Winterizing Woes: How Not To Winterize your Bike

There's a right way to winterize your motorcycle, and then there's a not so right way to winterize it. Winterizing your motorcycle is a procedure millions of riders perform every season, and there are hundreds of tips and tricks out in the wild on how to do it properly. Unfortunately, some of those tips and tricks do more harm to your bike than good. 

Winterizing your bike is not a process that needs to change dramatically each year to ensure that it runs appropriately next season. Yet, you'll often see crucial steps being skipped over that may or may not make you scratch your head. This article will help you avoid any unnecessary winterizing mistakes that may negatively impact your motorcycle. 

1. Storing a dirty bike: If dirt, grime, bugs and road grit slowly eating away at your bike over the winter and it doesn't bother you, by all means, store a dirty bike. If, however, you value your bike and want it to last as long as possible, then making sure to wash and wax your bike one last time will serve you well. Cleaning your bike regularly is just as important as servicing other parts of your bike. We hope you'll take the latter in this decision.
    
2. Not changing your oil: Waiting to change your oil until next season can be a big mistake. Combustion gases seep into your oil gradually over time. This, in turn, forms into sulfuric acid. When you service your bike for an oil change regularly, this is no issue. But letting your bike sit over the winter months with sulfuric acid buildup may damage your bearings. 
    
3. Using a cheap cover: If a heated garage is not accessible to you, opting for a cheap cover or tarp will not make the case any better. Be sure to invest in a weatherproof motorcycle cover or store your bike at a local storage unit.
    
4. Mistaking antifreeze and coolant: Sometimes, these two liquids can be mixed up when storing your bike. Individuals will put coolant into their motorcycle, mistaking it for antifreeze. Coolant and antifreeze have different jobs to do for your bike. Making sure that you have antifreeze protection over the winter months is essential. 
    
5. Draining your tank: Completely draining your tank is an option, but it's not recommended. Draining your tank will increase the likelihood of corrosion buildup. Use a fuel stabilizer with a full tank of gas instead to prevent this from happening. 

While there may be other tips and preventive measures for storing your bike, these five tips will help you avoid any severe damage over the coming months. There's no worse feeling than improperly storing your motorcycle for the winter, only to come back to it in the spring with a whole new set of issues. 

In the event that you or a loved one has been hurt in a motorcycle crash, the experienced attorneys of Hupy and Abraham may be able to help you. We will go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that you are treated fairly, provide you with the personal attention that you deserve and use our experience of helping more than 70,000 injured people make successful recoveries. Our personal injury law firm is here when you need us. Contact us anytime -- 24/7/365 -- by phone or online chat to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today.