Winterizing Questions

[PaviSays]

So I received a Battery Tender Junior for Christmas, and I hooked it up yesterday.  My battery is one of those maintainable one with the caps to pull off to add water if necessary.  My question is do I need to remove these caps when placing the battery on the trickle charger?

Also, I put some fuel stabilizer in the tank.  Once I get it fired up again, I want to run it a little to get the stabilizer throughout the system.  What would I have to do to shut the tank off from the carbs to prevent them from gunking up, or should circulating the stabilized fuel be enough?

In addition, I also placed the bike up on the centerstand with the front wheel off of the ground.
Am I forgetting anything else?

[BaltimoreGS]

No need to remove the caps from the battery for charging, just when adding water.  If your petcock is in the on or reserve setting you can drain the fuel out of the carbs' float bowls without turning anything on the tank petcock.  If you are in the prime setting it will drain the entire tank through the float bowls.  I'm sure there will be some who disagree but I just leave the fuel treated with stabilizer in the float bowls.

-Jessie

[ohgood]

a month= fuel petcock off
> a month = fuel petcock off, drain bowls

assuming you're using stabil or something...

i'm only draining the bowls to prevent fuel getting into the oil via a leaking float valve. it would really suck to crank the engine the first time and kill the engine with fuel in the bearings.

not a bad idea to check the oil first thing in the spring (or change it)

then just run the snot out of it again like always. it's a $1000 bike after all.

[johnny ro]

Don't forget fogging it.

I never do the fogging, but its recommended for the more expensive motors out there.