Find out more about preparing your bike for storage at Common Tread! rvz.la/3efdV5v

I think the ritual of starting your bike in the winter is more about hearing the sweet sound of it, even if it's just for a few minutes. Reminiscing the biker season gone by. Remembering the good memories collected on the roads. Maybe you're even out there patting the new bike you're eagerly awaiting to finally get to test out as soon as there's even the slightest trace of ice free roads. In other words, it's just a way for us people in the colder regions to cope with the off season.

Here's another tip I learned about cold weather storage: Do not mess with plastic panels when it's freezing, they'll crack.

I live in the Oklahoma City area and my bike is 14 years old and I have put over 100,000 miles on it. I have never prepped it for winter. All you have to do is just find one day per month that the weather gets up to maybe 40 degrees and put on warm clothing and ride it for 20 minutes. Problem solved. It will stay charged and the carb won't go bad. You probably do need a windshield though. Of course, I suppose in Wisconsin it might not get up to 40 degrees all winter long. Personally, I usually find a couple of days each week that it's warm enough to ride even in January. But again, that's Oklahoma.

Using these methods of storage my bike that was in storage for 12 yrs. fired right up after I put a new battery in it. Has run flawlessly ever since. It's 50 yrs. old this year! Have owned it since new.

I gear up with the warmest clothes I can find and go for a little ride. 😂

IMO, filling the tank with non-Ethanol gas and running it through the system should get you through a couple years of storage better than parts store additives. And if you didn't do either of those things, and 1 year has turned to 5 years... FFS DON'T slap on the jumper cables and try to crank it up! Drain/re-fill the fuel system, buy a NEW battery, and check the tires. She's worth it.

I’ve been starting my bike up every few weeks, regularly for 12 years now, no problems to report as yet!!

Indiana resident here; I just tonight had my '81 Yamaha XJ650 out around town. Anyone that knows these bikes know, that these bikes are carbureted, and run best when fully warmed up. This evening was 36 degrees, and I took it out for 4-5 miles enjoying the cold. I _never_ start the bike unless I can ride it. A stretch of 1-2 weeks is about maximum sitting time without a ride. The thought of *storing* the bike for the winter is just ridiculous.

Just happy to see Ari again. We don’t even experience winter where I live.

Here's a tip, unless you get more than 3 foot of snow per year. I have for years rode my Harley throughout the year including winter. I go for an hour ride every two weeks regardless of temperature. I don't ride in freezing rain, sleet or snow. Have a wonderful winter, enjoy the air you breathe and life in general.

Thanks a lot for making this video--this was one of the critical instructions I learned when I started riding. And as a lifelong Midwest resident with a shed, once the ice arrives, my bike knows it's nap time

I put my 03 Heritage Softail Classic 100 year Anniversary edition away for the winter due to a total right knee replacement,I’m 2 months into rehab and it’s feelin good,the Doctor said once I’m off the cane,I can go ahead and ride,gonna be a beautiful cold Ohio ride,but that’s what it’s all about,a man and his machine🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

I tried to tell my buddy not to do that. I have mine on a tender and never had a problem. I also move the bike just a little to prevent the tires from getting flat spots.

For the battery - install a Battery Tender SAE quick-disconnect harness with the end run to a location under the seat - Such an easy, cheap, long-term convenience. It makes charging "plug and play" and can also be used for micro inflators, USB chargers, etc. Battery Tender smart chargers come with one and they can also be purchased separately. Alligator clips like the ones in the video are for the birds (come undone, accidentally short, ...), especially the bigger OEM clips that come with the BT.

Spot on advice from Ari, as a veteran mechanic myself, this is precisely how I store my motorcycles for winter, proper prep is key!

We have the opposite problem here in Southern Arizona. I'll start my bikes once a week when it's too hot to ride. Mainly, because I just like starting them up. 🙂

Also, sit on the bike every couple of weeks, holding on the front brake and vigorously bounce the forks and shock { I do it about 30 times } to stop the seals from drying out. I don't have enough room past the car in my garage to keep the bike's tyres off the ground, so instead check the pressures regularly and then rotate the wheels, so the tyres aren't standing on the same spot for six months. At 65, I've given riding through winter months a miss.

It's only October i don't want to think about winter yet 😫 I still have a good month of riding

I do light prep work before storage, but also start it up about once a month. Like you said though, I've always let it run well beyond what the temp gauge says. My dad has 30+ years of riding experience, and its exactly what he used to do. No issues on his bikes or my own.

Superb explanation on why not start up the bike during winter storage. So many does that thinking, for some reason, it does the bike well...

These are excellent videos. This is certainly my favorite channel. Great content, well laid out and presented.

That’s advice I’ve never heard but still good information.👍🏼 I always winterize the gas, maintain the battery and leave it alone.

Thanks for this great advise. Down here in Texas, I ride my bikes all winter long. It may get very cold on occasion, but I’ll ride the bikes at least once a week. Happy Trails

I don't even put them into storage mode accept for making sure ethanol free gas is all that is in the system, and bikes are clean with fresh oil and cleaned/ lubed chain. I just wait till a nice above freezing dry day which happens at least once a month usually and ride the things around my driveway practicing turns for a half hour until the radiator fans clicks on and it goes through a full heat cycle. Last year they were all 45-60F degree days. It gets plenty hot, then I park it for another few weeks or a month and repeat till spring. Those are awesome days too..Riding all my bikes in the middle of winter is pretty fun, even if it's just up and down the driveway. Everything on bike gets exercised. Lucky to have a long enough paved driveway to do that though, it'll dry out any snow and ice pretty fast on a sunny day in the winter. No salt on the driveway. All my bikes work great every spring. I feel like that's better than just letting them sit all winter. 🤷‍♂ It's actually more work though.

Thanks Ari. Another option is of course what I do, I ride in the winter as long as there is no ice/snow. That may not be an option for those close to the Canadian border. Revzilla has winter riding gear....just saying.

44 years of winter storage experience, starting with a 77 Suzuki GS 750. Everything you said is right on the money. I would mention, last tank of gas should be ethanol free as ethanol attracts moisture. Using ethanol free gas and stabilizer, I've never run my system dry on f/i bikes and had any issues. Always drain carbs. If you live in very cold climates, be careful about leaving the garage door open in the spring. The moisture you see on the floor and elsewhere is condensation and will also happen inside cold gas tanks. If you have to leave it open, throw a old blanket over it.

All good notes, thanks for sharing. It is also good to mention cold starts run rich and deposit fuel in the oil. If the engine isnt ran hot, like under load, the crankcase will collect that unburnt fuel which will cause unnecessary wear on the internal oil lubricated components and surfaces.

My bike has been standing for more than two years because of a back injury. I start it once every second week. Keep the tank full and replace it once every second month. Battery is plugged into a battery saver. I also use the brake and clutch levers and compress the suspension as much as I can. Not one single issue so far. It's a lot to do but I love my bike and refuse to sell it.

The colder weather and my somewhat neglected battery prompted me to think that it would be cool to see a video of how to bump start the bike appropriately. I used to have a carburated bike that would have me sweating through a work shirt before I could get the thing to start...

Well, I'm a winter rider too and I always leave it running to the desired temp. before riding. However, I didn't know that you should be riding when the engine is too hot to touch.. Learned something new today!

My first season . NY . I was going to winterize the bike, but then my insurance company wanted me to return my plate first before dropping my cover. I just decided the whole thing was too much stress. So now I just ride whenever it's up to 45 and no rain. Which hasn't been too often. This had been one WET winter so far!

Yep, starting and running it for a few minutes only causes condensation. Best to keep on battery tender and I turn it over occasionally without starting to turn the cams. Good to rotate cams to alternate which valve springs are compressed...

Hey thanks a lot man this video was very helpful it’s a subject I’ve pondered over for many years with the right thing to do is and everything you said makes perfect sense so thanks for the hot tips brother😊

Glad to see you again. I use to love the videos you made at the other place. I kind of had a ruff understanding of most of that but that was a great explanation of why not to start your bike

Thank you again for the knowledge! West Texas = all year riding baby!

Not to mention that most wear and tear occurs when the engine is busy reaching operating temp... so you're doing max wear the entire time that you letting the bike warm up... and it'll also warm up slower cause its not under load. But some serous issues there I didn't know about too.

Each clip I watch is invaluable and helpful. Even though I have been a rider for nearly twenty years. I never warm up bikes in winter though. I just ride them. When I lived in the Crimea I rode my Honda Dio all year round. Back in Odessa since 2014 after the Muscovy occupation, I also ride YBR125 most of the year although it is colder by 5 ° on the average. It is YZF600R that I don't like riding in winter too much... Though I met the new 2021 year riding ThunderCat to Primorskiy Boulevard!

Another good point, if it's just cold but not icy outside, is take it for a bit of a ride, and get everything moving. Sure, you'll freeze your ass off, but doing this also helps lubricate all the seals involved with the transmission and final drive, as well as making the process of getting the oil hot take less time.

well in my country India, winter is the time that we all eagerly wait for Motorcycle rides. It is dry n temperatures are between 12 to 18 Degrees Celcius in most parts of the country except for the High altitude areas Like THE HIMALAYAS n LADAKH

Thanks for the video. I always held the idea that starting a cold engine thats been sitting for a while was more harmful than good because of the wear & tear & stress in the start up before the cold oil circulates. I removed the spark plugs, lubed the cylinders with a squirt of oil & turned it over a couple times with the plugs out before replacing them & removing the battery to a warmer place & trickle charging it. I figured the less I turned the engine over or started it when it was cold & keeping the same gas in it to do so over the winter, caused more harm than good. I wasn't aware of the excess moisture that accumulated or the temperatures needed to counteract it.

Good advice Ari. Up here during Canadian winters, I store my 2 bikes with non ethanol fuel and run a tricke charger every two weeks or so for a few hours. I'm not comfortable with leaving a trickle charger on for months at a time. I have heard of switches failing and boiling the battery out. Correct me if I'm wrong, but also heard natural battery cycling with a (slight) voltage drop after sitting a couple of weeks then put on a charger prolongs battery life, as opposed to being held at full charge for months at a time. I do start my bikes about once a month and let them run to operating temp. They do live in a 72 degree garage in my house. I agree not starting a bike all winter for those whose machines live in cold storage with a cold start being less benaficial as opposed to seasonal hybernation. I love The Shop Manual and look forward to the next episodes, Well done as usual Ari.

Thanks! Explained well, I will change my winter habits for sure!

Damn dude, you made a full recovery! You can barely even see where you got hurt! Really glad to see it!

I never winterize my bikes. I use them. And if i dont need to, then i just pick a nice day once a week or every two and go for a little ride. You don't need much to keep it thru the winter. Just use it a bit. Get a sturdy cover for the snow

Just sample of what i do every winter. wash your bike, lube everything that need to be lubeed to preserve it from going into corrosion process, cover Electrical wiring conectors with vaseline (griffon). Later on plug the maintaining device that LL automaticly charge battery when needed and put the bike on paddock stand which will prevent tires from deformation after staying few months in one position. At last check insurance and technical stuf that need to be changed before next season. Befor new season clean bike from dust and grease check tire pressure and go for a ride 😄 Btw: greetings from Poland. We have winter here, -10*C and a lot of snow 😃

Fortunately, I live in the south and we have enough days that are warm enough to ride a fair amount. Our cold snaps usually don't last more than a few days at a time. So, thank you. Now I have another reason to take it out for a ride. :)

Pretty solid advice most of which is in the manual of most of my bikes. The only thing I would disagree with is draining the tank, the Yamaha manuals for my bikes specifically state to fill the tank with stabilized fuel (non-ethanol if you can find it) and not drain as the empty tank is more likely to collect moisture inside due to condensation from the various temperature changes which can lead to rust starting inside the tank. So I would avoid draining unless you have a bike with a plastic tank. I have been winterizing my bikes for years very much like you described and have not had issues, including the one that I do ride some during the winter and all of those rides are long enough to ensure that the bike is fully warmed up and getting any condensation out.

Thats why i just ride mine at least once a month even if its freezing out gotta scratch that itch.. And always keep it on a tender..

Thanks Man !!.. This bike i just got will be prep for winter and go dormant

I have been riding for about 3-4 years now. Living in Arizona I rode 95% of the year and never had to worry about this. I thank you for this knowledge. It makes 100% sense. This is true too if I move my bike to work on a project or something. I usually start it up, move it and the. Shut off for another month. Having heard this I will push the bike when I need it to move. Disconnecting the battery would be a good idea too I would imagine. Help with a y fantom drain. Ride safe my frie d

I bought my GSX-R 750 new in 2012. My winterize routine has been flawless, and I still have the original battery in it. Add fuel stabilizer to the tank. Let it idle for a few minutes, take it for a short ride to not only get it up to temp but make sure the stabilizer is in the entire system. Put it in the basement. Once a month hook up the battery tender for a day. That's it. Don't start it until spring. Less is more for winter storage.

Really appreciate these videos. Having a consistent source you can trust is fantastic.

Great advise I must admit that I do use a petrol treatment and an optimizer when storing my bike. But I've always run the engine a couple of times during the winter, i will now stop doing that thanks for the tip.

Makes absolute sense to me, when I park my bike and car for the winter I drive and ride for about fifty miles each, fill the tanks with fresh fuel and add stabilizer to both. Hook up the battery tenders and cover both for the next four to five months, I do go out maybe once a month and depress the clutch on both, that’s about it and never had a problem in ten years of getting them going on a beautiful spring day for a ride or drive.

For us riders in Canada, this is superb advice. Thanks man.

Interesting vid. I would personally recommend taking the battery off the bike and keep it in doors, at constant room temp; once charged, keep it out of sunlight.

Excellent video filled with great information. I am 59 years old and have followed this practice my entire life both with my motorcycles and any other stored vehicles... Also why short trips are bad for cars because of moisture buildup in the mufflers which may not be as much of a problem these days as a lots of exhaust systems have gone to stainless steel.

Thanks for that helpful information. Didn't have any issues where I lived in South Africa, but not in NZ and we have cold wet (and windy) Winters.

looking forward to one of your adventure ride videos. Hopefully you guys have another coming out soon again.

Yeah, I get it , but it really is heart to heart between man and his machine, or woman and her machine. Find your keys, and we quietly go to the garage and marvel at the bike, look it over, insert the key, turn the key to see the dash light up, a smile comes over you, press the starter button. There’s no other feeling!

In Texas riding in winter all but a week or two here and there is normal. Best riding of course is spring and fall but summer and winter are always fair game

I just ride year round but good to know for when I do eventually stop my winter rides

Absolutely agree with all of this, with the possible exception of the fuel stabiliser, which I am unconvinced is effective, my preference is to fill the tank with ethanol free fuel, if I can or drain the tank if I can’t.

Thanks! I live in the netherlands so winter never gets too crazy here. Most of the time, only december untill early Februari is a no-go period for motorcycles, but ill definitely add a fuel conditioner. What I did to winter proof my bike was: - Wash and clean all dirt - Dry it with a towel - Let it idle for 30 minutes minimum to get rid of any remaining moisture on the engine, untill i did not see any steam. - Cover it with a waterproof tarp - Fill up the gas tank completely. I only need to add some conditioner to it and will probably just stir it arround slightly since i dont want to start it up for no reason mid winter. I plug in a charger for the battery about every 3 weeks so that should be good.

Thanks I was just doubting myself happy new year

Good tips all around, and I commend you for your very excellent production quality.

This was very helpful thanks I will admit I was doing that but then I would just hop on and ride around the block a few times lol temptations 🤦🏾‍♂️🏍️💨🙏🏾

Great video. This moisture problem also happens in cars, like say for people that have small 5 to 10 minute commutes to work. The engine never gets fully heated up and moisture builds up in there. The oil can turn orange from the moisture and is 1 sign of it happening for a while. It’s recommended for engines to get a good long ride on the freeway. My commute is so short and my car’s v8 rpm’s barely go above 2500rpm during the short streets commute that a good long thrashing or drive on the freeway at least once a week helps keep some moisture out and the engine healthier.

Great advice! Makes perfect sense. I will only start mine during the winter months on days that I can actually take it for a spin

Great video! This is the same way l store my snowmobile for the summer. Oil change, grease the rear skid, full tank of stabilized ethanol free fuel, put the battery on a maintainer and not start it until it's time to ride.

Glad I live in the south...we don't 'winterize' bikes down here...we can ride all year long...may have to bundle up sometimes, but you can still ride all year...

As long as it is safe for the bike, I plan on doing actual rides during winter. I would think just short rides once per week around town is enough.

I start my bike every 3 or 4 days in the winter and let het idle for about 15 minutes. I've never had any problems at all.

Been riding for a long time and have a set of actions every six weeks or so and it has never failed me . After a quick check of the tires on my 4 bikes and check the batteries ,I usually take the weakest off the bike and put it on the bench for a trickle charge . I have a Kwak 1000 chips bike and the battery on that is indestructible ,the only problem is the clutch tends to stick ,now & then ,I put tape around the lever to fix it to the bars after a day or two it does the trick . Overheating is no problem if idling for to long ,simply place a small fan pointed at the cylinders . A pump fed engine is usually O.K. but carbs like some fuel spurted thru ,even with stabilizer they tend to miss and spit for a minute or two after a long winter spell ,so I warm the motor through and give it a few revs . But owning the bike some time seems to help as you get to know its quirks like a faithful old pet ... happy riding .

Good tips I think always best store motorcycle in garage /shed . Yet I understand over hot and cold water

Quick tip: On certain Triumphs if you let the engine idle from cold and until the cooling fans turn on and off this will reset the learned values for the engine ecu. Useful for after installing a performance exhaust or air filter

You could also do absolutely... nothing! No fuel stabiliser, no battery tender, no starting once in a while! I stored my old 1977 RD400 in a cold shed for most of it's life (37 years) every spring, it would start with a few kicks, did the same with my 650 Versys, and with my current Suzuki Vstrom. I have seen what can happen with long term storage in a cold environment, but long term means many many years without starting or using, a few months won't do any harm! I bought a 2008 CBR125R that sat for many years, the only thing wrong was the fuel tank had started to rust because of that blasted ethanol they now put in gas! Ethanol is hygroscopic (absorbs water from the air) and the water will separate if left for a long time making steel gas tanks rust from the inside. For long term storage, drain the tank, take out the battery and make sure fuel is out of the carbs or injector bodies.

Great info. I have 3 bikes to store this winter in a cold garage. I will be taking tour advice. Thx.

Always find your content valuable.

What if you store your motorcycle in your heated living room?

Ari for the next shop manual can you explain and maybe experiment what happens if your tires are mounted with the wrong rotation direction, Cause it happened to me once and i didnt notice until 2 months using it

Stellar advice, as always.....thanks Ari!

I've always started mine but I do leave it running for about 20 to 30 min to ensure it gets hot enough to get rid of the water in the system. I guess that's why it's always worked for me. When it's real cold like -20 I will let it run for a half hour or 40 min then top the tank off again with treated fuel. I'm also always on a tender when parked. I tore down an engine one time before starting the bike in the spring and the cylinders were coated with light rust after sitting all winter. The valves had some rust on them also. I live in the North East US and we can go from 20 at night to 60 and humid during the day, I've always thought that builds condensation in the exhaust and possibly the engine. That's my reason but I was taught by an old biker many years ago to let the bike get hot to the touch on the trans cover before shutting it off. Good video because I honestly didn't know why I was suppose to do that, now I do.

This is currently not an issue for me in Texas where you can ride all season, but still some really good advice. I'll probably move out sometime and this is gonna def start applying to me. Thanks for an awesome and informative video!

Thank you very much for the professional video, my man. I have a 2005 fatboy, i always change all three holes before storage. But this year, i did the primary and only the oil in the crankcase, i just did the TRANSMISSION, yesturday. And like you said, I did start the bike after the change, the bike had been stored for 2 months already.....and yes, like an ass i started it. You are exactly correct, when i let the bike idle for 15 mins and then turned it off. I then went to check the oil and BINGO!! MILKY WHITE OIL!! My comment....proves your awesome video is correct, my biker friend, ty again!!!!!

I agree and that I ride my bike in the Winter. (Yes, I put my Snowmobile suit on, a hoodie, my heated vest and warm gloves 🥶) I use ethanol free gas in the Winter. I use a battery charger all the time.

Best advice I've heard in a long time ! Well done !

My advice has always been the same for winterizing bikes: don't do it unless you know the roads won't be dry for a month. It's easier and better for the bike to just take it on a monthly ride when the roads are dry. Sucking up being cold for fifteen minutes is worth it.

I still manage to get out for a ride during the winter here in Boise once every few weeks or so. Between rides, I have the bike on a jack with both tires off the ground, plugged into a battery tender, and I only ever use ethenol free fuel. Since I'm still riding it every few weeks I just change the oil when it's due and don't bother with the seasonal oil changes. Oh, and I always top off the tank before I go home. Keeping a tank full helps a lot with preventing moisture accumulation in the gas...

You're probably correct. Just going to relay my experience: 2008 Gixxer 1000, bought new. Northern climate. Every Nov-Apr, once per week, I start her and let her warm up until radiator fan turns on. I rev the throttle hard for a sec, 4 or 5 times once she's over 180deg. She still runs perfectly to this day. 29k miles. I won't change this process since its proven good for so long (no fuel additives). If I were new to bikes, I'd follow your ideas, and I'm sure it would work out fine as well. Just putting forth some longer-term research-ish info, love your suggestions. Please keep it up.

Interesting. My takeaway is that I need snow tires for my motorcycle.

Even here in seattle I never bothered winterizing. Inevitably we’ll have a dry day in the 40’s even in the winter so I’ll just go for a 10+ mile ride and call it solid. Plus, it reminded me what a luxury hot water really is.

Good advice. Battery tender, full tank of gas so the inside of the tank will not corrode and adding gas treatments for storage. Where I live, usually November to April the bike sits covered up and clean. The only other thing I do along with my sports cars in the past was pump the brakes and clutch to let the fluids flow and not cause any sticking on seals, Yes if there are any warmer days it may go for a ride but the salt does a lot of cosmetic damage etc so it is usually stored all winter. Plus they do't start too well in -10 weather. My ninth year storing a Concours 1400 this way and it always has started within three revolutions or so, say less than five seconds to start up.

Also try to find non-ethanol fuel to fill the tank during storage and then you don't really need the stabilizer but it doesn't hurt.

I still think not starting for such a long time can create some other problems. Same with cars, you start up a bit, let it warm up, then ride around the block.

I tend to agree with the point you make here but like you said when you fire them up you just gotta run it a good while. I usually run all my motorcycles and vehicles for a about 30 minutes or so once a month. When you have a large collection you really don’t have much more of a choice. As long as they are water cooled I can walk away and do something else around the shop while I wait.

I TRY to ride year round, no matter the weather; I live in Seattle and am good to about 44F. ambient....because at road speeds that's about 10 degrees cooler/Wind Chill, or just above freezing. At that low end, I'm good for 1hr. max. I don't ride in the rain, so if....I'll still idle my bike 2-3X monthly. AFTER this video- I think I'll just get the Tender. NEVER thought/considered condensation processes or issues. GREAT insights.

This is an excellent video. Most people are not aware of what you have presented here and you 100% nailed it. Thanks for posting.

I’ve had a 94 900rr and I’ve started it every month in the winter for the last 25+ years and it still runs as good as the day I bought it. It may not be what is suggested, but I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. It’s not great on the valve springs leaving the same valves collapsed all winter either.