Hibernation time

[DonGee]

Today it hit 60 degrees so I took what will likely be my last ride of the season. Looking ahead to the next couple of weeks I'm seeing temps in the 30s and 40s, and that's not appealing to me. Yeah, there may be another 60 degree day between December and March but I'm not counting on it.

Anyway, I figured I might as well prep for winter storage. I had changed the oil and filter and final drive fluid a week or so ago, so that's good. Checked the antifreeze/coolant and that's topped up and ready for sub-freezing temps. Today i filled the tank to the brim with stabilized gas and ran the bike (petcock off) until it died, just to empty the carbs. I'll stuff or cover the exhaust pipes and even put some moth balls around to keep out any critters. I don't have a lift to keep the tires off the floor, but it's wood, not concrete, so I'll probably just fill the tires to the max air pressure on the sidewall. I did put a couple of boards under the kickstand to keep the bike fairly level for the duration. The battery will stay in the bike but periodically be put on a Smart charger to keep it happy. And I do have a cover that will go on the bike.

Anything else important that I'm not thinking of?

[navigator]

Change your clutch and brake fluid yearly...either now or in the spring.

[DonGee]

Thanks. Yeah, that's on my Spring list.