Carbs - bowl draining or additive?

[Beer van Huet]

I ride my Valkyrie for 25 years now and have a habit of running the engine monthly in wintertime until the fan comes on.
The last few years however, my wife and I are using our camper and stay in the sun away from home for 3 months or so.
Up until now I have used fuel additives and the engine always runs fine after I get back.
When I did some maintenance, I noticed Honda recommends emptying the carb bowls in the manual when the bike is not used for a month or longer.
Right now, I am in doubt if I should do that instead of using additives.
I guess both methods have their pros and cons.
Additives may not always work properly with clogging the jets as a result.
Draining the carburators dries the float valve or pin and seals, rubbers or other interior parts.
So I would like to ask your opinion (from experience) about draining the carbs and leave the bike just like that.
Besides synchronizing, changing a throttle cable and tightening the nuts once in a while, I never touch the carbs and hate having to take them off if I can prevent it.
TIA
 

[98valk]

honda is wrong.  the bowls cannot be completely drained unless they are removed. Always use a fuel storage stabilizer.
here in the states I use Sta-bil, have never had a problem, even after sitting for 3 months in the winter.

https://www.goldeagle.com/brands/sta-bil/

[-mike-]

Hi Beer!

First of all, letting it run once a month in Winter is a bad idea.
Condensed water in a somewhat still cold exhaust will detoriate the inner construction quite fast.
I have a lot of  these issues recently reported and in my shop over here in VRCC Germany.
New exhausts are getting scarce and expensive.

Always make sure the exhausts are really hot and dry before you let the Valkyrie sit for a longer period of time.

If you trust your petcock and your float needles, then it is a good idea to keep the fuel system always full.
I personally use just ethanol free gas.
Working in the gasoline industry I can tell you the cleanest brand over here is ARAL Ultimate 102 (about 0.05% Ethanol) followed by Shell VPower Racing with guaranteed less than 0.5% Ethanol in it (most of the time much less).
Keeps the water out of the system and tank, too, if you keep the carb and tank full to the neck with the stuff and you wouldn't even need stabilizer additives.
For ones mind sake I found the Briggs&Stratton Fuel Fit the most effective long term additive you can get over here in Germany.
Marine Sta-Bil is a legit recommendation, but isn't easily available here. You may be lucky in the Netherlands, though.

If you want to play it safe, not risking a hydro lock, for storage just top up the tank up to the brim, slosh some long term fuel stabilizing additive into it, (if absolutely anal, add an ounce of 2 stroke oil), then run the carbs empty, to get the stuff into them, too. Park it  and open the drain screws. Let them open to vent.
Good o rings in a good maintained Valkyrie will survive that easily.

Best of luck!
-mike-