This is mainly targeting guys who store their bikes over winter. completely sitting there in the garage.

With the battery fully charged and fuel switched to PRIME, is the bike easy to start next season?

i'm asking mainly because this is my first season with the bike, and i'm just very paranoid with everything. I was thinking of storing it over a friends place (warmer location, i will have a better chance of riding it around there) and have him start it up every other week. Would be this be a better idea then possible just leaving it in my garage for the winter months. In chicago its snows and gets cold BIG time say Nov-april.

I'm not very savy with carbs so i figure they get clogged from not being ran, this is based off craigslist ads i found when i was shopping for a bike in march/april most of the carbed ones were no-starts and all the FI's were running great.

I threw some STA-BIL in mine (follow the instructions + add a little more for good measure) and started it up every few weeks, until the battery died.... Rides fine this season.

I live in Winnipeg, where it gets to -30c (-22F) on a regular basis during the winter. I keep my GS500 in my shed out in the cold all winter long. Before storing it I give it an oil change and new filter, fuel stabilizer in the tank, drain the carbs, and throw a cover on. The battery gets taken out and charged once a month using a trickle charger.

Starts right up every year with no problems. Takes a few seconds of holding the starter, but it runs like a champ. No need to worry about the cold.

Quote from: Twism86 on June 30, 2011, 06:37:04 AM
I threw some STA-BIL in mine (follow the instructions + add a little more for good measure) and started it up every few weeks, until the battery died.... Rides fine this season.

And as a side note, I would not do this. There's no need to start up the bike at all during the winter. If you do so and don't let the bike fully warm up for a long time, you're just building up moisture. Also, starting the bike up from below freezing when the oil is sludge can't be good for your engine (remember, motorcycle oil is usually not rated to be used in as cold weather as the oil in your car). The bike is better off sitting all winter.

Quote from: skimhitz on June 30, 2011, 06:48:21 AM
I live in Winnipeg, where it gets to -30c (-22F) on a regular basis during the winter. I keep my GS500 in my shed out in the cold all winter long. Before storing it I give it an oil change and new filter, fuel stabilizer in the tank, drain the carbs, and throw a cover on. The battery gets taken out and charged once a month using a trickle charger.

Starts right up every year with no problems. Takes a few seconds of holding the starter, but it runs like a champ. No need to worry about the cold.

how do you drain the carb? is there a fuel line or something? i'm still learning the common sense stuff on a bike...

oil changes, is it better to do before you store it or after, or BOTH... I just did one right now, i plan to put something like 500-1000 miles before winter. I dont mind doing an oil change but just wondering which was better. i figure after storage so the new stuff can flow thru it. But i can see reasons of before as well. So new oil is sitting in the engine.

Quote from: LEMON8 on June 30, 2011, 07:13:35 AM

Quote from: skimhitz on June 30, 2011, 06:48:21 AM
I live in Winnipeg, where it gets to -30c (-22F) on a regular basis during the winter. I keep my GS500 in my shed out in the cold all winter long. Before storing it I give it an oil change and new filter, fuel stabilizer in the tank, drain the carbs, and throw a cover on. The battery gets taken out and charged once a month using a trickle charger.

Starts right up every year with no problems. Takes a few seconds of holding the starter, but it runs like a champ. No need to worry about the cold.

how do you drain the carb? is there a fuel line or something? i'm still learning the common sense stuff on a bike...

oil changes, is it better to do before you store it or after, or BOTH... I just did one right now, i plan to put something like 500-1000 miles before winter. I dont mind doing an oil change but just wondering which was better. i figure after storage so the new stuff can flow thru it. But i can see reasons of before as well. So new oil is sitting in the engine.

yes there is a drain and a screw for it on the bottom of the carbs.
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=56601.0
shown in one of those detailed pics

I add Sta-bil, pull the battery, and lift the bike off the tires (no flat spots).

Come spring... install battery; prime (with drain screws open to prove that they are flowing before closing them); and start.
It takes maybe two extra revolutions of the motor before it catches on that first start of the year.

Where I live we have a lows of -25c and winter lasts from Nov-Mar.  In early Nov 2010 I did an oil change and after filling the gas tank right up and added stabilizer, I drove home and  I pulled into my garage, I removed the battery and put it in the house for the winter, threw the bike on the center stand, put 2 pieces of wood (3/4" ply) under each tire, coverd the exhaust with a bag, and covered the bike.  I didn't lay eyes or hands on it for 5 months .... in April I put the battery on the charger for ~5 hours, put it all back together, choked her and she fired right up  I'm sure opinions will vary, but I wouldn't advise starting it up here and there over the winter (assuming you don't regularly winter ride).  If its "stored" then leave it be until the spring.  

Then I did an oil/filter change after about 200k.  Done and Done..Again, opinions may vary over the pre and post storage oil changes.  I look at is as 1) its cheap 2) it cant hurt and 3) takes all of 20 min to do.

Quote from: LEMON8 on June 30, 2011, 07:13:35 AM
oil changes, is it better to do before you store it or after, or BOTH... I just did one right now, i plan to put something like 500-1000 miles before winter. I dont mind doing an oil change but just wondering which was better. i figure after storage so the new stuff can flow thru it. But i can see reasons of before as well. So new oil is sitting in the engine.

Oil builds up contaminants as it's used in your engine, so it's best to change the oil before storing the bike over the winter. If you just changed the oil, and put only 500 miles on before storing it, I wouldn't worry too much and would just leave the current oil in there, but it's up to you if you want that extra piece of mind. In the spring I don't bother changing the oil. If you changed it before storing it, then you have fresh oil that's been doing nothing all winter, so it's fine! I know alot of guys change the oil before and after storing it, but I think that's just overkill. You'll find alot of people are over-paranoid about maintenance on the bike. It'll be fine, trust me.

As for draining the carbs, there's a small phillips screw on the side of each carb. The best way to do it is get a pop can or a pop bottle, put a small rubber hose in it and attach the hose to the small drain spout on the bottom of the carb, and then open up the screw (and remember to close it again after all the fuel is drained). Or at the very least, just try to catch the gas that pours out so it doesn't pour all over your bike.

While we're on the topic, some other tips for storing a bike:
-Overinflate the tires by a couple PSI, since the air will compress as it gets colder.
-If you have tire stands, then use those to keep the tires off the ground. If not, then use the center stand, and put a piece of cardboard under the wheels.
-If it's being stored in a shed, put a rag inside the air filter and the exhaust before storing it, so that squirrels don't build a home in it (make sure not to lose the rag inside the exhaust).
-DO NOT use a tarp to cover the bike. Tarps trap moisture, which will make it rust faster. Use a proper bike cover, which will allow moisture to escape.
-Wash and wax the bike before storing to protect the paint.
-Fill up the tank completely to avoid moisture buildup in the take.
-Add the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer (says on the bottle), and run the bike for a few minutes to get it through the fuel system (before draining the carbs).

And in case it comes up, don't do the the "trick" with putting a teaspoon of oil in the cylinders. That's only necessary if you're storing the engine a year or more, and it makes starting up the bike in the spring VERY HARD. This is speaking from experience.