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Makotosun

Winter storage

  • principal282
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Winter storage was created by principal282

Winter is coming, and the north remembers! 
I am looking at putting my two bikes in my yard shed to make room.  
fill tank and run carb out?  Drain tank?  
part of me thinks turn petcocks off, run til out, take tank and  whatever gas is left goes to my old ford…throw some two stroke oil in the tank and keep it inside? I’d maybe pull seats and batteries too, they can go in a shelf…

we get doggone cold here.  I’m talking weeks below zero, in fact weeks well below zero.   

shed is dry and locks.

Or am I overthinking it?

brought home dads xs750, and little by little chipping away at it.  But I got too much crap.  

I could talk to my lovely wife about a new, third stall for the garage??

lol
 
The following user(s) Liked this Post: MarkT, Ht1kid
27 Oct 2024 08:18 #1

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Replied by Schu on topic Winter storage

Not saying my storage methods are proper, but they have worked well for many years. My bikes are stored in a pole barn with gravel floor and no heat. I live in Michigan so we do see spells below zero.

I shut off the fuel supply at the petcock and let them run the bowl empty. I then top off the fuel tank as full as I can get it so that there is minimal exposed metal. I remove the battery’s from the few that actually have them.  Most don’t.

I spray the entire bike down with WD40 to prevent surface rust from condensation which is a huge problem in my barn as temperature fluctuates. I have laid a tarp over the gravel floor to help reduce the moisture on the bikes. I have purchased cheap bike covers for all of them simply to keep the Sparrows from crapping on them. I also keep a Red Ryder BB gun within reach at all times.

Come springtime I give them a good cleaning and fire them up. On the rare occasion I may have one that loses spark. As Morley would say, I just give them a scratch and away she goes.

imgur.com/a/eAqWDwR
 
Schu

CT1B, CT1C, JT1, JT2, CT2, DT360A, GT80B, DT100B, DT125B, DT175B, DT175C, DT250B, DT400B, Z50, SCR950

Someday, you'll own some Yamahas
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Last edit: 27 Oct 2024 15:25 by Schu.
27 Oct 2024 09:25 #2

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Replied by shyted on topic Winter storage

I live near the Irish Sea in the UK. Storage is a pain due to the salt water in the atmosphere in winter when the wind gets up. I use a PTFE spray and wipe everything down, spray it on the shocks and wiring.  I leave the tank empty and use two stroke oil swill . I put oil mix in the carb and put engine assembly lube on the needle so the don't corrode into the needle jet. Block the zorst and air filter up with a placky bag. 2 stroke oil tank filled as far as it will hold. I cover them too.
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27 Oct 2024 10:07 #3

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Replied by SKYDANCER46 on topic Winter storage

1st off if your running gas with ethanol in it drain everything including the gas tank, petcock and carburetors and dry them out best possible.

I only run ethanol free gas ( real gas) in all my bikes and anything else i own that has gas in it. Lawnmowers, snowblowers etc. etc. I fill the gas tanks up at least 3/4 full and add 2 oz of sea foam engine treatment. start and run the bikes for about 10 minutes then turn the petcocks off and let the engine die out. Thats it. Clean and wax the rest of the bikes.

Like SCHU i live in Michigan and weather is up and down all winter. Gets cold, then warms up a few days then it can get bitter cold in Jan, Feb so moisture is always a problem but i never had anything not start after sitting all winter.

Ethanol is the biggest issue for most so get it out of your bikes if sitting more then 30 days. Stuff is nasty.
1983 XT200, 1983 XT250
27 Oct 2024 15:20 #4

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Replied by Schu on topic Winter storage

Good point on the ethanol gas. I have steered clear of it for so long now that I didn’t even think to mention it!

I’ve never tried Sea Foam. I don’t use any additives. At least not for my engines! lol
Schu

CT1B, CT1C, JT1, JT2, CT2, DT360A, GT80B, DT100B, DT125B, DT175B, DT175C, DT250B, DT400B, Z50, SCR950

Someday, you'll own some Yamahas
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27 Oct 2024 15:34 #5

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Replied by SKYDANCER46 on topic Winter storage

Sea foam is some good stuff. It can actually clean and reverse problems in fuel systems. Been using it for years even with real gas. I don't waste my time with stable or any other gas treatments. Ethanol is the real problem most people deal with.
1983 XT200, 1983 XT250
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27 Oct 2024 15:48 #6

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Replied by MarkT on topic Winter storage

We are cursed with only having ethanol fuel readily available around here. 

I had my old Suburban parked with 36 gallons of ethanol-laced fuel for over 7 years...  I used Star-Tron enzyme fuel additive initially and then added a little more every couple of years.  www.starbrite.com/item/star-tron-gasoline-additive

A friend had started using Star Tron in his boat and told me it actually worked and all the others didn't for him...  he said he always had spent a bunch of time getting the boat carbs cleaned after storage until he started using Star-tron.

I expected the worst when it was time to get it back in the road...  I've never had luck with any additive...  Sea Foam, Sta-bil, anything...  when it comes to ethanol-laced fuel even for a year...  never mind 7 years...  and even Star Tron said "up to 2 years". 

To my surprise, the fuel didn't smell that bad!  It was darker than fresh fuel though. I pumped the tank nearly dry and sent a camera into the tank and it looked shiny new inside.  I filled it with fresh fuel and the old girl fired right up like it had been parked yesterday!  I ended up getting rid of the old gas a few gallons at a time added to tank of new fuel. 
 
1963 YG1-T, 1965 MG1-T, Allstate 250, 1970 CT1b, 1971 R5, 1973 AT3MX, 1974 TS400L, 1975 RD350, 1976 DT175C, 1976 Husqvarna 250CR, 1981 DT175G, 1988 DT50, 1990 "Super" DT50, 1991 RT180, 2017 XT250
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27 Oct 2024 16:22 #7

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Replied by Gr8uncleal on topic Winter storage

"I pumped the tank nearly dry..."

Mark, where the feck did you store so much fuel?! 

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28 Oct 2024 05:06 #8

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Replied by MarkT on topic Winter storage

The company I used to work for sold the facility with the truck shop where I started my career with the company.  Long story short, by then the manager of that facility was reporting to me and I went there during the clean out.  They were throwing out a lot of old stuff...  one of the things I rescued from the dumpsters were 10+ "Jerry Cans" ...  they were old military surplus tall skinny rectangular 5 gallon gas cans that were in near-new condition. 
1963 YG1-T, 1965 MG1-T, Allstate 250, 1970 CT1b, 1971 R5, 1973 AT3MX, 1974 TS400L, 1975 RD350, 1976 DT175C, 1976 Husqvarna 250CR, 1981 DT175G, 1988 DT50, 1990 "Super" DT50, 1991 RT180, 2017 XT250
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28 Oct 2024 08:12 #9

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Replied by Pete-RT1 on topic Winter storage

In the UK we're not allowed to store more than 30 litres at home, fuel in a bike doesn't count.
We can store more, but we have to notify the Petroleum Enforcement Authority, whoever they are.

Got distracted there by Mark's fuel story.
Was going to say, since the winters aren't that bad in the UK in modern times I've been able to keep riding my bikes through the winter.
There's always a few cold but dry days over the winter months and New Years Day seems to have turned into a bike ride day for me.
I do check and charge the battery on each bike regularly, but that's about it.
Of course it's getting harder now I have seven bikes.
Yamaha AT1-E
Yamaha CT1-B The Greenie
Yamaha CT1-B The Doppelganger
Yamaha CT1-C
Yamaha AT1-C
Yamaha CT3
1978 Yamaha DT175MX
2020 Honda CB500X
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Last edit: 28 Oct 2024 10:33 by Pete-RT1.
28 Oct 2024 10:24 #10

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