Tips for Putting Your Motorcycle Away for Winter

When the riding season comes to an end, taking a little extra time to properly prepare your motorcycle for winter can make a big difference when spring arrives. Proper winterization helps protect your fuel system, battery, engine and other components during months of inactivity — and can help prevent unwanted surprises when it’s finally time to get back on the road.

1. Give Your Motorcycle a Good Wash

Before putting your motorcycle away, give it a thorough wash to remove dirt, bugs, road grime and other contaminants that have accumulated throughout the riding season.

Make sure the motorcycle is completely dry before storing it. This is also a great opportunity to inspect your bike for loose hardware, leaks, damaged components or other items that may need attention before next season.

2. Change the Engine Oil & Filter

Changing your oil before winter storage is a great piece of preventative maintenance.

Used engine oil can contain contaminants from normal operation. Instead of leaving that old oil sitting in your engine throughout the winter, consider performing an oil and filter change before storage.

3. Stabilize Your Fuel

Fuel is one of the most important things to consider when storing your motorcycle for several months.

Adding the appropriate fuel stabilizer can help protect the fuel during storage and reduce the chance of fuel-related problems in the spring. After adding stabilizer, follow the product and motorcycle manufacturer's instructions to ensure the treated fuel has had an opportunity to circulate through the fuel system.

4. Take Care of Your Battery

Motorcycle batteries don't like sitting unused for months at a time. Allowing a battery to discharge over the winter can shorten its life and leave you needing a new battery when riding season returns.

Using a proper motorcycle battery maintainer can help keep your battery charged throughout the winter.

5. Check and Protect Your Tires

Before storing your motorcycle, inspect your tires for damage, excessive wear and proper inflation.

Tire pressure can change while your motorcycle is sitting, especially as temperatures drop. Check the manufacturer's recommended tire pressures before storage and periodically throughout the winter if possible.

If you have motorcycle stands available and they are appropriate for your bike, they can also be useful during long-term storage.

6. Check Your Coolant

If your motorcycle is liquid-cooled, make sure the cooling system has the proper coolant and freeze protection before storing it in an area that may experience freezing temperatures.

If you're unsure about the condition or age of your coolant, winter is a good time to have the cooling system inspected and serviced.

7. Lubricate the Chain and Moving Components

For chain-driven motorcycles, clean and lubricate the chain before putting the motorcycle away.

It's also a good opportunity to inspect and lubricate other components as recommended in your motorcycle's owner's manual.

8. Keep Your Motorcycle Covered

Once your motorcycle is clean, serviced and ready for winter, protect it with a quality motorcycle cover.

Ideally, your motorcycle should be stored in a dry, secure location away from moisture and extreme temperature changes. Use a breathable cover designed for motorcycle storage rather than wrapping the bike tightly in plastic, which can trap moisture.

Want to Winterize Your Motorcycle Yourself? We Can Help.

If you enjoy working on your own motorcycle, Markham Outdoor Power has the parts and maintenance products you need to prepare your bike for winter.

Depending on your motorcycle, we can help with items such as:

Oil and oil filters
Fuel stabilizer
Battery maintainers
Chain cleaners and lubricants
Coolant
Spark plugs
Air filters
Cleaning and detailing products
Motorcycle covers and other storage essentials

Not sure what you need? Talk to our Parts Department and we'll help you find the correct products for your motorcycle.

Don't Have the Time? Let Our Service Department Handle It.

Not everyone has the time, tools or space to winterize a motorcycle — and some riders simply prefer having a professional take care of it.

That's why Markham Outdoor Power offers motorcycle winterization services. Our Service Department can help prepare your motorcycle for its winter downtime so you can spend less time worrying about maintenance and more time looking forward to next riding season.

Need Somewhere to Store Your Motorcycle?

We also offer Motorcycle Winter Storage options for riders who don't have a suitable place to keep their bike during the winter.

Our winter storage options can make things simple: bring us your motorcycle at the end of the season and let our team help take care of it until spring.

Whether you're looking for storage only or want to combine storage with service, inspections and winter preparation, contact Markham Outdoor Power to learn about the options available.