RE: Idling during winter - more at winterizing

["Smith, Steven" <ssmith@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Garry is right on.  I would only add that it is a good idea to get your
rubber off the floor as well.  Contact with a moisture attracting surface
for extended periods of time is always bad.  A pallet or 2X4s do the job
nicely.

Crash (grateful winter in Virginia isn't at all like winter up North)

> -----Original Message-----
> Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 15:45:36 -0600
> From: "Bird, Garry" <BIRD@xxxxxxx>
> Subject: Idling during winter
> 
> My opinion from what I've read and believe is that if you aren't
> running your bike for any appreciable amount of time on the highway,
> the oil isn't getting hot enough for the condensation to be boiled 
> off.  So, each time you start up your bike and just let it warm up
> enough for the fan to come on you are accumulating condensation in
> your crankcase.  This is not a good thing.  You are way better off
> (my opinion) is to change your oil prior to long term (winter) storage,
> put some fuel stabilizer in your gas (vibrations stirring up the gas
> doesn't do anything to prevent your gas from going stale), fire it up
> one more time to let the stabilizer get through your fuel system, then
> yank the battery and let the bike sit until you are ready to put it
> back on the road.  Ideally, it would be good to be able to lubricate
> the cylinders, etc with a commercially available storage spray.  I
> didn't do it (the spray thing) this year because I was a tad lazy.
> Also, the slow idling may not be providing enough current from the 
> alternator to fully charge your battery in the short time you are
> warming up the bike.  So, again, each time you do this start-idle-off
> cycle you may be using up some reserves in your battery until one of
> these times she just might not have enough to turn over.  Don't forget,
> too...if you don't have a battery maintainer be sure to charge your
> battery with a 1.5 amp (or smaller) charger once per month for a couple
> of hours when it's out of the bike.
> 
> If anyone doesn't agree with this let's hear it...
> 
> 
> Garry

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