Winterizing question.

[mx916]

I'm preparing to winterize and had a question on draining the carbs.
I usually don't but would like to this year. Is it a matter of running the
bike with the petcock in the off position until it stalls?? Or do they have to be drained at the bowls or elsewhere?? I assume that after they are drained you add stabil as per the amount of fuel in the tank. Battery will be on battery tender until spring. Any other winterizing do's and don'ts?
Thanks for all input!!

[woobie]

You have a "off"? I've only got on, reserve and prime.

I've never drained mine, just add stabil and run it for a few minutes. This year I'll probably drain the float bowl's for a change. I'm thinking if jetting anyway so I'll have to strip it over the winter.

[mx916]

Yea, sorry I meant reserve. Thanks.

[Black_peter]

Unless you drain all the gas out then air them out .. I'd go the stable route..
Anything left behind will turn to sludge..

[The CyberPoet]

To empty the bowls in the carbs, you have to routes you can go:

(A) unplug the petcock vacuum line (comes from carb #1) and let the bike run empty on it's own (this will stop fuel flowing from the petcock to the carbs), OR

(B) Actually drain them -- there's a drain screw/bolt on the underside of each one for this purpose, which you would leave open to let condensation run out of the carbs over the winter.

My general rule of thumb is depends on how long you're going to store it and whether it's indoors = dry or outdoors = moisture. If it's going to be out in an unheated shed or under a tarp/cover in the outdoors, open the carbs and leave the drains open; if it's parked in the garage, basement, etc., just leave the fuel in there (with Stabil in the fuel in the carbs as well as the tank).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[harrye]

...(B) Actually drain them -- there's a drain screw/bolt on the underside of each one for this purpose, which you would leave open to let condensation run out of the carbs over the winter.

What's the danger from closing the drain bolts and not letting any condensation run out? The carb bowls don't look like they will rust inside. Condensation is just water. It's not gasoline which will gum up? The condensation should eventually evaporate.

On a warm day, I may have to go and open the drains on my Kat. It takes a 5mm hex bit on a long socket extension. Prying those fairing pieces from the sides of the bike, so I can get at the bowls, won't be fun either.

[md86]

: I'm just gonna put some Stabil in it and call it a day . Worked just fine before .

[harrye]

: I'm just gonna put some Stabil in it and call it a day . Worked just fine before .

I think it depends on how long the storage period is. Also, they put drains on those bowls for a reason. Fussing extensively is part of the ownership experience or obligation. The worrying kind (that's most of us, depending on the issue we face) need to know that they've done all that they could possibly do for their favorite toys.

Stabilized gasoline will still evaporate, I think. Especially in a carburator bowl. Maybe not so much in a full gas tank. I think stabilizer mainly prevents gas from breaking down, or turning gummy.

[md86]

Well , I don't fully winterize my bike , and haven't for the last couple of years . I brave the cold every week or two and go for at least a 50 mile ride . So THAT'S why I throw the Stabil in it and call it a day . Buty when I DID winterize .....
Go for a ride to heat up bike .
Stop at gas station and fill up , adding Stabil .
Get home and change oil and filter .
Clean/oil chain .
Wash bike (wd40 for metal parts , Honda cleaner everywhere else).
Oil in cylinders
Bags over exhaust and air filter .
Pop up on centerstand
Put on cover .
And I BET I missed a couple things I also used to do . But like I said , it's been a while since I've done it . And yes , I obsess over EVERYTHING .

[The CyberPoet]

What's the danger from closing the drain bolts and not letting any condensation run out? The carb bowls don't look like they will rust inside. Condensation is just water. It's not gasoline which will gum up? The condensation should eventually evaporate.

Depends on how much condensation forms in there... Think of the condensation as water -- breeding grounds for mold, mildew, bacteria of all sorts, plus a rust-rate enhancer. Worst case scenario's:

If the temp varies from below freezing to above freezing and back, sufficient water could form ice, which could expand on parts, causing damages to gaskets, floats, possibly even metal parts.
If the condensation level gets high enough, it could rust up the float mechanisms, or even rise up higher into the system (flooding with water in the same sense that kats with bad petcocks sometimes flood with gas), albeit only in particularly damp situations I would think.
If just some water sits in there, but you don't get to the bike as soon as the temp warms up (travel, medical emergency, inclinations, etc), it's an open invitation to all sorts of bacterial growth. This is especially problematic for those who would simple prime the carbs back up and fire her up, or those who might drain and then prime without cleaning out the bowls.

Again, these are worst-case scenarios, but if leaving the drains open isn't any more effort than open & then closing them, why not simply leave them open?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[harrye]

...Wash bike (wd40 for metal parts , Honda cleaner everywhere else)...

Honda cleaner? I'll try to find out more about this product. So you don't polish and wax? There must be a thread on polishing and waxing, so I'll check this too.

[harrye]

...but if leaving the drains open isn't any more effort than open & then closing them, why not simply leave them open?

I guess I liked to keep things tight during a long storage. I was afraid that in April or May I'd find that one of the drain screws or bolts had dropped out over the winter, and I wouldn't be able to find it.

Yesterday morning it was -6 Fahrenheit and this afternoon it was about 40 degrees. I was stunned to see the Kat's crankcase covered with a thick layer of frozen condensation. So I opened those float bowl drains, and left them open. There's too much risk of a lot of water/ice build up, and other bad things happening in the carb area.

Thanks.

[md86]

Honda pro cleaner , it's a wash and wax in one can . Smells good , too . http://www.motoemporium.com/hondapol...ndapolish.html
You can get it at pretty much any dealer (especially a Honda dealer ) . It DOES make water bead like a wax , and DOES remove dirt . When I actually bother to wash my bike , that's what I like to use .