giving several nice days to ride.
Last winter we had no snow or ice until February 15th and the 14th I went for a 100 mile motorcycle ride with temperature in the mid 60's.

Just in case we have a stretch of bad weather I always put away with a fresh oil change and fill up with ethanol free premium with Sta-bil
plus I keep my Spyder and motorcycle in a insulated finished garage.

 

[sandeejs]

So what happens if you just leave them in contact with the cement floor?

My understanding is that cement increases the likely-hood of "checking" in the tires.

My winterizing is putting a cover on the Spyder. And digging it out after the street gets plowed. Hopefully it wont sit for more than a few weeks at a time. If I can't ride for more than 6 weeks, I'll put it on the tender.
~Sandee~

 

[den1953]

Ditto

Same here regarding the tires. I use plywood to park on and I have a Shumacher Battery Companion which is also automatic. My ride is in a concrete block garage separate from my house.

 

[bamaspyder1]

If you live in Arizona, continue riding! :joke:

Jack

I agree just keep riding....

 

[robmorg]

My winterizing is putting a cover on the Spyder. And digging it out after the street gets plowed. Hopefully it wont sit for more than a few weeks at a time.
~Sandee~

I like the way you think.

 

[robmorg]

Storing Tires on Concrete - An Old Wives Tale?

A lot of folks think that it is harmful to store tires directly on concrete and advise using plywood or carpet as a "buffer" between the concrete and the tire. Having owned both a trucking company and an RV, I've read a lot about tires over the years and have gone to several seminars sponsored by tire manufacturers. Here's the truth...

The very act of "storing" tires, rather than rolling on them, can be harmful to tires for a number of reasons, that I won't go into those here. Tires do best when they are rolling - not sitting in one place for an extended period of time. However sitting them on concrete is the least of these problems. While it is true that poorly sealed concrete can tend to leach certain protective chemicals and oils out of tires over a very long period of time (likely a year or more), the effect is minimal. Parking on concrete for a few months over the winter would have a negligible effect - especially considering the life of Spyder tires.

Side note: You can actually tell if poorly sealed concrete has leached any oils out of rubber tires that have been parked for some time. There will be a black spot or a dark spot on the concrete where the tires were sitting.