Fuel stabilizer needed?

[redkat750]

Well after my last experience with MSF I have rescheduled my course for the first weekend in October, so I won't have the heat to deal with. I made the mistake of buying my bike before I had taken the course (yes I know this was dumb) so it is staying parked for a while. A friend of mine was going to was going to ride it down to the parking lot where we work and work with me on some of the low speed exercises so I could get confident with the bike and als so it would get to run a little bit. Unfortunately he had what appears to be a small stroke and while he seems to be recovering well he is probably not going to be able to ride for a while.

So right now it looks like my bike is going to be parked until October. As of now it still has the same gas that it came with from the dealership (at about a 1/3 tank). I have been running it for a few minutes on the weekend to keep the fluids circulating, but should I put fuel stabilizer in the tank, or would just adding a gallon of fresh gas every couple of weeks, and running it be good enough? Also as far as the battery is concerned I thought idling it would charge the battery. However when I posted in the Mechanics forum, I believe "dumbluck" said that the alternator wouldn't kick on until it was actually riding at speed. Will the battery be OK sitting for a couple of months and will a few minutes of idling it on the weekend (from the lights) drain the battery? Thanks in advance for the help.

[JasonChen]

I would top off the tank and disconnect the battery for longterm storage. but seriously though.... 2 months isn't all that long. it'll be fine when you get to it.

[tzortn]

Topping of the tank and adding fuel stabilizer is a good idea. Topping off the tank will help avoid condensation build up and the stabilizer will keep the gas fresh. When I add stabilizer I add the stabilizer then fill up the tank so I know that it is mixed. Then I run the bike enough for the stabilizer to work through the system. You can smell the difference in the exhaust.

[c182man]

Top it with 100 LL (av gas) then run it

[hardlydangerous]

No need for a fuel stabilizer for such short term storage. Just top off the tank with 91-94 octane fuel.
It's a good idea to get a float charger as well and keep the battery on a float charge. you can usually buy a float charger from harbour freight for $5-$10

[jdm5770]

I always use stabilizer if it sits for longer than two weeks or so. I have a waverunner that I let sit for two months without stabilizer. Next time I took it out I got to rebuild the engine. Luckily it was under warranty sot the 2000.00 bill wasn't mine. Not worth the risk to me. And yes, unhook your battery as a slow charge will be released even with everything off. Good luck in October!

[DumbLuck]

Running the bike for short periods without out riding it will foul out the plugs very quickly. Cyber i believe has a write up about the plugs being self cleaning, and need to get up to full temp to clean themselves. I agree with the top off the tank, but i'd add a touch of seafoam as i've read (here) the new gas these days starts going bad after just a few weeks. It surely cant hurt if you follow the mix recomendations on the can.

btw, that was prolly Arsenic that talked about what RPM the Alternator kicks in at. A float or maint. charger is a good idea, not your normal trickle charger.

thought about borrowing a smaller bike to practice on? something with a low center of gravity, and much lighter than a Kat. Enduros and small cruisers are great for this.

[nelsonind]

re: fuel stabilizer

I agree with most of the previous posts except the aviation gas.
To be safe, use fuel stabilizer and get a trickle charger. I got one from cycle gear that has an LED on the transformer. The green light means you are fully charged and ready to go. It keeps it charged up all the time. The disadvantage is that you need to be connected to a wall outlet ALL the time.
Most people would probably just fill it up with regular gas and hope for the best. Katanas are carbureted (as opposed to fuel injection) and can get gummed up after 6 -12 months. Sometimes fuel cleaner will solve the problem. Sometimes you can leave it for a year with no problems (not recommended).
Nelsonind

[nelsonind]

re: fuel stabilizer

I was riding to work today thinking about how I would counsel my own son if he were to purchase a brand new Katana. First, I would have him learn on a lighter bike to get the basics. I would suggest a Honda NightHawk 250 or similar lighter bike. I would NOT consider a Katana a beginner bike. Statistics show you will probably lay down, crash or otherwise damage the bike within the first 30 riding days. It would be wise to scratch up or damage an already scratched up bike. Most Katanas are capable of 130+ miles an hour (both mine are). Ride safe.

[redkat750]

thought about borrowing a smaller bike to practice on? something with a low center of gravity, and much lighter than a Kat. Enduros and small cruisers are great for this.

I am actually shopping craigslist and cycletrader for a cheap used low power enduro to practice getting the throttle, clutch, brake, shifting muscle memory down, and then to keep for off road use.

I knew the Kat 750 was not the ideal bike to learn on, and I had originally gone looking for a 600 Kat or SV650, but everytime I called about the ones I saw on cycletrader or craigslist they had been sold. I happened to run across the 750 in the dealership and I will admit that I got a case of "Oh Shiny" when I bought it. But the ergos also felt like they were custom made for me, and the town I live in requires freeway driving, plus crossing good sized bridges to get just about anywhere you go, so I had already been leaning to the Kat for its reputation for highway stability.

Having said all that, if I had it to do over, I would have first waited to complete the MSF course before buying any bike, and I then would probably have gotten the GSXF 650, because from the write ups I have read it would have been a much better starting bike, while retaining the advantages of the Kat. But now that I have the 750 I am going to take my time and learn to ride it safely. I also have a brand new set of frame sliders from Braunstein to put on some upcoming weekend, which I hope to never have to test.

[truthurtz42]

thats wat i need

[kevin2502000]

thats wat i need

You need fuel stabilzer??

[redkat750]

thats wat i need

I don't know whether you were looking for advice on a starting bike or storing a bike but to let you know how it all worked out for me...


When I stored my bike until my Fall MSF test I filled up with 92 Octane and added Stabili, and pulled the battery. When I brought the bike out of storage, I was blowing white smoke all over the place and it took about two tanks of Techron laced gas, and a bunch of adjustment of the fuel/air mixure screw to get the bike to run right. If I was doing it over again I would have just drained the gas from the tank and the carbs before storing. I think it would have been easier.

As far as a starting bike, after I got my feet a little wet, the Kat has been an excellent and I think a fairly forgiving bike. If I had to do it again, I probably would have bought an old enduro in th 250-500 range, to start out on, but as others have said I think I would have been bored with it within a month (at least for street riding). As it was I got a couple of private lessons on a Rebel 250 to get through my sticking points, went back and re-did MSF. After that I just sucked it up and put about one hundred miles of riding in my neighborhood and really getting to know the bike, before venturing on the main roads. I have been steadily improving ever since and the Kat has not been dropped (knock on wood). I find it very comfortable and easy to handle both at road speed and parking lot speed. I don't pretend I have come close to fully mastering all aspects of the bike or even come close to learning all I need to know as a rider, but I don't feel that learning on a Kat is holding me back at this point, though it probably slowed down my initial learning curve a bit.

It is top heavy, and kind of tall so if you have short legs it might be a bad choice, but if you are willing to start out slow and take your time learning the bike, it is a fairly reasonable bike to deal with IMO.