Winter storage done right: what to do before your machine sits for months

[Ryan Calloway]

With the season winding down, a lot of owners are about to park their machine until spring, and how you put it away makes a big difference in what you’re dealing with when you fire it back up. Here’s the short version of what we tell people before a long sit.

Clean it first. Knock off mud, dirt, and debris, especially from the undercarriage and tracks. Packed material holds moisture against the metal all winter, and that’s how rust and corrosion get started.

Top off the fuel and treat it. A full tank leaves less room for condensation, and a fuel stabilizer keeps the fuel from going stale and gumming up over months of sitting. Old untreated fuel is a common no-start come spring.

Grease everything and top your fluids. Hit all the grease points before it sits so those surfaces are protected, and check that your oils and coolant are topped and in good shape.

Protect exposed cylinder rods. This is the one people forget. Bare chrome sitting all winter, especially in humid or salty air, pits and rusts, and a rusted rod chews up seals fast. Retract cylinders where you can to minimize exposed rod, and wipe a light film of grease or corrosion inhibitor on whatever chrome stays exposed.

Deal with the battery. Cold kills batteries. Either put it on a maintainer, or disconnect and store it somewhere it won’t freeze. A dead battery is the most common spring surprise.

Store it covered and off the wet. Out of the weather if you can, on solid ground rather than sitting in mud or a puddle. A breathable cover beats a tarp that traps condensation against the machine.

Come spring: check fluids, look it over, let it warm up properly before working it hard.

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