What is the best way to winterize the V-max

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matrix69

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Hi All

I have put my Vmax away about to 3week ago and have not did any thing to yet . Just would like to no what I have to do to it to winterize it ? My Vmax is in a heated garage.
 
Change oil/filter, fill tank and put a few oz of fuel stabilizer in the tank. Run for five minutes and cover up. Turn key every couple of days to keep float bowls full of fuel. If you have a lead acid battery put it on a tender. If gel or AGM battery tender isn't necessary.
 
Mine will be in a semi-heated garage....

I won't be taking the battery out b/c its a pain in the ass but i'll leave my trickle charger on it and put it on for 1/2 day every few weeks.

put stabil in the gas tank, run your bike for a few. Then every week or two turn the key to fill the carb bowls...

If i wasn't going to replace my tires i'd also put rugs/towels under neath them..

thats really my only plan. I've heard to leave it in 5th gear as well but mine will probably be in N on the center stand..
 
why do you have to fill the carb bowls after view weeks?

keep everything wet so gaskets and rubber doesn't get dry n crack...

there may be other reasons, but mark will fill you in
 
Garrett, exactly. Those rubber jet block plugs like to shrink when dry.
 
Garrett, exactly. Those rubber jet block plugs like to shrink when dry.

Yup I can concur with that - when I took them out of my carbs they were nice n tight, after a coupla weeks drying on the bench they were almost loose when I stuck'em back in.

I figured once wet they would expand a little again.

Talking of winterizing - it's gonna be 47F tonight, and 43F tomorrow night here in florida (!) Blimey I think I may need to get meself some more heated grips - never thought I'd need them over here but riding home last night made me change my mind quickly! :snow:
 
be careful with the staybil if you never used it before, first winter i had my 06 i put a little to much in, fouled all 4 plugs and had to clean carbs, now in heated garage and started at least twice a week. dave
 
be careful with the staybil if you never used it before, first winter i had my 06 i put a little to much in, fouled all 4 plugs and had to clean carbs, now in heated garage and started at least twice a week. dave

i usually put about 50% - 75% of what they recommend of stabil in the bike. i too have heard of AWFUL stories of too much stabil..

i think mine said 1 oz per 2 gallons.. i put like 1 1/4 oz in.

then shook the bike a bit to get it mixed up, (neighbors were staring) and let it run for 5 minutes...
 
i went by what the detail boys (jerks) at the dealership told me, ended up paying $400 to get it running, the only reason i took it there is because it was still under warrantry, and then they wouldn't cover because it was a fuel problem, i got hosed, and i wound up pregnant and never even got kissed. dave
 
Ok, here's my winterizing routine;

put in some seafoam and fill the tank with gas
Go for a ride to heated storage to warm it up
change oil & filter
change coolant (every other year)
change rear diff oil
change clutch & brake line fluid (every other year)
remove battery and put on it on the tender
drain carbs (fill them back up a week or two b/4 starting bike)
wash, clean and wax bike
put a vinyl conditioner on seat
lift bike on stand and put bike cover on

Go visit it every so often over the winter to do some mods on it.


That's pretty much it.

Mike
 
Bloody Hell. I'm glad I don't live in a cold climate. :clapping:

I had no idea the cold could be so destructive. :ummm:

If I had to do all that to my bike every winter I'd feel like I was embalming it for burial but the worst would be not being able to ride everyday. :confused2:
 
Bloody Hell. I'm glad I don't live in a cold climate. :clapping:

I had no idea the cold could be so destructive. :ummm:

If I had to do all that to my bike every winter I'd feel like I was embalming it for burial but the worst would be not being able to ride everyday. :confused2:

Not riding is the pits Gleno, no doubt. The trick is to come up with a diversion, get your mind off the v max entirely.

Somehow, dragging in firewood when the snow is asshole high to a 9 foot Irishman just ain't gettin' it.

Gonna have to work on that diversion, I guess! :biglaugh:
 
All great ideas. The only extra I might add is that when covering the bike, make sure the cover is loose or able to easily breathe. As the temps fall and rise, the delay in the heavy metal parts of the bike coming up to temp cause them to sweat a lot. The bike needs to breathe to help avoid corrosion.

p.s.: If the bike is stored in an area that may be vulnerable to rodents getting in, take precautions to guard the bike from them. Stuff rags in the exhaust. Maybe mothballs on the floor around the bike. We have had to clean more piss soaked nests etc... out of some nasty little hidden areas...

G Man
 
this will be the first year up here in maine that we have to deal with the ethanol enriched fuel. in the past... i have used regular sta-bil and not drained the carbs. this year i think i will use the marine formula stabil....

just a side note....in yrs past i have used dble the recommended dose of stabil with no carb or spark plug issues..... however....i have had plug fouling issues with seafom before.

just my opinion....but seeing how the max has finiky idle circuits.....im thinkin it may be best to drain the carbs......:confused2:
 
thinking ahead here, last year i left my oem yuasa battery in the bike with a tender on a timer that went on 4 hours each night. it was in a non-heated garage, but it was the basement of my buddies house so definitely wasn't as cold as outside.

so now i have a gel battery and thinking of doing the same, does gel freeze easier/harder than the regular battery? thinkit would be fine to do the same? maybe just leave it on the tender teh whole time for the winter? seems like that might be a bit much.. i have the battery tender jr.
 
If the bike is stored in an area that may be vulnerable to rodents getting in, take precautions to guard the bike from them. Stuff rags in the exhaust. Maybe mothballs on the floor around the bike. We have had to clean more piss soaked nests etc... out of some nasty little hidden areas...

G Man

TRUE!!!....so true........
 
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