Sunday, November 7, 2010

Winter Bike Prep Notes

For those of you who couldn't make it to the November meeting; below is a synopsis of the winter bike prep segment presented by Kevin from Moto Europa. Kevin is a level 2 certified Ducati Master mechanic.


  1. Change Oil: As your engine oil wears, impurities and acids develop causing a breakdown of engine components. Kevin recommends changing your oil with fully synthetic before you store your bike for winter to make sure there are no acids and impurities inside that could potentially harm your engine while it sits over winter.
  2. Flush & Fill Radiator: Old coolant can form deposits in the radiator causing expensive repairs later down the road. Kevin recommends Engine Ice (www.engineice.com) brand coolant because it is biodegradable, phosphate free & non-toxic; while reducing operating engine temperatures by as much as 50°F and freeze-up protection to -27° F. I have used Engine Ice in several of my motorcycles over the years, including my current Ducati and can personally endorse it as a quality product.
  3. Keep the Battery Fresh: Cold weather will drain a good battery. It's a good practice to use a trickle charger or "battery maintainer" such as a Battery Tender (www.batterytender.com) to keep the battery fresh all winter long. Again, i product i have used on several of my motorcycles over the years and on my current Ducati.
  4. Treat the Fuel: We all know that fuel does not stay fresh as it sits. When storing your bike for the winter you should add a stabilizer to your fuel to keep it fresh through the winter months. Many of us, including myself, have routinely used Stabil brand fuel stabilizer however, Kevin introduced a better product called Sea Foam (www.seafoamsales.com). Sea Foam works as stabilizer and fuel system cleaner. Sea Foam claims to keep fuel fresh for as long as 2 years. I plan on picking some of this up myself.
All of these products and services are offered at Moto Europa. Some of us are more comfortable than others when it comes to working on our bikes. For those of you who are "mechanically challenged" or just don't have the time to winterize your bike yourself, Moto Europa's service department will do it for you. If you have questions or need further information about winterizing your motorcycle contact Kevin at Moto Europa. Thanks Kevin & Pete for helpful presentation and advice.


Sincerely,


Mark Schomaker
Vice President

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