Winterizing

[MadXX]

Stupid newbie question:  When you pack the racebike away for the winter in an unheated area what do you do with the cooling system.  drain it and leave it dry, replace it with an antifreeze mixture, or ???

anything else I need to be concerned with?  I am going to change the oil, pull the battery, drain the carbs, and fill the tank with stabilized gas before packing it away but I always feel like I am missing something...

[bweber]

Add antifreeze.  The problem with draining them is that you cannot get all the water out of the engine, so that will freeze and potentially damage the engine.  If you put antifreeze in and run the engine to mix the coolant, you don't have to worry about it, plus it will keep the aluminum parts from corroding.

[MadXX]

Thats what I thought but I wanted confirmation.  

Thanks.

[Mark Bernard]

And pull the tires if possible, or at least get them off the ground.

[MadXX]

I have both front and rear pit bull stands for it so I will make sure I use them.  Thanks

[Super Dave]

Tires...yeah, take them off if they are decent and put them in the basement.  

I like to add fuel stablizer.  Very important if you don't use race gas.  Race gas doesn't deteriorate like pump gas.

[MadXX]

My poor street bike is gonna be jealous of all this attention its little sister is getting.   :'(

Ah well.  Tires are coming off and into the basement.  

If I pull the tank and keep it warm can I also keep it empty?  I was thinking of doing some creative painting this winter if I have time and dont want to have to drain the tank to paint it.  But I also don't want it to corrode either.

[251am]

 Not sure about the tank, but if you're going to paint it why not. On the anti-freeze head to a Honda or Toyota car dealership and get the Honda or Toyota coolant. It is much more aluminum friendly.

[Super Dave]

If I pull the tank and keep it warm can I also keep it empty?.

Warmth really doesn't play a factor.

If it has fuel in it. the pump gas deteriorates.  Pump gas is designed to be good for 14 to 28 days.  After that, it can start to turn to crud.  Racing fuel is different.  

An empty tank?  Well, depending upon the moisture content of the air, you can get some rust.  So, really for storage, often, you're better off keeping it full with some stabilizer or race fuel in it.  Just some thoughts.

But if you're painting....

[rickj]

plug the exhaust and airbox/carb inlets.......keeps out the rodents

[unforgivenracing]

1)Replace antifreeze to coolant system
2)fill tank to the top until you need to work on it.
3)drain the carbs [if so equiped] and the fuel pump ect. shoot some oil into the thottle bodys and work it around.
4) put a tbs. of oil into each sparkplug port and cycle the motor a few times to coat the cylinder walls.[do this with the engine cut-off switch in the "off".]
5) clean the bike top to bottom
6) place on front and read stands if possible to get tires off ground.
7) stuff racket balls in tailpipes to help prevent moisture from entering motor.
8) tape plasticwrap or tinfoile over intake ports, or remove airfilter, cover with plastic wrap and reinstall.  [help prevent moisture in motor and thottle bodys.
9) cover with a bike cover, heavy moving blanket, ect. If possible a shipping bag that covers all of bike from rodents and moisture, and can allow you to pack in about one pound of dry-pak pellets.(the stuff thy pack computers with.)
10) plan for next season! ;D

[Super Dave]

Or...

I just take my whole bike to 4&6 to get ready for 2004.   ;D  There we go!  (Thanks Jim!)

http://4and6.com