Hey, I'm new to KF and new to motorcycles in general, but I need advice on storing my bike for the winter.
In April of this year I bought a 1991 KLR250. I rode it a handful of times, but mostly spent the summer fixing, learning, and pushing it home.... it has some issues, but that is another topic for another day. Most of what I have read on winterizing is centered around caring for the battery and preventing rust. And, it seems like people have opinions ranging form yes drain pretty much everything to no just run some stabil through i, get the tires off the ground directly and call it good. ...my head is spinning a little.
So, I'm here hoping for some advice and education on my situation: I live at 9000 ft above sea level in Colorado, our winters long, cold, and snowy, but are very dry and things never rust or mold up here. My bike does use a carb (not currently jetted), and it has a magneto instead of a conventional battery. Should I still be concerned about rust/moisture issues? Do I need to change the oil if it was new in the spring and was used about 15 times this year? It will be stored, covered for about 5 months.
Any and all help will be super appreciated! ...already in the teen temps here at night.

 

This is a good How To. http://www.wikihow.com/Winterize-Your-Motorcycle

Change the oil. Acids accumulate from running and you don't want them sitting in the motor over the winter.

Even in dry country, the steel tank is susceptible to condensation and rust, especially with ethanol fuel which attracts water. I like to keep my tank full with fresh fuel (I prefer non-ethanol) and fuel stabilizer. Star Tron seems to have good reviews for ethanol fuel preservation. Drain the carb and run out all the fuel. Some folks go so far as to fog the engine. I'll pull the spark plug and put a teaspoon or two of motor oil in the cylinder and turn it over a few times to coat the cylinder walls and rings, then reinstall the plug.

No battery? No worries about that then. Is your KLR liquid cooled? If so, ensure that the coolant is mixed strong enough to not freeze. If the coolant is more than a few years old, it's probably time to change it (coolant loses it's anti-corrosive properties over time).

Oil/lubricate the chain.

Those are the basics. You can do more but this covers all the major ones that I'm remembering right now. You could also do a web search for "winterizing motorcycle winter storage"

Welcome to KF. I hope this helps.