Winterize Worries

[kingofqueenz]

So my 2019 TBR7 is my first moto ever, and living in NY I've winterized as follows:

NOTE: Bike was stored in a shed protected from weather beginning in November and the following was performed

- Changed oil

- Bike up on center cinder blocks to keep both wheels off the ground ( overkill I am sure )

- Battery disconnected - connect to a trickle charger about once a month for a few hours

-Gas Tank filled to the top with appropriate amount of stabilizer and I ran the mixture through the fuel system for about 5 mins before I stored for the winter back in November



Yesterday I went out to the shed to see her (TBR) and was itching to fiddle with something so I pulled the plug and cleaned it off and pulled the carb to adjust the fuel mixture.

When I drained the carb ... WOAH varnish city.

Opened the carb and it was slightly green residue with a strong smell of varnish, not bad by any stretch.

My question is as follows...

Does the fuel stabilizer really work ? why would the gas in the carb smell like varnish with stabilizer and really only sitting for 4 months ?

[AJboughtamoto]

Always best to drain carb. Yes stabilizer works especially Seafoam. But if you dumped it in the tank and then didn't run it again it never got to the carb. Hence the trademark ethanol varnish. When I store my bikes I use Ethanol free gas for a few tanks and use Seafoam on top of that. I also use Sta-bil fogging oil in the cylinders to keep moisture out.

[ss27gogeta]

I only run fule stabilizer through a fule injected bike usaly I dont use stabilizer at all and have no issues. But on a carb bike your better off draning the fule out of the carb for winter. so it don't sit with fule in there and make a bunch of varnish junk and clogg your jets up.

[Bruces]

My buddy has a cousin who is the kimpex rep for our area .He uses the stabilizer religiously as he gets it for free ,and he has bought into the kook aid .My buddy and I ,only run ethanol free fuels in our toys and small engines ,and we never have issues .The Kimpex rep ,hauls all of his toys to us every spring and fall to clean out the carbs because the crap doesn’t work .About 5 years ago ,he finally listened to us ,and has not used the stabilizers since ,and surprise surprise ,he hasent had any fuel issues either . I truly buy non running toys and equipment all the time ,and I can’t count how many times the person said they used stabilizer ,yet when I take the carb apart they are always gummed up from ethanol.
That being said ,reading your story above ,I don’t think running the engine for 5 minutes would be quite long enough to get through your carb thoroughly ,I guess if you went for a ride it might be sufficient but at idle (not sure what you did ) I wouldn’t think 5 minutes would be quite enough .

[Lordrefa]

I have always has good success with seafoam. I use it in my bikes, quads, UTV and boat.

I have had much less success using sta-bil (the red stuff). I would still have to clean out the carbs every year when using the red sta-bil on my quads and boat.

This is my first year with my bikes and i went right to seafoam.

[kingofqueenz]

Actually I am ashamed I missed that step on my checklist...

Draining the carb with the drain screw is a no brainer... I typically do that whenever I service a carb to avoid dousing myself.

Removing the carb on the TBR is child's play, I don't even need to remove the side plastics \ fairings.

I might just play it safe every season and pull the carb for inspection and drain the sucker bone dry.

[bogieboy]

if you use ethanol based fuel, my recommendation is treating the fuel with Startron. i am a small engine mechanic, and that stuff works... LOL i have a vial of fuel that was treated with startron 5 years ago that still doesn't smell like varnish.

[kingofqueenz]

Very cool...never heard of it until now.

Pretty good reviews on Amazon, Wal Mart and Lowes.

1 review said it ate away rubber hoses and fuel line.

[China Rider 27]

Ethanol free fuel is the way to go. Check this video.

[bogieboy]

Originally Posted by kingofqueenz

Very cool...never heard of it until now.

Pretty good reviews on Amazon, Wal Mart and Lowes.

1 review said it ate away rubber hoses and fuel line.

thats the ethanol in the fuel... not the startron. LOL

[Megadan]

My two cents, for what its worth, when storing a bike that has a carburetor.

Tank as full as you can get it, do use some sort of fuel treatment. I use Marine stabil and it has never let me down. No matter what you do, ensure the petcock is closed.

DRAIN THE CARB BOWL(S). I have had to restore and clean so many carbs on bikes that just got shut off and stored. I don't care what fuel you use, ethanol or not, never ever ever ever ever (getting the point across?) ever store a bike for an extended period of time with any fuel in the bowl. Most carbs have a drain on the bowl for this very prupose. No, running the bike until it "runs out" of fuel will not even empty the bowls. Drain them.

The full tank will prevent oxidation of the fuel by limiting the amount of air it is expose to, and also prevent condensation from forming for the same reason, thus preventing water contamination. The stabilizers are just there to assist in resisting this, but on their own are no guarantee. That is why most often it is recommended to store a tank completely full.

The drained carb bowls will prevent the fuel from varnishing due to the exposure to air, gum buildup caused by evaporation, and corrosion of the metal parts in the bowl due to water and other contamination ( or oxidation in general ).

This method is more than good enough for 75-77 GL1000 carburetors, which are far more delicate and finicky than these cheap PZ30 and VM26 clones.