The first frost and the end of the riding season have come, and this is a serious choice that can make or break the performance of Gold Wing owners in the next season. This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way, as I did not follow proper storage procedures during my third winter of ownership and instead I had to spend the subsequent spring with a corroded electrical contact and a fuel system that just would not start.
It made me realize that proper winter maintenance is not simply grabbing your bike and burying it in the snow, but rather taking steps to protect it, such as using all-weather motorcycle covers, to maintain your investment and ensure Honda’s legendary reliability lasts a lifetime.
Seasonal Protection: The Significance of Winter Storage
The Honda Gold Wing is a very huge investment and it can cost up to twenty thousand dollars on the newer models. This touring giant has advanced electronics, parts of the engine, and much bodywork that needs a shield during the winter. Change in temperature, dampness, and long durations of inactivity are the ideal conditions of mechanical degradations unless the right precautions are observed.
Weather covers that are used on motorcycles will be a shield against environmental degradation. Compared to ordinary tarps or generic covers, the all-weather protection specifically made to cover motorcycles has breathable materials that avoid accumulation of moisture and at the same time repels rain, snow, and UV radiation.
The breathability factor is particularly important when stored in the winter season since trapped condensation helps to accelerate corrosion on the metal surfaces and cultivate molds on the seats and soft materials.
The Winter Hibernation Process for Your Gold Wing
The schedule of preparation starts weeks before your last ride in the season.
Step 1: Deep Cleaning Before Storage
Begin by cleaning your motorcycle completely with close attention being given to cleaning the road salt, bugs, and hard to reach grime. It is not just another cosmetic cleaning exercise unless it eradicates corrosive elements that when left to operate on painted and metal surfaces over a period of months, they become more destructive.
Step 2: Fuel System Preparation
The stage of fuel system preparation is perhaps the most crucial of the maintenance stages. Ethanol blended gasoline is highly corrosive and thus forms varnish which blocks the carburetors and the fuel injectors.
Top up your tank and leave no more space because this will allow condensation to take place, and finally add quality fuel stabilizer as per manufacturer instructions. Idle the engine ten minutes with the addition of stabilizer to help the treated fuel to circulate all over the system.
Step 3: Oil and Filter Change
Changing the oil and filter prior to storing may appear counter intuitive, as the motorcycle will not be in motion, but used oil has combustion byproducts and acids that will still be moving forward to erode internal parts when the engine is not running.
New oil offers increased corrosion protection when kept in storage and you are good to go when spring comes.
The Most Important Gold Wing Maintenance Parts to Address
It is known to owners of Gold Wing who have used their product long enough that there are particular parts of its maintenance that need expert care when it comes to winter preparation.
Battery Care and Electrical Protection
The weakest part when storing the battery is over an extended period of time. Unplug the negative connector and attach a good battery tender to add the trickling charge during winters.
The state-of-the-art Gold Wings have advanced electrical systems, which can consume parasitic power even when not in operation and therefore maintenance of the battery is strictly necessary.
Tire Care and Flat Spot Prevention
Tire care is also neglected when preparing the motorcycle to be stored, but tires will develop flat spots when bearing the weight of the motorcycle in a single position over months.
Blow tires to maximum recommended pressure and put into consideration the use of center stand or paddock stands to reduce the contact of tires to the ground. Other owners invest in wheel dollies whereby some are rotated every period to avoid flat spotting.
Coolant and Freeze Protection
Freezing conditions raise the issue of coolant condition to critical level. The pre-mixed coolant supplied by Honda has corrosion inhibitors that wear out and hence check to know whether your coolant is within specification and it offers sufficient freeze protection.
The sealed cooling system is employed in most Gold Wing models, however, by making sure to check the concentration of the coolant prior to winter storage, the radiator and engine block will not suffer the loss of expensive freeze damage.
Choosing Quality All-Weather Motorcycle Covers
Not every motorcycle cover has the same protection and in order to find the appropriate cover of your Gold Wing, one should be aware of the material technology and design characteristics.
High quality all weather motorcycle covers involve the use of several layers of material which combine to form a protective layer. The exterior coating must not be breached by water whereas the interior coating must be soft to avoid scratches on the delicate paint finishes.
Cover Size and Fitment Matters
The size is very critical in the choice of covers. The massive size of the Gold Wing and its unique characteristics such as that huge trunk and such a huge fairing of the product demand covers tailored to full-dress touring motorcycles.
Generic large covers do not have a good fit with the water being able to penetrate and form abrasion points where the flapping fabric collects on the painted surfaces under windy conditions.
Ventilation Design and Moisture Control
The design of ventilations will differentiate between excellent and mediocre covers. Air is able to flow in strategic positions of vents to avoid condensation and preserve weather.
Seek covers with mesh panels placed in such a way that they will allow air to enter the house but not allow the rain to enter in. Other covers that are considered as quality covers are the elastic hems, tie-down grommets, and stress point reinforcements that make the covers fit perfectly even in extreme weather conditions.
Storage Location and Why It Matters
The location of your store of Gold Wing will greatly influence the aggressiveness of your winter protection you have to adopt. Ideally, climate controlled garage storage is the best option, as it helps to reduce the impact of climate and renders the product not to be exposed to the elements.
Nevertheless, a lot of owners have to be satisfied with garages and carports which are not heated or even with the open air areas.
Unheated Garage Storage
The storage in the unheated garage has significant advantages compared to the exposure to the outside environment, and the main advantages are the protection against direct precipitation and minimized temperature fluctuations.
Garage concrete floors may contribute to the passage of moisture via the capillary effect and therefore, by laying your motorcycle on plywood sheets or rubber mat, you are able to provide a moisture barrier between the floor and your tires.
Outdoor Storage Protection
The protection plan required is the most comprehensive to outdoor storage. Keep your covered motorcycle out of reach of trees that drop sap, debris or that serve as perches to birds.
Make sure the water drainage patterns will not form puddles in the area of your storage and think of constructing a simple frame system that will raise the cover above the motorcycle to increase air movement and ensure that the material used in the cover does not touch the painted parts.
Mid-Winter Checks and Inspections
Winter storage should not imply forgetting all about your Gold Wing till the spring. Visitation of the inspection once a month will help you in identifying emerging issues before they get serious.
Detach the cover and watch out whether there is any moisture build up, check whether the battery tender works correctly, and watch out whether pests are present. The motorcycle airboxes and storage compartments provide good winter homes to mice and other rodents.
Such inspection visits give a chance to warm up the engine once in a while, but the opinions of different mechanics regarding this practice differ.
When storing the engine, balancing between running it and letting it cool down is preferable because it is recommended to run the engine until it is completely heated to evaporate the condensed water in the exhaust system and crankcase.
Short runs that do not bring the part to running temperature may add more moisture than they are taking away.
Spring Revival Procedures
With the start of the riding season, reverse your storage procedures in a systematic manner. Take the cover off and carefully inspect it and then make an effort to start the engine.
Check the fluid levels in the checks, inspect tires (they must be inflated and there should be no damage) and check whether all lights and electrical accessories work properly. Rechange the oil, in case you did not do this maintenance prior to storing.
Patience and care should be given to the first start after winter storage. Wait and have the fuel pump run a few times to provide the system with time to prime before starting the engine.
When it starts, allow the engine to warm up and observe any unusual sounds, leakages or warning lights. Have your first ride in a controlled place near home and slowly increase your distance till you are sure everything is fine.
Tours4u Investment Protection
Honda Gold Wing is not just a means of transport but a dream of tours, long-distance travel, and perfection in the field of motorcycle engineering.
Proper winter storage with good all weather motorcycle covers and with the right Goldwing maintenance parts means that your machine will be out of hibernation ready to give you another year of quality performance.
The time spent in correct storage practices will yield seasons of trouble free riding to double your financial investment as well as your cherished attributes that make the Gold Wing the ultimate touring platform.
FAQs of Winter Gold Wing Care
Is fuel stabilizer actually effective, or is it just marketing?
Lots of riders question whether fuel stabilizer is actually effective or it is a marketing gimmick. The chemistry of this is simple enough, namely; gasoline oxidation and ethanol phase separation cause real issues which quality stabilizers avoid.
The minimal cost of the fuel treatment service eliminates the use of costly carburetor clean up services or indeed, the fuel injector replacement service.
Which cover material is better: polyester or breathable synthetic?
The other question that is usually raised is cover material choice between polyester and a more costly breathable synthetic. Whereas simple polyester covers offer sufficient protection against weather, they trap moisture more easily than more developed ones that use waterproof and breathable membranes.
In cases of the Gold Wings being kept in the humid climate or the environment where the temperature varies by a wide margin, the investment on the high quality breathable covers will give the returns in terms of better moisture control.
Should I store the bike on its suspension, or use stands?
Riders often pose the question of the placement of suspension in storage. The argument of maintaining weight on the suspension, as opposed to the use of stands is an indication of varying priorities.
The suspension parts have an enhanced level of seal integrity at a moderate compressive level, which implies that normal weight-bearing storage could in fact be more beneficial to seals than full unloading of suspension systems with long storage.
