Winter Storage
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Road Master
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 811
Likes: 99
From: Hopewell Twp, PA
Winter Storage
Going to change the oil and clean up the bikes for winter storage this weekend. I bought my shovelhead back in July and it is the first carbed bike (S&S) I've had in quite a while. I always put some Sta-Bil in the fuel tank for the winter. As far as the carb goes, is it best to let it run dry or to keep fuel in it for storage? Thanks.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 798
Likes: 168
From: Tryon, NC Cape Vincent NY
What ever you do for the carb...nothing wrong it letting it run dry I would think seeing how stored my FXDX many year that way.
Just make sure you run the engine a bit, say 10 minutes after you change the oil to circulate the new oil through out the engine.
Just make sure you run the engine a bit, say 10 minutes after you change the oil to circulate the new oil through out the engine.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,557
Likes: 235
From: Texas
what is this "winter storage," of which you inquire? We ride all year long here...unless the roads are underwater. Winterizing for me is putting on the windshield, and breaking out the long-johns, balaclava, leather riding jacket, and chaps, and start layering up... 
Honestly, I have never lived in a place where I could not ride for months on end so I am curious, you really can't just crank your ride up once a week and let it run for 20 minutes or so? I mean, how difficult is that, and it seems to me that a once-a-week engine run would be better than just pushing it to the back of the garage, throwing some stabilizer in the tank, and tossing a cover on it for four months.
Honestly, I have never lived in a place where I could not ride for months on end so I am curious, you really can't just crank your ride up once a week and let it run for 20 minutes or so? I mean, how difficult is that, and it seems to me that a once-a-week engine run would be better than just pushing it to the back of the garage, throwing some stabilizer in the tank, and tossing a cover on it for four months.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,469
Likes: 382
From: Ontario Canada
Fill the tank full, put the right amount of stabilizer in. Shake the bike back and forth. Start the bike and let it run for a bit, so that the fuel in the carbs is stabilized. I then as an added measure spray stabilizer into each cylinder with the plug removed. This year I will be storing my bikes in my heated barn for the first time.
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Road Master
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 811
Likes: 99
From: Hopewell Twp, PA
what is this "winter storage," of which you inquire? We ride all year long here...unless the roads are underwater. Winterizing for me is putting on the windshield, and breaking out the long-johns, balaclava, leather riding jacket, and chaps, and start layering up...
Honestly, I have never lived in a place where I could not ride for months on end so I am curious, you really can't just crank your ride up once a week and let it run for 20 minutes or so? I mean, how difficult is that, and it seems to me that a once-a-week engine run would be better than just pushing it to the back of the garage, throwing some stabilizer in the tank, and tossing a cover on it for four months.
Honestly, I have never lived in a place where I could not ride for months on end so I am curious, you really can't just crank your ride up once a week and let it run for 20 minutes or so? I mean, how difficult is that, and it seems to me that a once-a-week engine run would be better than just pushing it to the back of the garage, throwing some stabilizer in the tank, and tossing a cover on it for four months.
I wish I could ride all year long. The cold doesn't bother me. It's how the roads get. Potholes all over the place, cinders and a lot of salt. I thought about running both of my bikes occasionally in the winter. My concern is that by the time that they got hot enough to burn out the water, especially my shovel, I would have fumes all over the place. I have an integral garage. Anyway, for me, it is actually easier to change the oil, wash and wax them and cover them up. Occasionally, I'll light up a cigar, grab a beer, pull the covers off and just look at them and wish it was spring.
Thanks for the responses.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,557
Likes: 235
From: Texas
There are snow/rain/nasty winter days in northeast Alabama where I grew up but not for months, and it can get nasty cold here and ice over the roads overnight, but no snow for many years now. We get rain that floods all the major roads...Ford F-150 days.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 21,114
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From: Poolville
what is this "winter storage," of which you inquire? We ride all year long here...unless the roads are underwater. Winterizing for me is putting on the windshield, and breaking out the long-johns, balaclava, leather riding jacket, and chaps, and start layering up...
Honestly, I have never lived in a place where I could not ride for months on end so I am curious, you really can't just crank your ride up once a week and let it run for 20 minutes or so? I mean, how difficult is that, and it seems to me that a once-a-week engine run would be better than just pushing it to the back of the garage, throwing some stabilizer in the tank, and tossing a cover on it for four months.
Honestly, I have never lived in a place where I could not ride for months on end so I am curious, you really can't just crank your ride up once a week and let it run for 20 minutes or so? I mean, how difficult is that, and it seems to me that a once-a-week engine run would be better than just pushing it to the back of the garage, throwing some stabilizer in the tank, and tossing a cover on it for four months.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,557
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From: Texas
That last thing you want to do is start your bike in the cold winter months and let it run for 20 minutes. It will lead to more moisture in the oil as the motor cools it will condense on the inside. shut the pet **** off and run it out of gas or just simply drain the float bowl and yea stabil in the tank. You'll be good....
This doesn't make any sense. Anytime you run the engine, you eventually shut down and the engine cools. Spring, summer, fall...and now you allege that damaging condensation in the air that will foul the oil suddenly appears in the colder months?
I can appreciate that if the plan is to park it in the back of the garage, toss a tarp over it, and leave it unattended from November till March, then, yeah, you need to do something about the gas system. Filling it up and running some kind of stabilizer through it is one approach. Corrosion should be considered before completely draining the system, including the bowl. Leaving stabilized gas in it would seem to be a better choice.
With long-term parking small airplanes, they get a full bag of fuel, maybe add some stabilizer depending on how long it is going to sit up, do a good run-up to get the stabilizer mixed in real good, and then park it...Then it is pulled out every month or so for another good run-up. When it is time to fly it again, it is given a good inspection, fluids changed, everything is tweaked and primed and away it goes. I don't see why the same would not work for a Harley Davidson as well if the owner was motivated enough to keep at it all winter long.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 21,114
Likes: 7,638
From: Poolville
Are you suggesting that riding my bike for 20 minutes to and from work once or twice a week is bad for it because water will condense in the oil?
This doesn't make any sense. Anytime you run the engine, you eventually shut down and the engine cools. Spring, summer, fall...and now you allege that damaging condensation in the air that will foul the oil suddenly appears in the colder months?
I can appreciate that if the plan is to park it in the back of the garage, toss a tarp over it, and leave it unattended from November till March, then, yeah, you need to do something about the gas system. Filling it up and running some kind of stabilizer through it is one approach. Corrosion should be considered before completely draining the system, including the bowl. Leaving stabilized gas in it would seem to be a better choice.
With long-term parking small airplanes, they get a full bag of fuel, maybe add some stabilizer depending on how long it is going to sit up, do a good run-up to get the stabilizer mixed in real good, and then park it...Then it is pulled out every month or so for another good run-up. When it is time to fly it again, it is given a good inspection, fluids changed, everything is tweaked and primed and away it goes. I don't see why the same would not work for a Harley Davidson as well if the owner was motivated enough to keep at it all winter long.
This doesn't make any sense. Anytime you run the engine, you eventually shut down and the engine cools. Spring, summer, fall...and now you allege that damaging condensation in the air that will foul the oil suddenly appears in the colder months?
I can appreciate that if the plan is to park it in the back of the garage, toss a tarp over it, and leave it unattended from November till March, then, yeah, you need to do something about the gas system. Filling it up and running some kind of stabilizer through it is one approach. Corrosion should be considered before completely draining the system, including the bowl. Leaving stabilized gas in it would seem to be a better choice.
With long-term parking small airplanes, they get a full bag of fuel, maybe add some stabilizer depending on how long it is going to sit up, do a good run-up to get the stabilizer mixed in real good, and then park it...Then it is pulled out every month or so for another good run-up. When it is time to fly it again, it is given a good inspection, fluids changed, everything is tweaked and primed and away it goes. I don't see why the same would not work for a Harley Davidson as well if the owner was motivated enough to keep at it all winter long.
