What do you do to winterize your Norton?
- Thread starter Captain B
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Hi Ben,
Prior to moving here to the desert SW where I can ride almost every day, I lived in cold Minnesota for 40 years.
I personally would not start it at all until the spring, from what I understand that does more harm to the moving parts from cold start up, and because the motor does not get fully heated up to burn off condensation from the atmosphere in the gas.
I would however keep the plugs out with a little rag in the holes and simply rotate the motor once a month just to give the valve springs a different set.
I guess filling the gas tank and putting in a stabilizer is a good idea.
Maybe remove the battery and keep it inside the house and put it on trickle once a month.
Prior to moving here to the desert SW where I can ride almost every day, I lived in cold Minnesota for 40 years.
I personally would not start it at all until the spring, from what I understand that does more harm to the moving parts from cold start up, and because the motor does not get fully heated up to burn off condensation from the atmosphere in the gas.
I would however keep the plugs out with a little rag in the holes and simply rotate the motor once a month just to give the valve springs a different set.
I guess filling the gas tank and putting in a stabilizer is a good idea.
Maybe remove the battery and keep it inside the house and put it on trickle once a month.
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Captain B said:
Remove all the fluids. This year the head comes off to replace intake valve seals, check cam timing with degree wheel and dial indicator, add gear lubeto the swing arm spindle, repack wheel bearings, check play in gearbox bushes, replace rear brake shoes, maybe get the tachometer rebuilt. Winter is the time to sharpen the tool.
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Heated indoors best ,fuel stabilizer run through carbs as it is the idle circuit that can gum up over a long time.My battery goes on an intelligent charger for the duration. Also put it on centerstand to take weight off tires. Condensation is the worst if out in a cold damp garage. A friend told me to spray all the metal in WD 40 if garage / shed has this issue and just soapwash it off in the spring. Never tried it. Oh yes ,close both gas taps to save you float seat rubber and prevent any gas leakage = danger. Peter.
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I live in a pretty dry climate. I fill tank with fuel and stabilizer, run bike to get stabilizer into carb, drain carb, shoot some oil in each cylinder and turn over, charge battery every month or so. I have come to the conclusion that starting during storage is a bad idea and does more harm than good.
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I too would like to know why one would want to remove "all fluids", assuming all means leaving motor, gearbox, and primary completely dry over a period of months.
I would think such behavior would encourage corrosion and rust to form on unlubed metals.
Not for me, all fluids stay in place, and nothing wrong with rotating the motor every once in a while, by hand.
I would think such behavior would encourage corrosion and rust to form on unlubed metals.
Not for me, all fluids stay in place, and nothing wrong with rotating the motor every once in a while, by hand.
I think that you might want to do just the opposite, immersing the vital embodiments in ambiodic fluids, so to speak. Perhaps a thinner oil as to be able to move through the system during cold time. Or even open the valves and let it wet sump. Add some spirits to the gearbox to the mid point as to not pass through the clutch rod or better yet seal it of and raise the level higher.tpeever said:
These ain't your average runabouts. They are, to me anyway, rolling testaments of a days gone by and deserve the anality of going the extra mile as a intention of preservation.
My bike is now over 40 years old, at least the frame is, and I am in love with it. I also concider it a safe addicted. If i go too far with this......well...... it's just me doing what I enjoy.
With the drastic temp and moisture changes here in Michigan, I tend go go a little over board. The gas tank gets drained and brought in with the side covers. Wheels come off easy enough and are also brought indoors along with the battery of course and trickled once in a while. Every few weeks squirt a small amount of Marvel Mystery Oil in the plug hole and down the pushrod hole and turn it over to coat. This may be a little obsessive but a little overkill beats neglect.
I did so much last winter and do not have much to do this winter. Maybe lace up some new rims, add the adjustable rear mount, new headstock bearings, fork bushings and maybe manufacture up a PR HeadSteady.
I did so much last winter and do not have much to do this winter. Maybe lace up some new rims, add the adjustable rear mount, new headstock bearings, fork bushings and maybe manufacture up a PR HeadSteady.
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i put a thermal on under my jacket and ride
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...Says the guy from LA.mikegray660 said:
This is my life right here.bwolfie said:
I never thought about the cold starts doing damage, but in my defense, I was letting it warm up pretty good. I'll probably just keep a full tank (+stabilizer) and maybe fog the cylinders. I might just do the WD-40 on everything too.
edit: for the record I ride 20 miles to and from work everyday when it's not raining or below 40 in the AM, but I don't ride the Norton. Can't bear thinking of her sitting out in the lot all day. :cry:
I go with the guys who either ride them whenever they can throughout the winter, or just don't touch them at all. I live in the snow-belt below the Great Lakes and I never winterized any Norton except as specified in the owner's manual about running lower viscosity oil at lower temperatures.
I would avoid wet salted roads. But there are many days where the roads are dry in the winter, they only salt when it snows or you have freezing rain. I did quite a bit of riding in temperatures around freezing and have bashed through drifts across the road. And if I did not ride the Norton for months, in the spring it would always start the same as it did when parked, with one or two kicks.
One trick I have done is to put one of those clip-on utility lights on the bike against the cylinder for an hour to warm it up before starting just to be kinder to the engine.
I have a nice set of ice-racing tires with hardened screws in them I saved from a Bultaco I once had, and I would love to get them back on a dedicated winter bike to be ridden on hard-pack snow or glare ice. People ride snowmobiles all winter long without getting a second glance, a motorcycle should not be any more sensational as long as the rider and bike are outfitted for it.
I would avoid wet salted roads. But there are many days where the roads are dry in the winter, they only salt when it snows or you have freezing rain. I did quite a bit of riding in temperatures around freezing and have bashed through drifts across the road. And if I did not ride the Norton for months, in the spring it would always start the same as it did when parked, with one or two kicks.
One trick I have done is to put one of those clip-on utility lights on the bike against the cylinder for an hour to warm it up before starting just to be kinder to the engine.
I have a nice set of ice-racing tires with hardened screws in them I saved from a Bultaco I once had, and I would love to get them back on a dedicated winter bike to be ridden on hard-pack snow or glare ice. People ride snowmobiles all winter long without getting a second glance, a motorcycle should not be any more sensational as long as the rider and bike are outfitted for it.
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