sta bil or drain carbs for storage

Have to winterize my vf500 soon. Bike runs great. Should I put stay til in the fuel tank and start bike every week or 2. Or drain the Carbs float bowls? I do plan on Checking/adjusting the valves during some point this winter. The bike runs great . starts right away and runs smooth on choke around 4000rpm. No misses and smooth thru the whole rpm range. My intake boots are rock hard and I don't really Want to pull the carbs off. What's everyone's opinion on winter storage?

 

Stabil to full tank of gas, run it for a while, then drain carbs. Kill switch off, turn engine over at full throttle to pull any fuel sitting in jets out. Don't start it every now and then, you're just introducing moisture to your crankcase and exhaust system.

 

Stabil will help to keep the gas from getting old, but if it were me, I'd still start it every so often, just to keep it cleared out. I can get away with that living in the desert.

But I guess that depends on your winter. If it's going to be 6 long months before it's ridden again, then add stabil for the gas, and drain the carbs or run them empty. Or run the tank empty and run the carbs completely out of gas. Disconnect your battery, and put it on a trickle charger if you have one.

 

Dont just run the carbs "empty", drain them. When you run out of gas there is still some fuel in the bowls. Fuel in small quantities will go bad fast, leaving crud in your bowls just waiting to F everything up come springtime when you go to run it.

 

^^%^ gOOD advice !! You can also add about a tablespoon of engine oil through the sparkplug holes to keep rings and cylinders lubed.:smile-new:

 

Everyone pretty well covered it. But i would also be sure to plug up your exhaust and airbox little critters love to make homes in them. If it were me i agree with the complete draining of all fuel and also very good advice about not starting it every so often unless of course you plan to ride it. I also agree with putting a little oil down the cylinders to fight off rust and your rings sticking.
You could just brave the cold and you wouldnt have to do any of this stuff.

 

Thanks for all the advice!!! I'll run her out of fuel and drain the bowls also. Never thought about little critters being able to get in the airbox.I'll plug up any openings. The exhaust is coming off to get blasted and recoated. I'll put a dab of oil in each cyl also as I'll have to rotate it over a few times I assume when I tackle the valves. Not doing a thing yet though!!!! Hoping for one last nice day for aride . if its over 50 deg I'm in.

 

++1

Never run an engine once in storage. The oil sticks fine to everything. If you need to charge your battery then take it out. Starting engines in storage does more harm than good.

 

Unless you're going somewhere for a few months or so I'd add some sta bil or Star tron, hook up a tender and just start it every couple of weeks. If weather permits take her out around the block for a little exercise. In the 20+ years of owning several bikes a at a time I have never winterized a motorcycle. I always felt winterizing did more damage than good.

 

Drain carbs for storage longer than 3 weeks. Cold starts are hell on bearings, pistons, rings, cylinders and cause excessive wear, so you need to avoid as many as possible. You can spin the engine over with the starter without running it and accumulating condensation.

 

Only in North America do vermin seem to love to take up residence in motorcycles.

 

Exactly what I was going to suggest.

 

YA TALKIN TA ME, ya lil pissa ??

 

If you drain your carbs and your seals are old, check carefully that they are not leaking when refilled next spring. I don't mean leak but flood.

 

Stabil in tank well mixed, run it, drain carbs, good to go.

 

U got dat right brudda !:eagerness:

Yes they might. Newish seals tend to be OK after storage, but very often old ones dry up, shrink in size when not exposed to fuel and initially leak after refilling. It's common after 6 mo storage or more, and just as commonly it FIXES ITSELF !!. In most cases, filling the carbs with fuel a day or two before you intend to ride and goosing the fuel pump a few times to top up will allow the seals to swell up and seal properly again, just like they were when you stopped riding it. SHRINKAGE !


Real worries when you see and smell fuel drippages, but walk away and be patient a few hours while you sample a beverage or two arty2: :joker: :drinker:

It could take up to several hours, but do you really want to jump into them carbs right now to replace seals.................. or just wait till tomorrow ??


No, i shouldn't say this, but if you have just a few small leaks, it helps speed up sealing to take a short ride or at least idle to get some heat going. At my risk i've done it before and know it works. Use your own judgement. It's SHRINKAGE is what it is.:triumphant:

 

There ya go Mikey, you got your answer, just pick one Here's a new solution, move to San Diego and ride all year The closest thing to winterizing Iv'e ever done is for my Sea Doo, since it sits from Oct. to May I add Sta-Bil to the gas just before the last ride when putting it on the trailer, then when I get home the battery comes out and goes on the tender. Always starts up in the spring without problem, but it's injected so probably apples and oranges. Good luck with that!
John

 

California would be nice but don't think that will happen lol. I wouldn't know what to do not getting snow and frigid cold for 4 months of the year. I put some stay bil in and topped the tank off. Was going to startit up and then drain carbs. But for some reason Wouldn't start in only 50 deg temp.ran for half min or so on full choke at around 1000 rpm only then died. So now I figure I'll have to pull the carbs and clean em up . oh well rather do it now then in next spring

 

I use Lucas ethanol treatment in all my carb bikes, every fill up. I do nothing other than hook up my battery maintainer after a ride. My VF750S has sat for a year and a half with fuel in the bowls and started up as best a cold V4 with no fuel pump will start. Warmed it up and rode it about 30 miles, ran like it did when I parked it. My VF500F for up to 6 months at a time, same thing, park it, plug it up and walk away. Never once had a problem with plugged jets since swapping to Lucas. The VF750S clogged jets in as little as 3 weeks using StaBil (red), the marine version would make it about 4 months with no clogging but after about 5-6 months of sitting the carbs would have to be cleaned.

I personally like being able to just get off the bike and do nothing with out worry and have it ready to ride when I go out. Even if you drain the bowls there will be residue left that will cause chalking and tarnish.

I just went out and started both bikes. The 500 took about 10 seconds to start and after about a minute of warm up I could turn the choke off, been sitting for 6 months. The 750 took about 30 seconds and about 3 minutes before the choke coke be turned off. Completely normal for this bike even after a carb rebuild. It's been sitting for about 4 months.

I also run lucas top end cylinder lube in all my bikes.