First season riding an EFI Honda Shadow, so far so good, but the New England winter is coming and I'm starting to look into winter storage options and am looking for some tips. Other than the general winterizing tips like fill up gas tank, add fuel stabilizer, put the battery on a tender, plug up the exhaust against critters, wash and wax everything, what other wisdom do more experienced riders have?
I don't have access to a shed or a garage, so I either rent a bike friendly storage space/rent in a garage (expensive) or just keep it covered in the back yard. Getting a flat spot on the tires is a concern, so is it plausible to park it on a brick surface out back and move it around every few weeks as I don't have a lift or a stand yet? I also have some a grassy part of the yard I could use, but I imagine moisture from the ground and vegetation might be more of an issue than on brick.
I have a nice water resistant cover with a vent, but it doesn't go under the bike, is it worth getting a tarp to park on or would it likely not make any difference? Are those "bike tents" worth looking into, I see there are some with a "floor" that look interesting.
We get quite a bit of snow, so the covered bike will likely see a couple feet of snow at least a couple times through the winter.
I'm in Salt Lake City, so while we get snow, it is nothing like the NE. Often my primary bikes get none of that treatment, but I usually get a couple clear, but cold, days every month to ride. But I have a couple that don't get out often so we wrap them up at the end of the season.
The reason as I've come to understand it, Everytime the engine is run it leaves contaminants behind in the oil. And a fresh change when you put it up for the winter means you aren't leaving gas, moisture, carbon, etc. hanging out in the crankcase.