Okay for all you guys/gals in cold weather states that store your bikes for the winter. . . do you use Sta-Bil? Is it safe? If I cannot drain my carbs is it alright w Sta-bil in there for 4 months? Thanks.
Yes, Alex it is safe to use. I use to just put it in every Fall when the bike was going to sit for a few months. But once ethanol was placed into gas at all pumps in Delaware I strated to use it full time with no issues. However, I did switch to a product called "Star tron" (I think how it is spelled) which is sold at NAPA and some bike shops. A friend of mine who is the service manager at a local dealership turned me onto it. Works better at keeping the bad corrosive effects of ethanol on carbs than Sta-bil, or so he claims. Anyway, good stuff on either product. Just make sure you take the bottle with you to the gas station. Dump in the alloted amount, then fill up the tank. Go for a 20 minute ride and it should be in your carbs and all with the world will be right. BZ
The last time I used it come spring I fouled out my plugs. Haven't used it since 04/05 range, and never had issues come springtime starting back up. I do use the ethanol blend of gas, which seems to stabilize the gas more. I know that this year she will be in storage a little bit longer as I'm almost to that point of storage - just because of the house move.
I've used Stabil the last couple winters when parking the bike for 2-3 months with no ill effects, and will continue to use it. This year I need to remember to put it in our walk-behind mower, too. :wink:
I use sta-bil come winter for the summer time toys. As cheap as it is, there is no reason not to. During the summer, my winter time toys get sta-bil as well. I've never had a problem with it and always add a tad bit more than it says per gallon.
I've been putting it in all my motors, from mowers, tractors, leaf blowers, etc. for years, including my boat. Sta Bill also makes a specific product to help deal with ethanol. I'm not a pro on this, but the generic problem is that ethanol will allow the condensation to form easier in the gas tank. Since gas is lighter than water, any water eventually makes its way to the bottom of the tank or into the lines themselves. First time you fire it up (or try to) after an extended period of sitting, you get all that water in there. Most mechanics seem to recommend filling the tanks as much as possible to avoid allowing condensation to form. The opposite chain of thought is to drain the tank. In my boat, I drain the tanks, but they are plastic. Not so sure I'd do it with any sort of metal tank.
on the stabil, I swear by it, but do yourself a fave and make sure you run the bike thoroughly after putting it in a FULL tank. You want it to be in the gas in the carb bowls as well as the tank. A full tank will help keep the rust out of the "air gap" at the top of the tank. I also run my bike every 2-3 weeks to full temperature (not revving, but bring it up normally to full operating temp). Keeps everything wet, which we all enjoy.
Thanks, I feel much better now. For some reason, my fuel cut off petcock on my Interceptor's not working (did last year). So I won't be able to drain the carbs this time around. I really want to be okay with letting Sta-Bil sit in the carbs for the winter and not panic until springtime!
As long as you run it after adding the sta-bil, you will be ok. The reason being is that you have to get the sta-bil to the carbs in order for it to work. You can add all of it you want to the tank and that will keep your tank in great shape but unless you run the bike after adding it, you won't have any protection in your lines or carbs. Fill her up, add some sta-bil, then go for a 15-20 mile drive before you park the bike for the winter. That will ensure fresh fuel is to the carbs and everything is protected. When it comes time to fire her up, everything will work just fine.
Stabil in the outboard, lawn mower, rototiller, weedwacker, emergency generator, 69 Ford that mostly sits in the garage, and the VFR . No problems so far.
IT'S much better to crack the drain screws ( IMO) than to let fuel--even with sta-bil--sit in the carbs for anything more than about 3 months. Sta-bil is good stuff--in your fuel tank-- but carbs are better stored dry Best storage proceedure is to ride the bike, shut off petcock and run the bike till it stalls, then open choke, restart ( it will run an additional 10 seconds), then drain remaining fuel from carbs......and don't forget to wipe.
I have stabil in the garage but I have found even better results with Seafoam. That stuff does an amazing job keeping carbs and injectors varnish-free. I treat my car, both of my bikes, my lawn mower, and my snow blower several times per year. I run Seafoam through my bikes at the very end of the riding season, top their tanks off with fuel and then add some more Seafoam and the results are excellent. I never have to drain the carbs; they always fire right up when the season begins again. Seafoam has been around since 1942 and for good reason.
I use SeaFoam and have been using it for years. SeaFoam is a great carbuterator cleaner and keeps gas stable. If my bike is gonna sit for more than 2 - 3 months I change the oil and use the SeaFoam, and I also put the bike on stands so I do not get any flat spots on my tires.
