Hopefully there are several weeks of good riding left before we have to put our bikes away. However, there will come a time soon when Mother Nature shuts us down. During the winter months, you should take care of your bike to make sure it goes as good as always when riding season starts. Proper storage is a key factor for having your bike ready for spring riding. You may be storing you bike in cold storage or heated storage. Here are a few tips for both types of storage:

  If you store your bike in cold storage such as a shed or barn without heat, your bike is subjected to almost the same environment as the outside. It is best in this type of environment to drain the gas tank and carburetor of any fuel. Coating everything but the brake disc with a protective coating of ArmorAll or WD 40 is not a bad idea. A protective coating will keep moisture from attacking the metal parts of your bike and the ArmorAll helps protect rubber and plastic from damage and drying out. A teaspoon or two of two-stroke oil down the spark plug hole can add protection to the cylinder, piston, and rings. Kicking your bike through a few times every month is also good for the engine and helps ensure the lubricant is still keeping things wet.

  If your can store your bike in a heated building, your bike will be much happier. A full tank of fuel is OK and usually will not go bad in 3-4 months. However, the small amount of fuel in the float bowl can go stale in a month. Either drain you carburetor with the drain screw at the bottom, or run the bike out of gas. If you are in warm storage, the absolutely best thing you can do is to start your bike every 3-4 weeks. This keeps everything lubed and fresh. If you are in cold storage, trying to start the bike is not always a good idea on frigid days.