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Winter Storage

5K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  tones160 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I own a Yamaha R6 2007, just finished doing oil change. What else is needed for winter storage. My bike is garage kept.
 
#2 ·
Man this topic gets beaten to death, search the forums.

But I'll entertain the key points

-Fill gas tank and treat with stabilizer
-Clean/Wax chain
-Connect battery to a battery tender
-Put bike on stands
-Don't start the bike up unless your going for a ride

There are other small things people like to do that you will find in a forum or internet search.
 
#7 ·
Man this topic gets beaten to death, search the forums.
But I'll entertain the key points

-Fill gas tank and treat with stabilizer
-Clean/Wax chain
-Connect battery to a battery tender
-Put bike on stands
-Don't start the bike up unless your going for a ride
There are other small things people like to do that you will find in a forum or internet search.
Why would you put junk assed fuel in a tank for storage? Does yamaha store new tanks with fuel in them? And stabilizer? WTF?
Why not run the fuel level down to past where the gas light is blinking and simply keep the tank empty til its ready to be ridden again?

Why wouldnt you remove the battery? Of all the things I see that could be prevented... keeping a box filled with acid inside your bike seems just plain ol foolish. :wink:
 
#3 · (Edited)
I have to disagree on the tenders. and say, do not connect battery to a tender. they constantly charge. (trickle charge between full charge) I don't care what internet forums or some blog says about tenders. they ruin batteries by constantly charging them. I proved many people wrong in the past when my bike's battery lasted 10 years. along with an 06 FZ6 I had that was still good when I sold it in 2012. neither of them was NEVER hooked up to a charger or tender. just throw it on a charger once a month for an hour. that's all it needs. if it's an electronic charger chances are it will stop after 1 min and say it's full. if it has a AGM type battery it can sit for a year unhooked from the bike without a charge. the main thing is unhook it from the bike so it has no parasitic power draw.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I do agree that leaving a motorcycle battery on a charger 24/7 will damage the battery when connected to most trickle chargers. And definitely good advice to connect it every now and then. If you really want to be precise check the voltage on the battery and connect it when it gets near 12.6 volts, but who has time for that haha. But for sure disconnect battery from bike. My garage fluctuates in temperature a lot so I bring my battery inside as well. Temperature changes can affect voltage readings.

Now I said most "trickle chargers" because some chargers that we call trickle chargers are actually float chargers which have a microprocessor that monitors the battery. When the battery drops below it's float levels the charger kicks in. This is no different then reconnecting the battery each month or so and is different from non float chargers that will kick in at any voltage drop as you stated. A quality float charger will be more expensive however and it is also important that you buy the correct charger for your battery.

Not saying your wrong in anyway, and your advice is very sound for proper battery care. Just if your like me and very forgetful, you can leave a battery connected if you have the proper equipment. I might see unplugging it on occasions if you have abnormally long winters. The worst thing you can do is let the battery drop below its float levels for any extended amount of time (or overcharge obviously).

But now after you got me thinking about this I am questioning my battery tender. I'm going to monitor my battery voltage a little closer this winter and see If I should adopt your strategy.
 
#5 ·
All the info you need is in the service manual. As said, don't start the bike unless you plan on riding it for a good 20 minutes at the least. Otherwise the condensation that forms in the crankcase will not cook off. The oil needs to be at operating temperature for at least 10 minutes to burn off all of the water.
So far as battery tenders are concerned a quality unit will provide a float charge and you will not have to worry about disconnecting it. AGM batteries indeed can stay disconnected without a battery charger for longer than a lead acid battery. I just leave all of my motorcycles plugged in when not in use. The only one that has ever gone bad on me was the race bike after I left the ignition on overnight. It was 7 years old at that point
 
#6 ·
hmmm...when i put my bike away i do all of the above. When is in it's cover since it's not garaged but in my driveway...i put old towels all over the bike so it can absorb condensation...as for the chain...i always spray it once in a while like once a week.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Empty or completely full. If you live in an area where condensation is likely...(large swings in temp and humdity, like East TN)...then full is best. The hygroscopic action of ethanol fuel happens at the surface to air interface. If the tank is completely full, then the surface of the fuel that comes in contact with air is very small. If your tank is empty and your area is prone to high humidity, then you will be prone to surface rust inside the tank.

Plastic dirtbike tanks should be stored empty because there is no chance for rust, and the only thing there is chance of is water separation from the ethanol.

As far as stabilizers. I don't like snake oils. Regular Stabil has nothing to prevent separation of ethanol gas, but I know they have a product, recently, that is for that, but I haven't tried it....nor do I plan to.


EDIT: Regardless, if the bike is carbureted, drain the bowls. The surface area to volume is very high, so the water will be absorbed and separate out quickly in the bowls
 
#15 · (Edited)
stabil works with ethanol blends E10, E15 and E85. you guys would know this if you used it lol.
https://www.goldeagle.com/product/sta-bil-fuel-stabilizer

I'd rather not have gummed up fuel injectors and a $400 fuel pump (filter is built into the pump)
leaving the system dry can cause rubber parts to dry rot and metal parts exposed to air leading to rust or oxidation. you can't get all of the fuel out unless you take the system apart. the small amounts you leave behind will break down and turn into varnish, corrosion, rust and gum.

Hydrocarbons in the gas react with oxygen to produce new compounds that eventually change the chemical composition of the fuel. This leads to gum and varnish deposits in the fuel system.
These deposits and impurities can clog up gas lines and filters, as well the small orifices in a carburetor and the even smaller orifices in a fuel injector. Removing these deposits can be expensive and your vehicle may not run at all or run very poorly until they are removed.


No thanks, I'll buy a $5 bottle of stabilizer. Oh the horror.:wink:


http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp-country/en_au/media/fuel-news/petrol-life-vehicle-tanks.pdf




as far as condensation in the motor, motor oils with ester will not have problems. ester clings to metal parts because its polar. dry starts and condensation are not a concern because it stays coated with oil.
 
#16 · (Edited)
In my state (Connecticut), the humidity is very high at night...even in the hottest summer days when in the morning i have to dry the bike with a microfiber towel.

Now, I've heard from many different bikers that using a fuel stabilizer is the way to go, others to just leave the tank empty.

In my personal experience, i dont let the tank completely dry out either for the same reason of being too dry... but just low enough that there's still fuel to keep the injector and pump moist and that im able to fire my bike up.

A few years ago, i rode my bikes for at least a mile every 2 weeks because i was scared to store them for a few months during the winter months lol.
 
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