How to Winterize a Motorcycle

Hi, my name is Nick Schmitt, today I’m going to show you how to winterize a motorcycle. I am in the Automotive program and I have learned it is very important to store vehicles properly. In the auto industry proper storage can be very important in vehicle maintenance. I am going to show you the necessary tools and steps to properly store a motorcycle. Taking proper preventive measures can keep from making expensive fixes in the future.

Step 1: Gather Items – Fuel Stabilizer, Measuring Device, Fuel

First off, check to see how much fuel is in the gas tank, the tank should be about full of fuel. Make sure that the fuel is fresh in the tank and that there is no water or debris in the tank. Use a choice of fuel stabilizer to add to the fuel.

Step 2: Add the Stabilizer

With the fuel stabilizer bottle, read the instructions on the bottle to see how much the ratio of gas to stabilizer there should be. Add the stabilizer straight into the gas tank through the gas cap and agitate the fuel to mix evenly. Make sure not to spill on the painted surfaces because this could cause damage to the paint

Step 3: Start the Bike

Start the motorcycle normally letting fuel run into the carburetor to replace the fuel that does not have the stabilizer in the lines and bowls, let the motorcycle idle for about 5 minutes with the choke on, if the bike is fuel injected there is no choke, so repeat the process the same. Be sure to watch out for the exhaust because it will become hot.

Step 4: Shut Off the Fuel

After running the bike until it is warmed up, be sure to shut it off and wait until it cooled off. Then inspect the fuel system. This is needed to be done to make sure that the lines and seals in the fuel system do not dry out and the fuel does not gel up. Shut off the petcock on the bottom side of the fuel tank to keep any fuel from leaking out over the storage time.