Winter Motorcycle Projects - What's In Your Garage? - Harley Forum

Buzz Kanter · #1 01-04-2009, 10:20 AM

Well the snow is deep here in New England and its pretty cold too. So not much motorcycle riding for us. I am curious what others are doing with your Harley in the winter?

Who has put their Harley up for the winter? Who is doing some minor maintenance work, who is doing major upgrades to their Harley and who has a brand new (or old) project on the work table?

My garage is pretty packed and has some heat, but not much.

I have been spending some time checking, cleaning, filling and charging the batteries (I have several motorcycles in my garage) and then have some upgrades planned too. In addition I do have a few project bikes that I'd like to get running and might even sell one or two of them to make room in my over-crowded garage.

I'd also like to take a day or so to clean up and organize all my stuff in the garage. Perhaps I'll find some of my tools that I have misplaced over the summer.

Hammerhead Pat · #2 01-04-2009, 11:25 AM

Sorry to rub it in, but yesterday the low was 54 and the high was in the mid 70's. I rode to work yesterday at about 4am and it was just cool enough to be comfortable

milindh · #3 01-04-2009, 12:59 PM

My FXR4 is going in the living room. It needs new lower rocker box gaskets (I shouldn't have to be doing this Harley) , Ducati Monster mini fairing and special Sportster front fender. I'm also going to fabricate some new forward controls mounts to get them up and in a bit to keep them from dragging in the corners.

The living room thang is mainly because I'm without a significant other right now and whether I get back together with the Sweet Miss Cindy or find another I want to establish a precident for my priorities. In my mind at least I figure it's good to get this image of a chromed out custom Harley sitting in the living room planted early in the woman's mind because for sure they are always trying to feminize the domicile anyway. You know, with flowery curtains, matching this and that, and clean toilets (fer cryin' out loud!). And yes, I know, this won't really work and this will probably be the last time in my life I get to do this but I look at it as a final, if pitiful, last blow for bikers around the world. F-f-f- reedom!

I know you married guys are rooting for me.

unclepsycho · #4 01-04-2009, 01:16 PM

Yeah.. go for it! An old ridin' buddy of mine years ago, had himself a bunkbed... yup..the lower bunk was his scoot!!! I thought it was great....

unclepsycho · #5 01-04-2009, 01:33 PM

Well, back on the topic of winter projects.... My 06 Ultra Classic is runnin' perfect at 30k miles. Other than routine maint, it just needs a good cleaning. but my 04 BMC has developed an oil leek. I got to looking at the local track to do a drag race...to see what she will do, when in the rules I saw that the bike could have no oil leeks... next time I went out to the bike... it had a small drop under it...next day it was bigger. Could the bike be afraid???? I looked at the location where the wires enter the bottom end in front. could be the case, i did bottom out once on a dern speed bump. The motor is a 100" Revtech with a 6-speed. After a while I got back to just riding 'er and forgot about the race.... then the oil leek went away... ha! it is afraid. Then doing routine maint, i found the oil bag to be a bit low on oil..... duh! filled it up and the oil leek came back. Imagine that! So that's the plan this winter, figger out where the leek is comming from. Glad I got a bike lift. If ya want a bike lift and cant afford one, and you can weld; I made my first lift from old fence posts and used a floor jack!!! I could send pic's if ya want.....maybe post it in the tools area.

48panshovel · #6 01-07-2009, 04:21 PM

I'm going to try to get an electric start on my 48 Pan/Shovel. On the wife's Sportster its getting some mini apes.

Catmechanic · #7 01-08-2009, 09:22 PM

What!!??? You mean to tell me the main man at American Iron doesn't have a Super D-lux shop with heat, a/c, bathroom, cable tv, surround sound, wet bar & checkerboard floor tile!?! Say it isn't so!!

I've got my Sporty put away for the winter. Fuel treated, cleaned & waxed, battery out & on the tender in the basement. It sits right next to my Jeep in the garage so I can see it every time I go to work and come home.

The only major bike project I've got planned for this winter is to get the old Triumph that I bought running. That one's sitting out at Dad's shop that does have heat, a/c, bathroom, & cable tv. When the weather warms up a bit this spring the Sporty's going to get some new pipes, Crane Hi 4 single fire ignition, S&S air cleaner & a new front tire.

Next summer the garage is getting a remodel including insulation, drywall & heat. This is the last winter my garage is going unheated, just had new steel insulated doors installed a couple of weeks ago.

Jim S

unclepsycho · #8 01-21-2009, 01:58 AM

Took my BMC out for a 100 mile blast yesterday, and now it has oil spewing from one of the oil lines and from the two wires in the front of the motor going to the regulator. what a mess that made! not sure how to stop the oil from the wires. Local bike shop sold me a metal tab thingy that bolts onto the engine to apply pressure to the plug in, but I havent rode it since that install. as for the oil line. gotta take it apart to see what failed. maybe an o-ring .

Likemlouder · #9 01-28-2009, 01:58 PM

for the first time in my life. i have a decent place to work in the winter. we bought a house back last march with a full basement. and though there are no vents i can find it stays comfortable year round. got a lot of mods done to the sporty this year. winter is almost over for us. one more month and we usually have some warm days even in february.

unclepsycho · #10 01-28-2009, 09:37 PM

Isn't that fun riding the bike up the stairs?? I did once to get away from the cops, but comming up and out of a basement would be even more fun!!!!