The MotoBrick Winterization Thread

[programmasters]

Hi everyone,

I have a silly question. Temperatures are falling and since I am a new driver i will not be pushing my luck, so a winterbreak is inevitable. So looked up the correct procedure and many people suggested changing my oil with cheapo oil for the winterbreak. After the break a would let it drain and fill it up with the good stuff(so it would be like a very long flush) Oil is at a premium but I happen to have some 5w40 synthetic oil (for diesels) at my disposal . I ussualy use 20w50 dyno oil from castrol for gasoline engines.

So Would it be a bad idea putting the 5w40 synthetic in for the winter(never running the engine) and replenishing it in spring?

[Scott_]

Weather conditions permitting are you going to ride it any this winter?

[programmasters]

nope. I was thinking to let her sit for a month or three. Dec jan feb, after that temperatures come up from 7C where i live. And then do a whole fluid change/maintenance check

[johnny]

the brick of the corn... i ride it hard... roll it into the garage in july... full of no corn ethyl and some stabil... plug in a  battery tender... roll it out next july... start it up and ride it hard...

all this hibernation maintenance is silly...

j o

[programmasters]

I know k bikes are strong, but after riding her hard i like to take care of her. So ok, just let the original oil sit , but when I change the oil, can I use the 5w40 for a flush? Or am I doomed to let that oil (4gal) become obsolete.  I do also own a diesel but don't like to use cheapo oil for my engines, nothing but the best. It's like love, if you give a lot, they will give you back even more(sorta)

[mystic red]

Just change the oil with the good stuff when you park it, then get on it and ride it in the spring. It will still be good oil. Seriously.

[programmasters]

perfect thanks guys

[Scott_]

Just change the oil with the good stuff when you park it, then get on it and ride it in the spring. It will still be good oil. Seriously.

+1 what he said.

Park it with fresh oil and you will be good.

[wmax351]

Just change the oil with the good stuff when you park it, then get on it and ride it in the spring. It will still be good oil. Seriously.

+1 what he said.

Park it with fresh oil and you will be good.

 :2thumbup:


You may want to crank it for a bit, with the efi fuse unplugged, to circulate the oil.


If you are really anal, you could fog the cylinders. For a couple months, I would just change the oil, dose it with some Sta-Bil (and non-ethanol fuel if possible), and charge the battery.

[programmasters]

Allright.sta-bil is kinda hard to find here in belgium. But if i put fresh gas in it in dec i gues the fuel will still be good in the beginning of march. I do fog the two stroke single cylinder motor of my vespa but that thing is so old, and driven so infrequent( once in 6months) that i mist do that. Ah sixites vespa, how much i hate maintaining you. That's why i love bmw's, they are wonderfully exact. 76nm torque und no more or no less, whilst vespa manual just say. Papidipou (gestures very rapidly), turn clockwise untill either it comes loose by vibration, or you strip it. No there is no middle ground

Now i am done stereotyping two nations, i would like to thank you guys for the great advice, in summary:
Put the good oil in in the beginning of winter,
Add sta-bil to fuel
Hook up charger
And i am gonna put her on a lift to avoid flat spots in my tires

[552255]

Put the good oil in in the beginning of winter,
Add sta-bil to fuel
Hook up charger
And i am gonna put her on a lift to avoid flat spots in my tires

...I'd start/run engine after adding stabilizer to fuel, getting it into the injectors, and you will have circulated the new oil! 

It may not even be necessary to do any of this--except the charger--with modern fuels over the winter...

[mystic red]

Yeah I never even do the gas stabilizer. ... never had a problem especially with non ethanol.

[mjydrafter]

Just to needlessly add another opinion to this thread, change the oil now before you put it up.  Used oil contains combustion byproducts like unburned fuel, acids, and other junk that you don't want sitting in your engine over the winter. Honestly modern oils are pretty good at "containing" the contaminates, so if you have changed it even recently it should be fine.  Modern oils are formulated to suspend the junk and fight the acids with their ingredients, calcium in particular is added to fight the acids, IIRC.

However I do disagree with the post about modern fuel being good at sitting.  Modern fuel is shite, and loses a lot of it's volatility in about 2 weeks.  the main thing you can do to keep it fresher, is keep the tank full, so it can't breathe out the volatility, or drain the tank and keep it empty (which is harder than just keeping it full).  However I don't think that it is necessary to completely drain an injected system like ours, as the system isn't open to the atmosphere like typical carbs are.  In carbs what happens is the fuel evaporates, and then the floats let in additional fuel, which keeps evaporating.  If it just evaporated it wouldn't be so bad, but it's the junk that doesn't evaporate that causes the plugged passages in the carbs.  Anything with a carb that I own, gets drained and refilled again when the time comes for just this reason, and I haven't had any fuel related problems with any of my OPE's carbs.

 :falldown:

[johnny]

yawl... i also elevate the tiors off the floor... on center stand... 2 x 4 under forks lifting front off the floor...

j o

[wmax351]

Sta-bil is just a brand name. You can find fuel stabilizer at a home/garden store too, for gas powered machinery.

[programmasters]

Sta-bil is just a brand name. You can find fuel stabilizer at a home/garden store too, for gas powered machinery.

Jup I knew that. But in most stores here in belgium they only carry injector cleaners, 'magic' fuel saver additives, eco aditives, engine replenishment additives, all of which i think are bullshit except maybe injector cleaners(and then only as a last resort before replacing the injector) Ussually no stabilizers, but maybe at my local garden store. I haven't looked there, but since lawnmowers might need it for their winterbreak it stands to reason that they might have it there. Totally unrelated, how long can gas be kept in a container and how long diesel?

[Scott_]

You might also check with a motorboat service shop.

[orforester]

All great advice, but winter is a PERFECT time for maintenance.  I usually do the spline lube, add LED lights, change fluids, etc.  And it takes me most of Dec/Jan/Feb, great time to get to know your Brick

[programmasters]

All great advice, but winter is a PERFECT time for maintenance.  I usually do the spline lube, add LED lights, change fluids, etc.  And it takes me most of Dec/Jan/Feb, great time to get to know your Brick

Jup but since I hve a single car garage, and I do not want to put my car outside in frigid temperatures(diesels hate cold) I must plan my maintenance/repairs so that they take no more than 2 days time. + i like being able to test immediatly after reassembly . I have done the complete spline lube in summer so that should be ok.