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[Grizzly]

Prior to putting my '05 SEEG away for the winter, I gave it a good wash, blew it dry thoroughly and finished off with a good coat of wax.

When I took it out for the first time yesterday the throttle would hardly move and I could barely get the rpm's up over 2500.  Needless to say, I limp my way to the dealership today for an inspection.  They informed me that both my throttle and idle cable were both seized and suggested that moisture was likely the culprit, even though my bikes are stored in a heated garage.

Therefore, after washing a bike it is good idea to go for a little ride or (if you don't want to risk getting it dirty again) at the very minimum, give the throttle a couple of twists after it has sat for a bit, just to make certain everything is moving freely.

I've owned many bikes over the years and can't count the number of times I've washed them prior to putting them to bed for the winter... First time that has ever happened to me.

Just thought I would pass along this little tip to hopefully save you some money that can be much better spent on more mods!

[grc]

I always go for one last ride of at least 10 miles after the last wash job of the riding season, just for the reason you outlined in your post.  Not only the cables, but all kinds of parts can be degraded if the bike isn't thoroughly dry before parking and covering it for the winter.  It does present a bit of a problem if you like to stretch the riding season to the absolute maximum, however, or if you like to take the bike out on that one decent day that pops up in the middle of the winter.  After getting caught without the ability to thoroughly clean and dry the bike after such occurrences, I finally gave up on the idea of riding on those rare decent days.  Now when the bike gets "winterized", it stays put until winter is officially over.

Another good idea is to do your complete fluid change and all checklist items after the last wash and final ride of the season.  This will also get rid of moisture in the cables and controls, trans fluid, motor oil, etc.  Getting all the checklist items out of the way at the very end of the season also makes it much easier to get riding when spring finally springs.


Jerry

[Grizzly]

Update:

I actually required new throttle, idle & cruise cables as they were all seized...

Lesson learned.

Now the bike runs great again!