winterizing question

[CatatonicBug]

If you run it out of gas does all the gas get out of the bowls etc, so no varnish develops? also if you just run it a little once a week even not going on the road wont that be enough gas moving through to avoid varnish. ?

No it won't run it dry. Also, remember that fuel starts to destabilize after sitting for 60 days. Even if you are running fuel through the engine, unless you are using up the whole tank and giving it fresh gas, you are not helping it much. If the fuel is not used up, it MUST be treated with something to stabilize it (i.e. Sta-Bil, Seafoam, etc.) or it will make a mess inside your engine.

[cywelchjr]

And there are two schools of thought. One is to fill the tank and carbs with stabilized fuel, and the other is to drain both tank and carbs so they are dry.

I think it would depend on the climate. If it's cold and dry, I'd probably drain everything, but if you have lots of humidity, I'd probably go with filling everything as full as I could to prevent condensation.

[Crusty Snippets]

Winter

My theory with mechanical engined things is: " They will either run in the spring, or they will not. Better to not ruin a party filled winter worrying about it. It will be warmer some time next year and it can be fixed "
My 78 Chev truck has always fired in the spring. Sometimes sitting from November to late March.
Everything else to quit.

However these bikes have small crappy yet expensive batteries. Good idea to keep them charged. Not a good idea to fill the engine with fuel over the winter.

Anyway I have too much stuff so it is not a good subject for me, so they have to sit.

Crusty

[cywelchjr]

My theory with mechanical engined things is: " They will either run in the spring, or they will not. Better to not ruin a party filled winter worrying about it. It will be warmer some time next year and it can be fixed "
My 78 Chev truck has always fired in the spring. Sometimes sitting from November to late March.
Everything else to quit.

However these bikes have small crappy yet expensive batteries. Good idea to keep them charged. Not a good idea to fill the engine with fuel over the winter.

Anyway I have too much stuff so it is not a good subject for me, so they have to sit.

I would say then do the simplest one, put some stabil in the tank, run it long enough to make sure it's into the carbs, and then throw a battery maintainer on the battery. That will likely leave it good for spring, at least it has always worked for my lawnmower (but this year it looks like I'll be using it most of the winter).

[MaximPhil]

If you run it out of gas does all the gas get out of the bowls etc, so no varnish develops? also if you just run it a little once a week even not going on the road wont that be enough gas moving through to avoid varnish. ?

Hi Nightpilot,
Be sure to run for 20+ minutes or you have other issues like moisture build up in the engine and exhaust. Works well if you remember to and the bike lives in a garage and protected from freezing. the later two are not so easy for us in the Great White North.
Phil