This isn't quite as bad as an oil question, but....winter storage (midwest). After adding fuel stabilzer and topping off the tank, I've always ran the bike for awhile, then let it starve out by turning petcock off. My question pertains to starving it out....should I have instead deleted this step and just turn bike, then petcock off for the winter? ie......leave the carb full? I've owned several bikes (both efi and carb), but never owned them long enough ( 2-4 yrs) to observe negative consequences from storing with system dry. I was researching fuel stabilzer brands the other day, and stumbled across some things that made me wonder if I have been incorrect in my method.

 

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never given a thought to winterizing a bike.

Well, I take that back. I learned a while back that the parasitic electrical load on my Electra Glide will kill a battery over the winter, so I did get a tender to put on it.

Other than that, I park it and then fire it back up in the spring.

The General Forum is choc-a-block with guys discussing their various methods. The latest one (that I have to say really cracks me up) is now on it's fourth page discussing whether or not to put cardboard under the tires in order to protect them from the concrete.



Do whatever you want. I doubt that a bit of fuel stabilizer is going to do much one way or another. And I doubt that it matters much whether or not you run the carb dry either. Unless you are getting your gas out of Uncle Ed's 10 year old supply in his farm tank, a few idle months during the winter isn't going to hurt anything.

 

You have to get it further from the earth to reduce the gravity.

 

on my 85 i'll turn the gas off and run it until it dies, i'll even pump the throttle to empty the accelerator pump circuit while it's dyeing. i remove the battery because there's a clock on the bike and it will drain the battery, trickle charge it a few times during the winter. i've been draining the oil tank too because of excessive sumping in the spring. i'll tag the ignition switch with a sticky paper that says "no oil" so no one will start it without checking the dip stick. i cover it with a couple of 30 year old sheets and that's it.

 

I hear ya....probably overkill. But if it's minimal effort and expense, why not error on the safe side? Hell, call me ****, but I keep mine on the battery tender whenever I'm not riding...even in summer.

 

Stabilizer is a good idea... You don't need to run the bowl dry if you have stabilizer in it. Just run it long enough so the fuel in the bowl is fresh with stabilized gas. I always take the battery out cause it gets real cold in the north East

The longer a bike sits the better the chance of sumping... I've been having that issue and am in the process of replacing the oil pump. Maybe I'll put a shut off valve on the return line to the tank to prevent that...

 

So many theory's on this one, personally believe draining the gas out of a carb will allow the the o rings/seals to harden and shrink. Starting the engine up allowing gas to circulate and burning aluminum cold to hot sweat plus coating the inside of a engine with oil can only be a positive.
Haven't had any runability issues this way but don't really try to over think the situation, just mostly check and make sure the bikes are still out there and start them up if Ohio gets into the 30-40 degree range.

I do know that Turbo Blue or a alcohol base fuel/gas will plain out destroy a carb if it sets in the bowl all winter, this stuff turns to sand.

 

Having gone the whole enchilada the first couple of years it was new (full tank, major wash/wax, stabilizer, fogging, bit of oil in cylinders, pulling the battery, raising it up so the tires don't sit on the ground, etc...). I 'got over it', and now just top it off with gasoline, turn the petcock off, and hook up the battery tender. I might wash it, if it's really grimy, but often I don't. I will normally change out the oils over the winter, but unless there's some 'tinkering' that needs to be done, or broken crap that needs replacing, it pretty much sits on the lift all winter. I may or may not put the cover on it.

 

I've been riding for over 50 years now and 'winterising' is only something I've come across on the internet. OK, it has probably mentioned in owners manuals over the years, but I have never taken account of it, except cleaning the bike more often and using battery tenders (we have several of them!). If a bike stands for a long time it is likely the tyres will need replacement due to old age, so developing storage flats is of no consequence!

 

Washing the brake dust off the rims is a good idea, fuel stabilizer. I have 3 bikes, I put the trickle charger from one to the other in no set pattern, usually get 6 years from a battery, never had carb issues. Around October I put stabilizer in every fill up, cannot count on the weather guy.