A Plea for Winterizing
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2018 5:19 am
Dear Stella owners:
I just finished winterizing my Stella, and it felt good. More importantly, it occurred to me that we are lucky owners of some increasingly rare machines. A few weeks ago, I missed my chance to buy a second Stella by a hair's breadth. I'm still sad I didn't get it, and I've been daydreaming about filling up my garage with Stellas ever since. We want these to last us a while, whether we plan to run them into the ground or might eventually sell them. The "beat it up" attitude was awesome when Stellas were readily available, but we no longer have that luxury. As a potential buyer of a used Stella some time in the future, I want some nice ones to survive! So I strongly encourage you to take an hour to winterize your Stella to contribute to its longevity. Even if you live in a climate without snow or salt, now is likely a good time to put a little care into your scooter.
You probably already know how to winterize the fuel system and battery, so I won't dwell on it. Stabilize your gas and connect your battery to a float charger. Take a look (and take photos) around the scooter to check for leaks, loose bolts, and frayed cables.
My main invocation here is to winterize the body of the Stella. Again, I want to keep as many Stellas alive as possible, which requires keeping them clean and rust-free. Here's my approach.
Step 1: Gently brush off rocks, grass, dirt, leaves, and gunk. Get under the legshield, on the exhaust and centerstand, in the grooves of the footboard, and under the rear bumper.
Step 2: Wash the scooter. I like S100 Total Cycle Cleaner for this. Spray it all over the body, rinse it off, and towel dry. Get down there in the grooves of the footboard, as well as under it. Don't forget to cover the air intake before washing, or to uncover it after washing.
Step 3: Wax the scooter. I like S100 Carnauba Paste Wax for this. This is especially important for protecting the scooter from winter grime. Don't forget to wax the now-clean grooves of the footboard, where your grimy shoes hang out.
Step 4: Clean and condition the seat. I like Motul Perfect Seat Cleaner for this. Take a second to appreciate how good your Stella looks (and smells!).
Step 5: Rust-proof the bare metal on the scooter with WD-40. This includes the metal trim around the legshield, the centerstand mechanism (including the hinge and spring), the kick-start lever, and the rails in the footboard.
Step 6: Protect the rubber with silicone spray. This includes the lining on the cowls, the lining on the glovebox, and the rear bumper. Use caution if you choose to apply this to any of the grippy rubber (the brake pedal, the footboard grips, and the kick-start lever grip), because it will become slippery.
Step 7: Put a breathable cover over the scooter and plug the exhaust.
That's it. This approach to winterizing is compatible with continuing to ride your Stella regularly. If possible, go for a ride at least every few weeks over the winter. When you do brave a winter ride, don't forget to unplug your exhaust before starting the engine. (Try to make it fairly obvious if the exhaust is plugged.) If you pick up any grime from the road, a little more S100 cleaner will clean it off without removing your new coat of wax.
Thank you for your time.
I just finished winterizing my Stella, and it felt good. More importantly, it occurred to me that we are lucky owners of some increasingly rare machines. A few weeks ago, I missed my chance to buy a second Stella by a hair's breadth. I'm still sad I didn't get it, and I've been daydreaming about filling up my garage with Stellas ever since. We want these to last us a while, whether we plan to run them into the ground or might eventually sell them. The "beat it up" attitude was awesome when Stellas were readily available, but we no longer have that luxury. As a potential buyer of a used Stella some time in the future, I want some nice ones to survive! So I strongly encourage you to take an hour to winterize your Stella to contribute to its longevity. Even if you live in a climate without snow or salt, now is likely a good time to put a little care into your scooter.
You probably already know how to winterize the fuel system and battery, so I won't dwell on it. Stabilize your gas and connect your battery to a float charger. Take a look (and take photos) around the scooter to check for leaks, loose bolts, and frayed cables.
My main invocation here is to winterize the body of the Stella. Again, I want to keep as many Stellas alive as possible, which requires keeping them clean and rust-free. Here's my approach.
Step 1: Gently brush off rocks, grass, dirt, leaves, and gunk. Get under the legshield, on the exhaust and centerstand, in the grooves of the footboard, and under the rear bumper.
Step 2: Wash the scooter. I like S100 Total Cycle Cleaner for this. Spray it all over the body, rinse it off, and towel dry. Get down there in the grooves of the footboard, as well as under it. Don't forget to cover the air intake before washing, or to uncover it after washing.
Step 3: Wax the scooter. I like S100 Carnauba Paste Wax for this. This is especially important for protecting the scooter from winter grime. Don't forget to wax the now-clean grooves of the footboard, where your grimy shoes hang out.
Step 4: Clean and condition the seat. I like Motul Perfect Seat Cleaner for this. Take a second to appreciate how good your Stella looks (and smells!).
Step 5: Rust-proof the bare metal on the scooter with WD-40. This includes the metal trim around the legshield, the centerstand mechanism (including the hinge and spring), the kick-start lever, and the rails in the footboard.
Step 6: Protect the rubber with silicone spray. This includes the lining on the cowls, the lining on the glovebox, and the rear bumper. Use caution if you choose to apply this to any of the grippy rubber (the brake pedal, the footboard grips, and the kick-start lever grip), because it will become slippery.
Step 7: Put a breathable cover over the scooter and plug the exhaust.
That's it. This approach to winterizing is compatible with continuing to ride your Stella regularly. If possible, go for a ride at least every few weeks over the winter. When you do brave a winter ride, don't forget to unplug your exhaust before starting the engine. (Try to make it fairly obvious if the exhaust is plugged.) If you pick up any grime from the road, a little more S100 cleaner will clean it off without removing your new coat of wax.
Thank you for your time.