Winter storage XJ750

Better to drain the gas tank completely or add Stabil to what's there? Thanks.

 

I just add some Stabil and put battery on trickle charge/ tender. Its your call.

 

You want the tank full to reduce condensation which will cause rust.

Fill it full with the proper amount of sta-bil and ride it around the block a couple times to get the sta-bil into the carburetors. Top off the tank. Oil and filter change before you ride it around the block is also a good idea.

To help it stay looking nice you can wax the painted parts and put a bit of WD-40 on the chrome.

It's not a bad idea to put a bit of fogging oil into the cylinders and crank it over to distribute (plugs out). You could use a tablespoon of motor oil instead. Reinstall spark plugs.

Check the electrolyte level in the battery and add distilled water as necessary. Put it on a maintainer (leaving in the bike is fine, especially if stored indoors).

Store on the center stand to get most the weight off the tires.

Cover loosely with something that will breathe to keep dirt and dust off. Weatherproof if storing outdoors.

 

Exactly what I did; with the addition of: "Fog" the mufflers as well, and then plug them to keep critters out.

And since I was dealing with a 550, I also lubed the bejabbers out of the drive chain.

 

Do you drain the float bowls before storage?

Kenneth

 

Yep, gotta keep Stan out!
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=30261.html

 

FWIW, Adam Glass wrote up a pretty thorough article on winter storage, over at http://www.clarity.net/~adam/winter-storage.html -- I've used many of his suggestions and have been satisfied with the results.

 

Yeah, I forgot about plugging the mufflers. Also might want to plug the air box inlet - recently bought a 750 shadow for my wife that had 3 lbs. sunflower hulls in the air box.

Not necessary if you run the sta-bil in.

 

No, and I believe it's also key in preventing varnish build-up. Drained, the little remaining gas can easily become varnish over the winter.

One of the things I do at wake up time in the spring is drain the float bowls and let refill with fresh fuel before attempting to fire the bike.

 

For some reason, when I click on that link, it comes back page not found, so I take it that it's a fairly old posting on that link, am I correct?

 

He's got a period on the end of the URL. Try this:

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/winter-storage.html

 

The link has a period at the end of it. Erase it and it will come up.

 

I remove the Gas Line to the Carbs.
Block-off the Supply Line from the Petcock.
Remove the Drain Screws.
Flush the Gallery with Alcohol
Shoot Carb Cleaner into the drain holes after blowing-out the Bowls.

Put the Drain Screws in a safe place.

 

Thanks guys, I never noticed the period at the end.

 

Sorry about that... didn't realize after posting that the hyperlink included the period. I edited my post to correct it, and the link works for me now.

 

That's a pretty awesome write-up.
What do you guys use for covering the paint? I know someone mentioned Nevr-Dull. Any other options? Can I put a nice coat of wax/polish on it and call it done?
And I see some variety- remove the battery or leave it in? I do not have a tender and I'm not yet sure where I'm storing. But obviously, if it's outside, I'll take the battery out.

 

Personally, I don't think I would do anything to the paint other than wax it -- unless I knew it had to be outside, uncovered for some reason. But I wouldn't leave it uncovered, either. There are spray coatings for the various metallic bits, because even covered machines will draw condensation under the cover. But if it's a good, protective coating, it will likely not be "easy" to remove when you're ready to ride.

The only concern for the battery is freezing (and not letting the charge drop too far). Consensus is that taking the battery in the warm house is more detrimental to longevity than leaving it in the cold, again providing the battery doesn't freeze. And a small battery tender can be had here for $15 to $25 U.S. Pretty cheap insurance, IMHO.

 

NevR-Dull is for "unfinished" metal, I wouldn't use it on paint (or chrome for that matter.)

I take all of my batteries inside, and "rotate" them on the Tender.

I used to spray all exposed metal down with WD40 or CRC, but it is quite a bit of work to remove it in the spring. I've found that chrome that's been polished with a good quality chrome cleaner (leaving a "wax" behind) as well as polished metal that's been likewise protected really doesn't need to be sprayed down with anything. (This only applies to bikes stored inside.)