carb drains for storage

[westnek]

whats  the general opinion for draining  'or ' don't drain carbs for winter storage =thanks all happy new year  to all  /and thanks for past problems response ==a great club  west

[BonS]

I'll jump in. There's not any one single opinion on this. That said, I use a fuel stabilizer such as Marine Stabil over the winter months and then drain the carbs and tank in the Spring. I then add fresh gas and go!

[h13man]

Full tank of 91, Stabil, shut off gas, and wait till spring. Run the tank out and replace with 87 and Seafoam mixture, good for the season. Also a battery tender if you desire especially in less than perfect storage facility. Put mine on once a month but my ride sits in a insulated and mostly cool garage.

[Steve K (IA)]

I have never drained the carbs.  When the moment comes, I add 1/2 can of SeaFoam and top off the tank.  Ride between 3 - 5 miles to make sure the mixture hits the carbs and park it...turning the gas off. 

I hook up the battery tender about once a month watching for the green light and then unplug it.

No carb problems...ever.  49 years riding, I currently have 2 Valks, one for 16 and the other for 12 years.

[Bone]

Michigan is where I store my bike in an unheated garage. Have never drained the carbs. I mix in Stabil and ride a half a tank then top it off with with more mix as full as I can get the tank. Pull the battery for basement storage with a Battery Minder attached.
Every spring I get almost an instant start I won't change this process it works for me.

[98valk]

there is always a small amount of fuel that will stay in the bowl and will gum up. best is to use stabil, ride the bike to ensure treated gas is in carbs.
rest easy till next ride. I've done this for 15 yrs never a problem. there were a few yrs due to work where only 1 to 2k miles were put on the bike per yr. always started right up when I could ride.

[Attic Rat]

My bikes set for long periods of time due the work load that I have doing the performance work on the Valkyries.  I don't get much of a chance to ride. I never drain the carbs but always put fresh fuel in and add stabil to the fuel. Then completely fill the tank that helps to keep the tank from rusting. If a bike sets for a year without being ridden  I will suck the old fuel out and refill with fresh fuel and stabil. I do not start the bike with old fuel in it ever. This seems to work best for me and I have never had a problem.

[Ricky-D]

If you are talking about draining the float bowls "empty", there are  lot of differing opinions. I drain the float

bowls occasionally to remove any sediment that collects in the bowls and also to remove any water that may

have collected. This is an important consideration if your bike is in a climate where freezing temperatures

are encountered. After adding an additive and insuring it is well mixed in the tank, it would be a good thing

to drain some gas from the bowls to insure there is a fully protective mixture residing in each carburetor

float bowl prior to an extended storage period.

***

[Hef]

Half a can of Seafoam to a tank full of gas. Run it to get mixture in carbs and forget it. Done this for many years in many bikes and never had a carb problem.

[gordonv]

Same as the above.

But how long are you storing it for?

A few months, I wouldn't bother. I left my Shadow without stable in it for 4-5 months. Prime the carbs/electric pump, and go out and ride it. I found it would sputter a little at low rpm, so started adding cleaner in the spring, and using seafoam during the winter.

Currently I ride year round, sometimes up to 2 months before starting the bike up. So far 3 winters and no problem. But in the spring I add a 1/2 can of cleaner to the full, and also try to gas up at a Chevron for their Techron fuel as often as I can, to keep the carbs clean.

[Bagger John - #3785]

I completely top off my tank at a nearby gas station with 87 octane (no need for 91 in a non-modified Valkyrie). Upon arriving home, the drain screws are opened about 2 turns and left open. Marine Sta-Bil (blue) is added to the fuel tank as part of winter storage prep.

Come spring I close the drain screws, prime the carbs by turning the petcock to On then applying vacuum to the intake runner end of the petcock vacuum line with a MityVac or similar hand pump, reattach the vacuum line to the intake runner nipple and fire the bike up after finishing prep work.

Two instances of plugged stock pilot jets - courtesy of red Sta-Bil, and gas left in the bowls - put me squarely in the "never again" camp.

As an added bonus, leaving the drain screws open during storage means no hydrolock if you have a flaky petcock. The gas simply flows out of the drain tubes, not into the cylinders.

[Ricky-D]

That's probably a good approach if you have an OEM petcock.

***

[rxvalk]

Attic Rat,

Gregg and I discussed helping you change the hardly ever ride problem this spring. Will have to see if we can put something together. No point in building all these hot rod bikes and not enjoying them.
I know I will be enjoying the work you did on mine.

[Attic Rat]

Thanks Joe enjoy your new found hp