By: Arielle Patterson  Courtesy: CycleTrader

Depending on where you live, harsh winter conditions can make it difficult to hit the open road on your bike. A chill in the air can signal the end of your riding season. While routine motorcycle maintenance is important year-round, there are key steps to follow before storing your cruiser for the winter season. In fact, popular manufacturers like Harley-Davidson, Honda, and Yamaha believe that proper bike storage in the winter is so important that it’s included ​in the owner’s manual. Prepare your ride to weather the cold with Cycle Trader’s seven steps for winterizing your bike.

1. Clean Your Bike

Make sure your bike is squeaky clean before storing it for the winter season. You certainly don’t want caked-on mud or other built-up dirt to tarnish the chrome and paint. Give your motorcycle a good scrub down, wax job, and treat the leather with quality products. If you routinely clean your bike after rides, this step should be pretty quick.

2. Change the Oil

Old, dirty oil can hurt your engine. Instead of leaving corrosive oil in your bike, change it. You can either do this yourself by following the manufacturer’s guidelines for the type of oil to use and the amount, or you can take your motorcycle to a mechanic.

3. Perform Additional Service

It’s not just the oil that could use some attention before winter. Lubricate the cables, controls, chain drives, and pivot points one final time before storage. Also, check your coolant system to make sure there’s enough antifreeze. If you can perform these tasks yourself, remember to follow the owner’s manual. Or, get your bike professionally serviced.

4. Add Stabilizer to the Fuel

Instead of draining your bike before storage, add fuel stabilizer to keep it fresh. Fuel naturally degrades over time and can cause ignition problems and harm the motor when you go to start up your bike in the spring. Stabilizer will prevent the fuel from degrading. This step can be done at home by following the directions on the fuel stabilizer bottle.

5. Check the Tire Pressure

When you fuel up for the last time, check your bike’s tire pressure and fill them with air if needed. Of course the tires won’t maintain precise pressure during the winter months, but it’s important to make sure they won’t be completely flat when you’re ready to ride again.

6. Charge the Battery

Motorcycle batteries lose charge every day when they aren’t in use, so you’ll want to keep your battery charged when you aren’t riding during the winter. Trickle and float chargers are perfect for long-term charging. These are designed to cycle on and off and maintain a charge without overcharging the battery.

7. Cover and Store Properly

Keep your bike protected from the harsh effects of winter by storing it indoors at a constant temperature to prevent condensation build up and rust. Protect the tires by using a lift or stand to keep your bike off the ground. Or, place pieces of cardboard or carpet squares beneath the tires to keep your floor’s moisture from affecting them.

Prevent small rodents and pests from making your bike their new home by plugging the exhaust pipes. You can buy exhaust plugs or make some yourself with plastic bags and a rubber band. If you don’t have a garage or indoor storage for your bike, cover your motorcycle with a breathable fabric or tarp.

As you savor the rush of your last motorcycle ride of the year, start thinking about tackling these seven tips for winterization. By cleaning your bike, changing the oil, performing additional services, adding fuel stabilizer, checking the tire pressure, charging the battery, and covering and storing your motorcycle properly, you’re giving your bike the proper care it deserves and setting yourself up for success once spring rolls around.