I'm not putting my bike away for the winter

[Mike_D]

At least Im hoping not to.  If this winter is anything like last winter I should be able to ride through it.  Even if it's a "normal" winter (whatever that is these days) for New York I feel that there should at least be a few rideable days per month.  What do you New York area people do?  I have my bike in a non-heated garage.  I plan to take it out whenever the weather permits.  I'll unplug the battery when I'm done.  What else?  Put in that Stabil stuff?  Change the oil (last one was a month ago so....).  Suggestions welcome.

[barenekd]

When I lived in Wyoming, Oklahoma, and some other cold spots, I didn't do anything different to the bikes. I rode them on the days I could and if they sat for two or three weeks, or even a month, so be it. They would still start and run.
Bare

[Chuck D]

At least Im hoping not to.  If this winter is anything like last winter I should be able to ride through it.  Even if it's a "normal" winter (whatever that is these days) for New York I feel that there should at least be a few rideable days per month.  What do you New York area people do?  I have my bike in a non-heated garage.  I plan to take it out whenever the weather permits.  I'll unplug the battery when I'm done.  What else?  Put in that Stabil stuff?  Change the oil (last one was a month ago so....).  Suggestions welcome.

Brooklyn here!
I can't bear the thought of laying the bike up for a whole season and every year as winter approaches I just push myself as far down the  thermometer as I can tolerate. With that kind of acclimatization I can easily stand an hour to an hour and a half as far down as 32F ambient. If the road's clear, I just layer up and go. Being a Weather Channel junkie, I always have an eye on the forcast. If a blizzard heads our way I just fill the gas tank and park in my usual spot on the sidewalk downstairs from my apartment and run the float bowl dry. Put the piston at TDC, pop out the battery to bring upstairs and put on the charger. Lock her up and cover.
The main thing I've learned is that the bike will be just fine like that for a few weeks if necessary and I've never bothered with Sta-Bil.
You've got the right idea. Just ride as often as you can and don't sweat it if you can't.
Chuck.

[Dhastings1954]

I live in northern Vt., so riding trough the winter just not an option. Unless you can fill up with ethanol free gas, I sure recommend stabil or one of the other products. That ethanol can really gunk up a carb and it doesn't take long. I have gotten in the habit of adding it to my gas cans as soon as I buy gas for mowers, chainsaws etc. saves a lot of headaches in my experience.
I run a little Seafoam through small engines and Bullet once a season or so. It really does seem to clean the carb.
Good luck riding!
Duncan

[ERC]

Duncan is right on with his answer.  ERC

[Chasfield]

Park up with piston at top dead centre to minimise wet sumping (as indicated above, just noticed, sorry).

After 2-3 weeks with no engine run, make sure that the engine is given a few minutes of idling warm up before riding off - this will allow the scavenge oil pump to clear the crankcases of excess (and very viscous) oil, minimising stress on the oil pump drive. Plus, the bike won't have so many throttle hiccups as you set off.

It is unlikely that you will be out on dry roads so a wipe down with WD40 is a good idea before the bike goes back in the shed. I have found that the fork sliders are of a very shiny aluminium that is very easily pitted by road salt. Those salt lesions don't readily polish out.

[geichal]

I don't winterize.  I have been able to ride every month the last couple of years here in Iowa!  This years not looking so bad either:)
geichal

[jdrouin]

If you're bike's in a garage, you're golden. Just ride it when the roads are clear. It can't hurt to put Sta-bil or Sea Foam in the gas, just in case it ends up sitting for a month or two.

When I lived in Brooklyn I used to ride the bike to my parents' place in CT in early December, winterize it, store it in their garage, and put it back on the road in March or April. I was glad I did that the one or two times we had major snow storms and snow piled up between the cars. That would have been really bad for the bike. But otherwise, NYC winters are mild enough that I would have ridden year round if only for slightly better parking protection. With good wind breaking gear and base- and mid-layers, I was fine riding in temps as low as the mid-20F range.

Now I'm in Oklahoma. Last "winter" it rarely dipped below 50F, which felt very unnatural to me. I rode year round though, which was nice. Will be interesting to see what happens this "winter."

Jeff

[cochi]

Philadelphia here. Last winter was also very mild in this area. I usually put her in my brothers garage for the season, but I think this year I'll keep her ready to go! cochi