[LSC9901]

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I'm confident this is an age old question but what do most members who do cold winter storage do to their bikes for the winter? Do you store with gas or without. I recently read that Marine Grade Sta-Bil is what should be used as a fuel treatment. Any pro's or con's about this and what else do you do?

Cold storage is in a shed in Vermont. Temps can drop as low as -30° but generally in just the low teens or single digits.

 

[scotterichmond]

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I leave the gas in, with stabilizer of some kind( seafoam) and I run a small bit of two cycle oil in the "last tank" of gas.

 

[FenderHead]

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I have a rented 10' x 25' minni-storage, where the boat and 'Wing go for winter. I have used the Stabil stuff in the past, but now I make sure the tanks are full, and I pull the batteries, and take them to the basement and give them a 24 hour. 2-amp charge once a month. Thats it. Works out great for me. :waving:

 

[William_86]

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never stored my bike for winter as it does not get that cold down here.

but what i would recommend is, full tank of gas, half can of seafoam or any fuel stabilizer, on carbered models shut the fuel petcock off, on the 1500 you could disconnect the fuel pump or the vacuum hose to the vacuum operated petcock, run the bike untill the carbs run out of gas. then drain the engine oil while it is still warm and use fresh new oil. after this dont start the bike until it gets warm enough to ride. for the battery, take it off the bike and store it indoors where is warm and plug it on a tender.

coat the bike with wax and plastic protector such as armorall and cover the whole bike with soft cloth and kiss her goodbye.

 

[gumbyred]

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I think its been said not to put Seafoam in the gas tank for winter stoarage. I fill the tank up around Thansgiving, and put a little Stabil inbefore a short ride. Change the oil to fresh. Then, just leave it alone till the weather warms up enough to take the bike out again for a long ride. I just leave the battery in the bike, and charge it up once or twice a month. Battery will be 6 years old next spring. Check anti freeze.



Tom Bishop

`98 S.E.

 

[azdesertdad]

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Moth balls etc in the tailpipe, air cleaner, in the false tank etc -

I'm also told that dryer sheets work well... all to keep the mice away and prevent chewed wiring, debris in the air box etc

 

[SidecarMike]

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scotterichmond wrote:

I leave the gas in, with stabilizer of some kind( seafoam) and I run a small bit of two cycle oil in the "last tank" of gas.

Pretty much the same thing here. The pontoon comes out months before the bike goes to sleep. Any gas/oil mix left in the boat"s tanks will go into the bikes before they get parked. After a 20 or 30 mile ride, the tank gets topped up with premium and the battery gets pulled. I just keep the batteries on a bookshelf in my office and put a trickle on them for a couple days before they go back into service.

Well, except for the sidecar bike. It stays at the ready. I enjoy irritating the ice fishermen.

 

[Winger 82]

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I run my carbs dry, then put her away for the winter, I seem to have less trouble getting her fired up in the spring this way rather than leave gas in the carbs all winter :coollep:

 

[wpgfire]

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Here you go:

Winter Storage Tips

#3 - I use Seafoam (a whole can) instead of Stabil. Don't know if the Downey dryer sheets work or not. I've used them for 5 years and have never seen a mouse around my bikes. Hard to tell if its the sheets but I ain't quitin' 'til they start showing up and using the sheets for nests. I also don't drain the carbs and haven't noticed any adverse results.

Don't ya just hate packin' it away? I tried to stretch the season as long as possible a few years back. Big mistake. The roads here are so rough that the jarring busted up the plastic in my saddlebags. Lesson learned.

 

[SidecarMike]

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wpgfire wrote:

Don't ya just hate packin' it away? I tried to stretch the season as long as possible a few years back. Big mistake. The roads here are so rough that the jarring busted up the plastic in my saddlebags. Lesson learned.

I hate it. I always keep one available. My dad used to take a New Years Eve ride every year if the roads were even sort of dry. I've tried to keep up the tradition and have only missed a half dozen at most. Next morning I do my first ride of the year and then put it away until I see melting ice on the lake. Once I see water I know the roads will be dry in a few days. :action:

 

[Shooter]

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SidecarMike wrote:

Well, except for the sidecar bike. It stays at the ready. I enjoy irritating the ice fishermen.

Now this sounds like a true "KODAK MOMENT"... :gunhead:

 

[LSC9901]

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In doing some research I found that some suggested Marine Grade Sta-Bil. Has anyone used it and are there pro's and con's to it? I also read that Seafoam for extended periods is NOT a good idea.

 

[wpgfire]

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LSC9901 wrote:

In doing some research I found that some suggested Marine Grade Sta-Bil. Has anyone used it and are there pro's and con's to it? I also read that Seafoam for extended periods is NOT a good idea.

Where you been doing your research? Please quote sources.

 

[LSC9901]

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http://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=96551&forum_id=1&highlight=marine+grade+stabil

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=17150&forum_id=4&highlight=marine+grade+stabil

Post #23

I believe there were some other sources but I can't put my finger on them right away. Have you heard or experienced something different?

 

[wpgfire]

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Why not go to the horse's mouth for info? Here's one straight from Seafoam's website:

"Stabilizes fuel. Sea Foam® Motor Treatment adds volatility to fuel and slows down the rate at which that fuel loses its ability to properly burn. When added to fuel and the fuel is in properly sealed containers or fuel systems, Sea Foam® Motor Treatment is a fuel stabilizer for up to 2 years."

Do what you like. Its still Seafoam for me.

And one more thing - NEVER leave your bike standing over winter with that s#$% bio-fuel in your tank. Ethanol is an organic substance. Want to see something grow? Set a glass jar of ethanol fuel in the sun for a week or two and you'll see why you never want it in your fuel system. Its like leaving a boat in the water year round and hoping you won't get barnacles.
I'd bet that a good part of the problem with the sources you list are ethanol problems being blamed on Seafoam. Take this one (post #23):

"Fill the tank with ethanol free gas mixed with seafoam or [highlight= #FFFF88]marine[/highlight] [highlight= #88FFFF]grade[/highlight] [highlight= #88FF88]Stabil[/highlight], run it long enough to get it through the system. I use Seafoam. I can still get ethanol free gas but the [highlight= #FFFF88]marine[/highlight] [highlight= #88FFFF]grade[/highlight] [highlight= #88FF88]Stabil[/highlight] is an ethanol treatment. Ethanol absorbs water out of the air."

Marine grade Stabil is an ethanol treatment? I have no ethanol gas in my fuel system so it doesn't need treatment. I need a stabilizer which Seafoam claims it is. Doubt they'd make the claim if it wasn't true and open themselves to litigation.

Point being, whatever you decide - stay away from ethanol fuel for winterization.

 

[LSC9901]

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Point taken. Non-ethanol is tough to find around here. I only know of 2 stations in my area that sell it ... for a premium of course, but none the less I will tank it up with that versus the regular stuff.

 

[SidecarMike]

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LSC9901 wrote:

Point taken. Non-ethanol is tough to find around here. I only know of 2 stations in my area that sell it ... for a premium of course, but none the less I will tank it up with that versus the regular stuff.

Your state really is thin on them, isn't it?



http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=VT

 

[TAJ]

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I fill my tank with regular gas(non-ethanol) and add Stabil, wash and wax,
carpet under wheels, Battery Tender Jr hooked to battery, and cloth trike cover over it.
Reday to go in the spring.

 

[azdesertdad]

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Arizona is worse, and much larger...

Then there's Kalifornistan... it's only got 5 through the entire state...

 

[PA Scotty]

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The wing is new to me but motorcycles are not, i've used seafoam for years in a full tank of gas for winter storage, come spring here in Pennsylvania but battery in and choke and hit starter, another great riding season ahead