How do you winterize your NC?

[jtanner]

It's cold here in Utah! In fact just the other night, a record low October temperature of -43 F was recorded in the mountains 30 minutes from where I live.

Time to winterize!

Previously with my NC all I've done is put some STA-BIL in the fuel tank and pull the battery to store in the house. This year I'm wondering if there's more I should be doing.

Should I be changing the oil before storage? It's due for an oil change, but I'm not sure if doing it before or after winter is best.

Any other winterizing tips?

 

[TheIronWarrior]

I always change the oil before storing whether it's due or not. Is it necessary? Can't say for sure. But it's not that expensive a job, I enjoy doing it, and fresh oil and filter is almost always a good thing.

 

[melensdad]

I keep it in a heated workshop, bike connected up to a battery tender that has 4 ports to power multiple toys. No Sta-Bil or other winterizing for me, I try to get it out and ride it, even if only for a couple miles up and down the road, if the temps and sun cooperates.

 

[GregC]

In my unheated shed, connected to battery tender, and ride as much as I can [emoji16] (if there’s no snow or ice, or likelihood of ice on the road, I’ll ride).


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[670cc]

I question the wisdom of bringing the battery into a warm environment, unless there is no other way to keep it charged. It is my observation that heat ages batteries, and cold storage in the off season extends battery life, as long as the cold storage area provides a way to keep the battery on a maintenance charger. I might ride my bikes anytime of the year, so I don’t winterize them, but I do store the motorcycle with battery in an unheated building with conditions down to maybe -10*F. My NC still has it’s original battery, still going strong at 7.5 years old.

I do add Stabil to the tank for times of unexpected use of 2 months or more.

I don’t change the engine oil until it reaches 8000 miles of use, regardless of the change of seasons or storage status.

 

[jtanner]

I question the wisdom of bringing the battery into a warm environment, unless there is no other way to keep it charged. It is my observation that heat ages batteries, and cold storage in the off season extends battery life, as long as the cold storage area provides a way to keep the battery on a maintenance charger. I might ride my bikes anytime of the year, so I don’t winterize them, but I do store the motorcycle with battery in an unheated building with conditions down to maybe -10*F. My NC still has it’s original battery, still going strong at 7.5 years old.

I do add Stabil to the tank for times of unexpected use of 2 months or more.

I don’t change the engine oil until it reaches 8000 miles of use, regardless of the change of seasons or storage status.

Thank you for sharing your battery thoughts. Based on a few tips I read online I figured taking it inside was the best way to preserve its life, but I suppose that could be a myth.

 

[dduelin]

I take the Madstad winglets out of storage and attach them to the bike.

 

[TacomaJD]

I question the wisdom of bringing the battery into a warm environment, unless there is no other way to keep it charged. It is my observation that heat ages batteries, and cold storage in the off season extends battery life, as long as the cold storage area provides a way to keep the battery on a maintenance charger. I might ride my bikes anytime of the year, so I don’t winterize them, but I do store the motorcycle with battery in an unheated building with conditions down to maybe -10*F. My NC still has it’s original battery, still going strong at 7.5 years old.

I do add Stabil to the tank for times of unexpected use of 2 months or more.

I don’t change the engine oil until it reaches 8000 miles of use, regardless of the change of seasons or storage status.

I'm not sure the average room temp inside a house of 70°+/- is comparable to sitting in peak summer day heat or even worse when factoring in heat compounded from engine bay.

Wonder what preferred ambient temp would be for a battery to live life in? I've never really thought about this.

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[670cc]

I'm not sure the average room temp inside a house of 70°+/- is comparable to sitting in peak summer day heat or even worse when factoring in heat compounded from engine bay.

Wonder what preferred ambient temp would be for a battery to live life in? I've never really thought about this.

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I/we don't have specifics on actual temperatures and how battery life is affected. There was a forum member hot on this topic a few years ago who was attempting to collect data on user's battery life vs the climate where the user lived. I don't know what, if any, conclusions were reached.

Another informal data point came from members here who live in Arizona, and reported shorter battery life than what might be expected as the norm.

A simple question would be, assuming you have the capability of charging the battery wherever it might be, what is the point of removing it from the motorcycle?

Anyway, living where there are colder, but not extremely cold winters, I had a Goldwing battery last 11 years until I just decided to retire it. A friend had his Harley's battery last something like 12 years, until it began to fail, admittedly past due for proactive replacement.

 

[Red Rider]

I take the Madstad winglets out of storage and attach them to the bike.

Spoken like a true Floridian!

 

[Red Rider]

If what I learned while in the tire and battery “bidness” back in the day still holds true, heat is what shortens the life of a battery. The cold just finishes it off.

 

[TacomaJD]

I/we don't have specifics on actual temperatures and how battery life is affected. There was a forum member hot on this topic a few years ago who was attempting to collect data on user's battery life vs the climate where the user lived. I don't know what, if any, conclusions were reached.

Another informal data point came from members here who live in Arizona, and reported shorter battery life than what might be expected as the norm.

A simple question would be, assuming you have the capability of charging the battery wherever it might be, what is the point of removing it from the motorcycle?

Anyway, living where there are colder, but not extremely cold winters, I had a Goldwing battery last 11 years until I just decided to retire it. A friend had his Harley's battery last something like 12 years, until it began to fail, admittedly past due for proactive replacement.

Interesting topic for sure, but I definitely won't be compiling any data. Ha. All I know for certain is that I live in AL and am able to ride enough times over the winter to where I have never hooked a single thing to a battery tender or had to winterize anything. Lol

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[670cc]

Interesting topic for sure, but I definitely won't be compiling any data. Ha. All I know for certain is that I live in AL and am able to ride enough times over the winter to where I have never hooked a single thing to a battery tender or had to winterize anything. Lol

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I ride when I can in the winter, road conditions permitting. Even in the Midwest, summers can still be brutal, and I ride much less in the heat. If there is anytime I would remove a battery from a motorcycle and bring it in the house, it would be July and August.

 

[davidc83]

I take the Madstad winglets out of storage and attach them to the bike.

Dave, you dont count...you dont really have a winter...My wife works in HVAC over at U of F in Gainesville, and she keeps track of temperature data...Last winter for Gainesville Fl (from Dec to March) there were a total of 400 hours below 50'F; I believe she told me there were 3 nights which got just below freezing.......heck in southern Indiana, the past 2 days, we havent even see 50'F (already at 40+ hours of below 50'F and winter hasnt started)....
Back to OP...I live in southern Indiana and dont winterize any of my vehicles...(dont even winterize the cub cade lawn tractor as in Dec and Jan I may go over a few acres and mulch leaves). I only have one small battery tender and I rotate the batteries on the 2 bikes and cub cadet...3-4 days on, move to another vehicle, repeat...while on my NC, I am not on my original battery, I am on only the 2nd battery and the 2013 NC has over 55,000+ miles ridden i multiple types of heat, cold... My 2007 Suzuki C50 Boulevard is on its 3rd battery and has over 100,000 miles on the odo...

 

[showkey]

There’s a chart in the link below that gives the indication there’s a 7% less self discharge rate between 32* and 70* storage temperature. 32* being the better choice for lead acid.

BU-702: How to Store Batteries – Battery University

 

[1wiseguy2]

I take the Madstad winglets out of storage and attach them to the bike.

For Florida that may be over kill... heavier jacket a d pants maybe!! [emoji6]

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[1wiseguy2]

Acids build up in oil as it is used. I change oil and filter at the end of the season. I don't start my bikes up until the next riding season. Don't go out and start your bike periodically unless you let it idle and get really hot where the fan cycles on and off. You can build up condensation in your crankcase if it doesn't get hot and drive the moisture out of the oil. I use stabilizers that are oil based. I also find a place that sells pure non alcohol gas. ( pure-gas.org : Maps)
Pull in when the tank is near empty and put the stabilizer in and then pump the gas in and ride home. Then top off the tank so it is full as a 1/2 full metal tank is more likely to A. Rust and B. Allow condensation as the weather gets colder. Keep the tank as full as you can. Give the bike a good cleaning and look for things that might not be right. Fix them during the cold months. Clean your chain and lube it. Put it on the centerstand so the weight is off of the tires. Put a good quality tender on it. Cheaper ones may not regulate as well and may over or under charge the battery. Put some kind of cover on it. Mice love a covered bike in back sheds, sometimes 1 or 2 mil plastic spread over the top keeps the dirt off but allows light to penetrate. Plastic can keep moisture trapped if it is hanging down the sides of the bike. Do all you can to keep mice population down! Last year I put mouse poison packets in the corners of my garage. Two weeks later I take the seat off of my CBR 1100XX and on top of the battery was a nicely stored pile of pellets! I left them there but they never diminished so I guess it finally ate some. Change out air filter if close. Change out brake fluid if over 2 years old. Most people forget to change out their fork oil. They say every two years change fork oil. I know you don't want to go four years if you ride a decent amount of miles in a year! Should have seen the stinky sour oil coming out.
I didn't change my daughters oil last year as she only put on 500 miles. She put on another 1000 this year and it will get changed out.
Oil is not that expensive, brake fluid is a must to change or else bigger problems will happen down the road.
Food for thought!
Guy

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[dduelin]

.......I don't use stabil as it is an alcohol based product. I use other stabilizers that are oil based.

StaBil is 95% naptha which is a petroleum, or oil, based distillate.

 

[1wiseguy2]

StaBil is 95% naptha which is a petroleum, or oil, based distillate.

Well, that's what I get for trusting a mechanic and not verifying it! He is quite knowledgeable but I will have to correct him on this.
I came home and took my ancient bottle of Stabil off the shelf. Haven't used it in 5 yrs. Sure enough! No Alcohol. It even states that on the back.
Below are the products that I prefer. I'll have to finish off that bottle of stabil now too.
I use the Star Tron for daily use.

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[670cc]

I just had to do the math. Even if Stabil was 100% alcohol (which it’s not), the recommended storage dose of 1 ounce per 2.5 gallons of gasoline would result in the gasoline’s alcohol content being 0.3%, a far cry from a typical 10% ethanol blend.


I do use Stabil, but the funny thing is, I’ve never seen an independent test that shows that it actually does anything. It seems that I just blindly believe the marketing claim, which is a bit unusual for me. Not only that, but the public must be convinced it’s the real deal. Like Seafoam, Stabil’s asking price has risen significantly in recent years.