OK sorry for a silly question, this is my first time winterizing the bike.
I go to remove the battery, but I can't get the negative wires off the terminal, there is some sort of harness that is holding in place, thus I can't remove the battery.  Not sure if it makes a difference, but it is a 04 500F. Thanks in advance.

I've never winterized anything I've owned.  It seems to me that the hardest thing on an engine is start-ups because the oil coating the engine parts drips down to the pan.  If you let the bike sit for weeks or months, when you do start it, there will be no protective coat of oil.  I suggest that you just start it up once a week, every week.  Let it warm up thoroughly until you don't need any choke.  Then bring up the revs to 3000-4,000 rpms and keep it there for about ten minutes.  Don't overload the unstressed engine.  3 to 4 grand will not overload it, will get whatever water vapor has accumulated in the system,  will recharge your battery and keep the oil on the engine parts.  

Just my 2 cents.

I'm not familiar with the '04 GS , but my TT600's have a rubberized strap holding the battery in place that needs to be unhooked before the battery can be removed.  Does this sound similar to what your GS has?  Did you check to see if there is something regarding battery removal in your owner's manual?

I remove the batteries from all my bikes for the winter, since they are not stored in heated areas.  I keep the batteries in a closet in the house over the winter.  Cold temperatures shorten battery life.

I would say Pam G was pretty much spot on there, however her remark about batteries and the cold bought this to mind.

A tip for reviving "household" NiCad and NiMH rechargables.

Put them in your freezer, coldest possible for 24 hrs.
Let them defrost very slowly over 24 hrs at room temperature.
Recharge.

This don't work if they are damaged but often works, something to do with crystaline molecular structure.

I just put my '04 F away for the winter yesterday.  Battery removal was simple.  

On phillips (+) screw holding down each terminal.  Remove these.  Then pull off the drain hose that's one one side, just slip it down.  That's probably what's holding your battery down.

Then just pull up each terminal.  Be careful, there's a weird square nut under each terminal that the screw attaches to.  They slip out and are easy to lose and difficult to find replacements for.

That should be it.

Then go buy a Battery Tender Jr.  They cost about $20 and will safely keep your battery charged until spring thaw.

The only reason to bring a battery in out of the cold is to make it easier to get to for charging.

The battery actually self discharges slower at colder temperatures.  Remember chemistry class?  Chemical reactions are slower at lower temps.

As long as you keep the battery fully charged it won't freeze.

I've had a couple of motorcycle friends swear that "you just gotta bring the battery in out of the cold over the winter".  I never quite understand why. There are batteries everywhere that stay out in the cold all the time, such as those in every car and snowmobile.  True that most auto batteries are sealed, where bike batteries aren't, but I'd think snowmobile batteries are the same as bike batteries.

Anyway, last year I left the battery for my Virago in the garage all winter hooked up to the Tender. It was fine, other than being just a touch low on water the following spring.  I plan on leaving my GS500F's battery in the same place and I expect it to be just fine.

Quote from: John BatesThe only reason to bring a battery in out of the cold is to make it easier to get to for charging.

The battery actually self discharges slower at colder temperatures.  Remember chemistry class?  Chemical reactions are slower at lower temps.

As long as you keep the battery fully charged it won't freeze.

Here in MD it gets below freezing in the day come January/ late december....I ride my bike 365days a year  but sometime I'm apposed to a warm car in which I "winter ize" my bike by putting some fuel additive in a nearly dry tank [till I switch on reserve] and that's just added measure so the lines don't freeze.  I frequently start it up and let it idle for 10minutes on weeks where I don't have the nerve to ride in sub zero temps

i am having problem removing the battery wires from the positive and negative terminals...i checked my owners manual and it just sez to disconnect them...i see the phillips screws but since they are horizontal i cant get my screwdriver at a proper angle...do i need to buy those L-shaped phillips head screwdrivers or what?  is there a trick to this?

- alex

Your cables don't connect to the terminals like THIS?

Hmmm.  Can you lift the battery with one hand while you apply the screwdriver with the other?  :dunno:

awesome, there's kerry with his pictures...i feel less dumb now about not being able to get my battery out, but the bad new is that no, my cables do not connect to my battery like your picture...rotate it 90 degrees so that the phillips head faces the bakc, and thats what i got...i tried lifitng while unscrewing but i cant lift it enough to get a decent angle...sooo...help?


- alex

Quote from: alexXxawesome, there's kerry with his pictures...i feel less dumb now about not being able to get my battery out, but the bad new is that no, my cables do not connect to my battery like your picture...rotate it 90 degrees so that the phillips head faces the bakc, and thats what i got...i tried lifitng while unscrewing but i cant lift it enough to get a decent angle...sooo...help?


- alex

sounds like he might have the sideways walmart sealed battery in there

That offset screwdriver is sounding better all the time.....

Kerry was right and it is taken care of thanks... Not the sealed batt by the way,

Right about what?  Lifting the battery with one hand, or using an angled screwdriver?  

(What did you end up having to do?)

you crazy post-editing mods....

 Hope you didn't mind;  I was just trying to avoid an additional follow-up post.

I simply couldnt get the harness off of the terminal, after lifing with one hand I was able to get the harness off.  Since it was the first time out, I think the connection was just snug and I didnt want to ruin the wiring for no good reason, thanks for the picture post Kerry.

hey, i got the battery out...angled screwdriver = awesome...thanks for the help all


- alex