[WeaponZero]

Okay, I am the proud new owner of a 2000 Suzuki SV650 naked. I live in a place where the winters can get pretty bad and I plan on just keeping it safe and out of harms way during the winter months. Here’s the problem:

I don’t have a garage. My driveway is gravel and is on an incline. And because of issues involving stairs I can’t take my bike to my back yard where I can put it on the back porch. As of right now I park it on the sidewalk leading to the side door to my house (a door that we don’t use in the winter because the walkway that leads up to it ices up really bad). My original plan was just to leave it where I currently park it but put a protective cover over it but now I’m starting to think that won’t be adequate considering it’s basically going to be sitting there for 3 months with no starting.

How am I to store/care for my bike in the winter months when I can’t ride it?

[ShannonG]

Did you bike come with a manual? Mine included instructions for winterizing. A friend also told me there is a spray that you can apply inside your head that keeps everything lubricated over the winter months when there’s no oil circulating. I remember you’re also supposed to remove the battery.

OK I checked the manual for my Gs500 and it goes as follows:
Put the bike on the center stand and fill the tank with gas mixed with a stabilizer.
Run the bike until the stabliized gas enters the carb.
Pour one tablespoon of oil into each spark plug hole. Reinstall spark plugs and crank engine a few times.
Drain engine oil thoroughly. Refill with fresh oil all the way to the filler hole.
Remove battery.
Store battery inside.
Externally: Spray all vinyl and rubber parts with rubber preservative.

[Anonymous]

That battery stored inside should either be hooked up to a microprocessor controlled charger (like a “Battery Tender”) or periodically trickle charged to keep it fresh.

If you’re going to leave the bike outside, you might want to spray or brush the metal parts of the bike with Cosmoline or similar rust preventative too.

Maybe you could ask around, a relative, neighbor, friend or colleague probably has space for it in their garage and wouldn’t mind it sitting there all Winter if it’s out of their way.

[AaronMerlot]

Do we have to talk about winter yet?

[Author]

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