Winter Bike Storage

Avoid WD-40. It is petroleum based and will eat rubber. I learned this the hard way on a KTM 250 one spring when discovering the fuel line/hose was full of holes.

Drain your coolant and fuel. If you cannot completely drain the fuel (EFI bike,) run some fuel stabilizer and let the engine burn some of that so you know it is all the way through the fuel lines. EFI bikes don't tend to clog up the same way carb jets do, but bad gas can still be a problem.

It's an older KDX, no EFI on it, still got the carb.

Falcon wrote:

Drain your coolant and fuel. If you cannot completely drain the fuel (EFI bike,) run some fuel stabilizer and let the engine burn some of that so you know it is all the way through the fuel lines. EFI bikes don't tend to clog up the same way carb jets do, but bad gas can still be a problem.

Why would he drain the coolant unless he's running pure water?

Rhino wrote:

Why would he drain the coolant unless he's running pure water?

Because in winter, the temperature goes down, so if he keeps his coolant in there, the bike will get even colder and possibly break. As we all know, coolant makes the bike colder.

Trust me, I took a science class once

make sure the carb has no fuel and throw it in storage. done deal.

If you have coolant then you should be fine. Engine ice and a lot of oem coolant is good for -34F or something like that.

As far as the gas goes, leave your tank full and put stabilizer in it. Clean your carb and let it be till next year.

Top off the oil too.

Repack all your bearings with grease.

Rhino wrote:

Why would he drain the coolant unless he's running pure water?

The coolant we use recommends a 50/50 mix and 60/40 if the temperature drops below a certain point. Never bothered with it though and it has never been a problem.

My bikes can be laid up for months and aside from the usual maintenance, clean filter, grease bearings, etc... I just drain the fuel out and wipe some used engine oil over the exposed bare steel. Bikes with a steel liner drop some oil in the cylinder through the plug hole. DON'T smear grease all over the brake discs, as a friend did once, and then ride the bike forgetting that you've covered the brake discs with grease.