Putting Bike up for extended time

[Rick Haywood]

Well bad news for me. I have to have shoulder surgery due to a torn rotator cuff and a ligament/tendon that is tore away from the bone in the arm. Doctor says I can not ride for 5/6 months. I am trying to put this off till October so I can get in a couple of week long rides first. Anyway my question is this: I plan on putting the bike up on the lift so it is not setting on the ground/tires for that long was also wondering what people believe about gas in the carbs. I plan on doctoring it up with sea foam and stabilizer and riding it 10 miles or so to make sure it is in the carbs or should I run it out of the carbs and leave them dry. Also recommendations for what else I should do. Battery will be on a tender.

 

Thought about shooting myself but was afraid my wife would get a boyfriend and let him ride my bike

[bongobobny]

Well THAT sux Rick!! Put Premium gas in as well and you should be good. Also, who says you can't run the bike for about 15 - 20 minutes every few weeks and pretend you are riding???

[Huggy]

Leave the gas with the stabilizer in the carbs and make sure the gas tank is full when you put her away. While its parked I'd turn the key on every other week and let the gas pump fill the bowls! That's what I do with my bike when we put it away for the winter. She starts every spring with no problems.

 

[Black Owl]

Can't offer much advice about putting up the bike for an extended period of time. But I can sympathize with you about the shoulder issue. I went through exactly the same issues last fall.

I guess one thing about the bike would be to make sure you plug the mufflers to keep rodents from nesting. I used steel wool. As for the gas. I just ran the bike until the carbs were dry and put in a can of sea foam. One of advice though if you do that. Next time you start it, make sure it is outside or you at least have the garage doors wide open.

[etcswjoe]

Leave the gas with the stabilizer in the carbs and make sure the gas tank is full when you put her away. While its parked I'd turn the key on every other week and let the gas pump fill the bowls! That's what I do with my bike when we put it away for the winter. She starts every spring with no problems.

 

 

 

Had a bad experience with doing this one of the needle valves in the carbs was leaking by and filled the cylinder with gas so it hydrolocked when I tried to start it so I am skiddish about leaving the gas on at all anymore when it is setting up.

[Phoneman1981]

Black Owl: You gave me my first laugh of the morning!!!!! Thanks:)

[Trader]

won't have to worry about mosquito's for a few days anyway!

[Squidley]

I think your on the right track, run some seafoam or other gas additive to the tank and make sure it's full. Run the carbs dry and hook the tender up. If you do start the bike up in the winter time, make sure it gets to operating temperature and run the carbs dry again....

[Condor]

Running the bowls dry is a good idea. Just make sure you park it with a full tank of gas with Sea Foam. I wouldn't go thru the trouble of hoisting the bike off the tires. 5-6 months isn't going to damage them. Also double check the coolant and make sure it has enough antifreeze since it'll be over the winter. Battery on a tender.

[Rick Haywood]

Also double check the coolant and make sure it has enough antifreeze since it'll be over the winter.

 

It sets in a heated garage

[Flyinfool]

If at all possible, store it with ethanol free gas.

 

In the fall I take a couple of 5 gallon gas cans up north hunting to bring back real gas for storing the bike.

[Hazenson]

Sorry to hear about your shoulder Rick, im having issues with my elbow, prolly should go get it checked out...eventually. Ive heard bad things about about Sta-bil-- I use only sea-foam.

[Dave]

hello had mine done may 8th and I`m still not released from doc to ride bike he thinks on sept 19 he will let me ride my bike. my has been sitting with non oxy gas in it since last winter had the wife take me for a ride on my bike a month and half ago and she fired right up. full tank of non oxy gas does the trick.good luck with the surgery

[Frogger]

Best of luck

[RedRider]

There is section in the owners manual about this.

 

RR

[Guest]

Rick, my bike sat for 2 years before I fired her up. The bowls were dry and upon inspection were surprisingly clean. I ran seafoam through the system before I put her up and also added star tron fuel additive as well. There was no gunk in there at all and when I did fire it up she fired right away. Also replace that fuel filter before you fire her up after sitting for a while. You can also remove the plugs when you park the bike and spray a shot of fogging oil into the cylinder to help with the fire up later on.

[93 venture]

You can just drop it off here, I use it all winter to haul wood up to the house, that will keep her cleaned out:stickpoke:

[RSTDdog]

You should be able to find ethanol free gas at a marina. Also puregas.org (or pure-gas.org) is a site where you can locate stations with ethanol free fuel. We have a marathon station that sells it, labeled recreational 90 or Rec 90. Its 90 octane, ethanol free and I have run it in the bike a few times and it sure seems to run better on that with some improvement in fuel economy but not enough to offset the price difference. Anyway for long term storage that would be the way to go along with some brand of fuel stabilizer. Get bike as empty as you can of any ethanol fuel then fill her up. I have never had issues with Stabil, but I always use the blue marine stabil. Startron is also good.

 

They are the only two I know of formulated to prevent ethanol fuel from separating, so I would use one of those two if your only choice is to store it with ethanol gas. Either of those would work with Non ethanol gas too. Both those products have corrosion inhibitors too.

[dacheedah]

You can get one of these, and it has a seat in back 2 http://venturerider.org/forum/picture.php?albumid=1217&pictureid=7925

[Bubber]

Cold Man, VERY COLD!

 

The poor guy is hurting and you find picture of his bike and post it for all to see! :rotf::rotf:

Sorry but it was funny.

[dacheedah]

If it only had tan seats

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[N3FOL]

Get well soon Rick. What what I've read so far, you have a wealth of information on how to store your bike for an extended period.

 

Regards.

[adventurer 08]

Your not alone Rick, I have to have the same thing done on my left shoulder Nov. 5. I had to have my right shoulder done in 2011. I'ts not very much fun but you will live. Good luck on your surgery.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

+1 on non-ethanol gasoline. And a battery tender is a good idea also.

 

I would drain the tank if it contains any ethanol, and replace it with pure-gasoline.

 

If you dont, the water that the ethanol attracts will settle to the bottom of the tank, and inside the carburetor bowls, and cause problems with corrosion or sludge. I have a small ethanol tester and I can verify that this DOES happen.

 

SO....fill the tank with pure non-ethanol gasoline, add Starton, Seafoam, or your favorite fuel stabilizer, petcock to 'RESERVE', run it thru several minutes of idling, then turn the petcock to 'OFF' and let it idle until it dies, which will be a few more minutes.

 

Shut off the ignition and leave the petcock off.

 

Raising the tires off the pavement or ground is a good idea, and reducing the tire pressure to 10 psi or so while they are up is also a good idea.

 

About once a month or so, turn the petcock to 'RESERVE', turn the ignition on, let the fuel pump cycle till it stops, crank the engine till it starts, and then turn the petcock off, and let it idle till it dies. Again, leave the petcock off, and turn off the ignition.

 

When you get ready to ride it again, it will be in good shape...just air up the tires, and it will be good to go.

 

If you wanted to store it for several years, then of course, the answer will be somewhat different. But this should work fine for a half a year or so.

 

Good luck on the surgery!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2013 by tx2sturgis