What to do in Winter- 7 Tips to Winterizing Your Bike

What are your plans during the slow riding months? Maybe visit your favorite motorcycle shop and drool over the new bikes that came out last fall? Mike’s already been over at Indian checking out the new Scout while he dropped off brochures. Check out any of our sponsoring locations and see what they have.

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Besides checking out bikes now is a good time to do that maintenance you may have been putting off or missed during the season. Go over your bike with a fine tooth comb. Here are some things to check….

1. Change Oil and Filter- It’s better for your lubrication system to have fresh oil sitting in it for several months than to have used, broken down oil in it.
2. Lube moving parts- lubing the chain drive, cables, controls, fork surfaces, and any other pivot points, keeps moisture from building up.
3. Check your tires for cracks and make sure your bike is either up off the concrete during winter or you move it around periodically so that flat spots don’t occur.
4. Add fuel stabilizer and anti freeze- gunky gas and cracked heads make for a big mess when you’re ready to ride in the spring .
5. Keep the battery charged- use a battery tender or remove the battery from the bike, store in a dry spot and charge it once a month.
6. It’s a good idea to check the tires, chains, cables etc now and replace whatever’s needed. If a bike shop is doing your maintenance, it might be easier to get it taken care of now rather than waiting till spring.
7. Now is also a good time to upgrade your accessories. I’m assuming some of you received some cool toys from Santa to add to your bike; seats/pipes/grips etc.

All that’s left if is sit back and wait for the nice days or, if you’re like some of our friends, gear up and head out the door. Here’s to safe and happy 2017!