Time for Winterization

[Dave Dark]

Well...'Tis the season.

With the rain and cold weather we've been getting over the last couple weeks in Ottawa I've decided to put my bike away for the winter. I've been preparing for this for a while and have a large amount of the things I will need. I'm going to write a list of the things I plan to do and a couple of questions I have and hopefully anybody who has gone through this before will be able to give me a hand.

1. Wash and wax bike
2. Change oil
3. Put fuel stabilizer in the tank
4. Fill up gas
5. Use fogging oil to coat the inside of the engine
6. Lube all pivot points
7. Drain float bowls
8. Put oily rags in in air intake chamber
9. Take out battery and put it on a trickle charger
10. Put oily rags in the muffler
11. Lube chain
12. Protect chrome and engine with WD-40
13. Protect leather with a leather protectant
14. Lube clutch and throttle cables
15. Cover bike with a breathable cover

Questions

1. I want to use fogging oil to protect my engine. I've heard of doing it through the air intake and through the spark plug. For those who have done it what is the best way? Will spraying fogging oil into my air intake mess up my filter? I googled for videos but there are none.

2. I want to lube my cables. Do I need the pressure tool I've seen on the videos and in stores? Can I do it without and just have it be slightly messier? Also, do I lube my brake cables with the same lube or should I just leave them alone?

3. I need some new brakes and was planning on installing them over the winter. I'm pretty confident I can do this with all the advice and help on the messageboard. But, should I wait to install them? Is there any detriment to putting them on and then letting them sit unused for 5 - 6 months?

Thanks for all your help! Truly appreciated!

Dave