Winterizing a VStar

With winter seeming to be coming fast this year, I'm thinking of winterizing my bikes. Easy for the XS400L. Not obvious for the VStar.

Should I just remove the battery to take it inside and nothing else? Because the spark plugs seem really hard to reach compared to my XS400L. If I want to squirt fogging oil in the cylinders, seems according to my Clymer manual I have to remove the seats then the gas tank and remove the cylinder head covers. THEN only I remove the plugs. Really??? Wow! And I don't own a bike trailer so I can't just take it to a shop to have it done. I have to ride it there and back.

Should I just remove the air filter and squirt the fogging oil in there while the engine is cranked? Or is this a no-no?

Or do I just forget about the fogging oil altogether?

What else should I be doing, if anything at all?

 

You do not have to pull the tank and seat. The plastic head covers are just held on by rubber grommets, just like motorcycle side covers. Just pull them off and then you can remove the wires and then the plugs. The factory toolkit has a specially shaped plug socket in it with a hex head on the other end. There is a wrench included in the kit that fits the hex. If you dont have the toolkit, buy one off of ebay. It is much easier to remove the plugs with the right tools.

I had a vstar 1100 for several years and changed the plugs numerous times. After doing it so many times you can almost do it in your sleep. Believe it or not the vstar is one of the easier bikes to change the plugs on. On my ninja I have to pull the seat, tank, upper fairing trim, airbox, coils, and emissions valve. Talk about a pain in the butt.

 

Tks for this precious info. I do have a toolkit but I'll check to see if it's the original one you describe.

To change the oil you have to remove one of the exhaust pipes, unless there is an extension kit installed. What did you have in this regard?

On a ninja you have to remove the coils`too?! wow :lol:

Ok - I'll keep away from ninjas then. Now I know where your nick comes from! 8O

 

Removing the exhaust to change the oil is correct and it sucks believe me. When I bought my vstar the dealer included a maintenance plan. They changed my oil a total of 6 times and broke 2 exhaust studs in the process. Seems they didnt know what anti-seize and torque specs were for. I would highly recommend that you purchase an oil filter relocation kit. If you plan on keeping the bike for a while it will be worth its weight in gold.

The reason for the inconvenient filter placement is that the vstar 1100 engine was originally designed for the virago 1100. On the virago the exhaust is routed differently so it does not have to be removed. Seems to me that they could have either moved the filter or installed a remote filter setup.

The ninja really sucks in most cases when it comes to working on it. After you finally get it put back together and take it for a test ride you forget all about that though. Theres nothing like the sound of a big inline 4 screaming along at about 12k rpms.

 

organizedinsanity,

Since it's getting too cold to start the VStar in the mornings here (below freezing a bit) with my old battery, I decided it was time to winterize it.

When I started to remove the plastic covers to get to the spark plugs I thought there would be only one hex screw - the obvious one - to remove, then I would pull the cover off some grommets, like other covers. Unfortunatly there are two hex screws to remove and one is pretty darn far under the gas tank. Probably too far to be removed while the tank is still there.

To remove the tank, I can only see one way - remove the back seat - remove the front seat - remove the tank.

I'm wondering if it's really worth all the trouble just to shoot some fogging oil in the cylinders? Or is there an easier way to protect my engine for winter?

If I was in a garage with some space to move around, I wouldn't hesitate. But I'm in a crowded shed and working the bike is not easy in there.

 

You can spray fogging oil into the intake while running- - and you'll understand why they call it fogging oil !!
*stabilize your gas
*change your oil
*fog your motor

 

Ok. Help me out a little more please. Do I remove the air filter and spay the oil in there? Or do you just spray it thru the air filter? Probably a stupid question, but I'm learning everything about winterizing this bike. Easier on my XS400L

Tks for the quick answer by the way...

 

Straight down the throat- - try to get the engine to die, buy new plugs for springtime. Next year, You'd start the bike with the old plugs, run it, then swap in the new ones.

 

On my 2000 vstar 1100 there were NO screws holding on the spark plug covers. The chrome plated plastic covers simply pulled off. They are held in place by tabs and rubber grommets. The only screws were securing the valve covers which are not disturbed during plug removal. You are attempting to remove the left front and right rear plastic covers right?

 

Change engine oil,use 10w30,put a can of sea foam in a full tank of fuel and start the bike once a week through winter.Let it Idle for 20 mins or so untill its good and warm.This will keep carbs from gumming up,keep battery hot,and keep a nice oil film on all internals.
Be sure you let it warm up completly or else you will have condesation,{moisture}in the oil,and thats not good.Next spring before you begin your riding,change oil and filter,go back to what ever oil you use and ride.I,ve been doing this for about twenty years on every bike I've owned and have never had a problem with it.Much eazier than trying to winterize.