What to Do With a Motorcycle in Winter?

Winter is around the corner, and you may hear the rumor that winter can make your motorbike useless; now, are you one of those thinking about what to do with a motorcycle in winter? 

You need to store your motorbike when winter is around the corner and you don’t have any plan to ride the motorbike anytime soon; the storing process is also known as motorbike winterization. By winterization, you can protect the motorbike tires, battery, gas tank, and fuel lines from the attack of ice crystal formation and rust.

Let’s consider what it means and what you can do about it. 

While writing this post, I leave no stone unturned so you can know what to do with a motorcycle in the winter and how you can save your motorcycle from all the bad effects of winter. 

What to Do With a Motorcycle in Winter? 

Experts often say that you need to be extra careful with your motorbike when winter hits your door. Now the question arises, what to do with a motorcycle in winter? 

According to experts, you need to store your motorbike in the garage when winter is around the corner and you don’t have any plan to ride the motorbike anytime soon; the storing process is also known as motorbike winterization. 

By storing the motorbike, you can protect the motorbike tires, battery, gas tank, and fuel lines from the attack of ice crystal formation and rust. You need to know some factors to consider when storing the motorbike. 

How Does Winterization Protect Your Gas Tank Motorcycle? 

Indeed you need to winterize your motorbike if you don’t ride it too frequently in the winters. Now the question arises, how does winterization protect your gas tank motorcycle? 

Motorbike gas contains some amounts of ethanol which absorbs the moisture from the surrounding in the winter, causing rust in the motorbike gas tank. And that’s why experts always recommend removing all traces of gasses containing ethanol to avoid further corrosion in the gas tank. 

Winterization not only protects your motorbike gaston from corrosion but also protects your motorbike engine from any trace of ethanol from corrosion or rust. 

How Does Winterization Protect Your Motorcycle Tires? 

So far, you understand that motorbike winterization protects your gasoline tank from rust and corrosion; now the question arises, how does winterization protect your motorbike tires?

In the winterization process, the rider is supposed to remove the motorbike tires from the motorbike, causing the motorbike tires to be free from the motorbike weight, avoiding flat tires and increasing the longevity of motorbike tires. 

In the winterization of your motorbike, you can use a permanent stand for your motorbike to help it stand safely for months.  

How Does Winterization Protect Your Motorcycle Batteries? 

Indeed, winterizing the motorbike in the winter can protect your motorbike tires from being flat. Still, the question arises, how does winterization protect your motorcycle batteries? 

While storing the motorbike for a longer time, your battery suffers from the parasitic discharge in which motorbike batteries discharge automatically without even starting any motorbike electric device. And to protect your motorbike batteries, experts recommend winterizing your motorcycle, especially in winter or if you’re not riding your motorbike for months. 

When storing the motorbike for a longer time, you need to plug out the motorbike battery, or your motorbike will suffer from parasitic discharge. 

Where Should You Store Your Motorbike? 

So far, to understand that you need to winterize your motorcycle if you’re not planning to ride the motorbike soon, now the question arises, where should you store your motorbike? 

When winterizing the motorbike, you need to store the motorbike under shade or in the garage because snow or extremely cold air can destroy your motorbike’s electric system, including the motorbike battery and lights. Your motorbike tank will also be protected from rust even if your motorbike contains a minute amount of ethanol. 

Additionally, you will be satisfied if your motorbike is stored in the safe and surveillance motorbike garage. 

Should You Remove a Motorcycle Battery for the Winter?

Experts claim that you need to remove your motorbike battery for winter storage; now the question arises, should you remove the motorcycle battery for the winter? 

You shouldn’t remove the motorbike battery for the winter because nowadays, motorbike batteries come with an electrolyte that can easily bear the -19 ℉ temperature, which is insane. 

Even a good-condition battery with 40% charging can bear the sub-zero temperature easily.

Secondly, suppose you have a motorbike battery maintainer that maintains your battery charging capacity. In that case, it only applies if your motorbike is in good condition. 

The motorbike battery maintainer helps the battery to maintain the battery current and voltage throughout the storage period and doesn’t charge the motorbike battery blindly, as doing this will cause battery malfunction. 

What if You Don’t Remove the Motorcycle Battery for the Winter?

Indeed you don’t need to remove the battery for the winter to protect your motorbike battery; now the question arises, what if you don’t remove the motorcycle battery for the winter? 

Suppose your motorbike battery isn’t in good condition and you don’t have the motorbike battery maintainer. In that case, you should remove the battery from the motorbike because it will prevent your motorbike from going into the parasitic discharge. 

Parasitic discharge refers to a condition in which your motorbike battery starts to discharge when storing the motorbike without even starting any motorbike electrical device. 

The continuously parasitic discharge will cause the motorbike to reach the situation where the motorbike battery is completely drained, and you will need to charge the motorbike battery. 

Will Parasic Discharge Destroy the Motorbike Battery?

So far, you understand that our motorbike battery will go under the parasitic discharge in which your motorbike battery will automatically get discharged while storing the motorbike. Now the question arises, will parasitic discharge destroy your motorbike battery? 

Parasitic discharge can’t destroy your motorbike battery permanently unless your motorbike battery is in good condition. However, several parasitic discharges will cause the motorbike battery to be in a condition in which the motorbike battery will stop responding to the charging. 

To protect your motorbike battery from parasitic discharge, you need a motorbike battery maintainer, which will significantly increase the motorbike battery life. 

How Long Should Motorbike Winterization Last?

So far, you understand that winterization of your motorbike will start once you leave your motorbike stand for several weeks. Now, how long should motorbike winterization last? 

Winterization of your motorbike should start when you leave the motorbike in the garage and don’t have any plan to ride the motorbike soon. However, the winterization will last till only when spring comes or simply the day you planned to ride the motorbike. 

In simpler words, it’s up to you when you should store your motorbike and when you end the motorcycle winterization. Just remember to add antifreeze before winterizing the motorbike or even riding it in subzero temperature to prevent your motorbike from rust and corrosion. 

Also, read my previous post where I discussed what is battery tender and how it can protect the motorbike battery from being dead, CLICK HERE to read.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict: 

What to do with the motorcycle in the winter? You need to store your motorbike when winter is around the corner and you don’t have any plan to ride the motorbike anytime soon; the storing process is also known as motorbike winterization. 

By winterization, you can protect the motorbike tires, battery, gas tank, and fuel lines from the attack of ice crystal formation and rust. When winterizing the motorbike, you need to store the motorbike under shade or in the garage because snow or extremely cold air can destroy your motorbike’s electric system, including the motorbike battery and lights.