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Six Ways to Ruin Your Motorcycle this winter!
Improper winter storage can mean big problems next spring

1. DON'T WASH IT
If you’re eager to make your bike look years older, just put it away for the winter with a good coat of road grime. That crud will attract & trap the moisture in the air and actually start eating away at the paint and rusting the polished pieces. A good washing will also reveal loose fasteners, frayed wires, worn parts, crack and leaks.
2. LEAVE THE TANK EMPTY
Like sweat on a cold glass of tea, moisture condenses on the inside of a cold, empty fuel tank. The more humid the climate is, the worse the condensation. At the very least it will promote rust and at the worst the water will contaminate the fuel system.
3. DON'T ADD STABILIZER
As gasoline sits, the lighter, more volatile components evaporate, leaving behind the heavier, less combustible portions. Given enough time the gas in the tank will turn into foul smelling goo that the spark plugs can't ignite.
4. IGNORE THE BATTERY
All batteries loose voltage over time, a process made worst if the electrolyte (acid) is low and the plates start to decay. Come Spring it won't take a charge. Worse, as the electrolyte's specific gravity drops from a fully-charged 1.27 lo a stone-dead 1.05, the freezing point of the fluid moves up to a tepid 27 degrees. One cold winter night the battery will freeze, crack and spill acid all over your motorcycle.
5. DON'T CHANGE THE OIL
Used oil is full of grit, water and acid that is usually suspended in the oil. But when a bike sits for a while the impurities settle-out and collect in critical places, etching bearings and cam surfaces and even clogging oil passages.
6. DON'T WORRY ABOUT RODENTS
Finding a mouse nests in exhaust pipes and air boxes is more common then think. Not only can they seriously clog things up but they often nibble away at hoses and wiring, making for a big repair bill. The cure is as simple as using duct tape or stuffing steel wool in the pipes and air intake.