Need advice: fuel stabilizer vs draining?

Nitrofunnycar
Edited Date/Time 11/14/2019 7:03am
I hope to get some advice on the most “right thing” to do regarding storing bikes for the winter. I’ve heard of 2 schools of thought: stabilize (top off with treated fuel vs. drain the tank/carb). What is the best method?
1) Treat/fill with new gasoline and leave the bikes/carbs full?
2) Drain the fuel tanks and carbs and refill with fresh fuel in the spring?

I’ve heard that ethanol fuel is still junk even if stabilized, so drain all fuel. However, I’ve heard that draining the fuel/carb is bad because the fuel keeps orings/gaskets from dry rotting and becoming brittle? Which is the most true? Please help......and thank you in advance.

All bikes have carbs (no F/I) and range from TTR-50....CRF150RB........YZ450F. No 2-strokes.
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mirramaxx
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mirramaxx 11/11/2019 3:48pm
11/11/2019 3:48pm
I've never drained the tank on my bike for the winter. I just turn the fuel off, drain the float bowl and put the gas in my mower to burn. I've done this for years without a problem. I only run 91 pump gas in my CRF and in the spring I buy a bit of fresh fuel to put in the tank to mix up before I turn the fuel back on. Cheers !
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Falcon
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Falcon 11/11/2019 3:58pm
11/11/2019 3:58pm
Fuel treatment is cheap. Put some of that in the last tank of gas you run in the fall, then you don't have to be super careful. You can drain your tank and burn that in your old cars or in a lawnmower. Meanwhile, the carb isn't getting gunked up. You can start in the spring with all-new fuel or simply run a fresh tank and burn out the old stuff quickly.

It's true that ethanol fuel goes bad more quickly, but the best (non-ethanol based) stabilizers negate that effect.
BTW, I wouldn't worry about seals and o-rings going bad in a few months.
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Justin_P
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Justin_P 11/11/2019 4:26pm
11/11/2019 4:26pm
I always treat with fuel stabilizer and run them for a bit before storing to make sure the carb has treated fuel in it, I never drain them and have had good luck for many years and many bikes. Hope that helps!
ctbale
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ctbale 11/11/2019 4:42pm
11/11/2019 4:42pm Edited Date/Time 11/11/2019 4:44pm
An empty carb is a happy carb. I drain the carbs on everything (unhook the neg battery cable if applicable) and since I never park anything more then 6 to 8 months I dont worry about the tank. But we dont have ethanol where I live. Its the emulsion hole in the pilot jet that get plugged when fuel evaporates.

The Shop

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mooch
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mooch 11/11/2019 4:50pm
11/11/2019 4:50pm
For the winter, I personally prefer to drain the carb and the tank. I drain the tank because I'm cheap and dump it into my truck to use now rather than use it in the bike 4 months later when it's stale. Takes very little time to drain it all off.
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davis224
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davis224 11/11/2019 5:32pm
11/11/2019 5:32pm
Always store your bike with a full tank of gas, do not drain it. Stabilizer optional. If you drain it, you'll develop condensation on the inside of your tank, and you'll have water in your fuel when you go to refill it, plus the risk of corrosion on fuel pumps. Can't get condensation if it's full of gas. Drain your float bowl, though.
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ctbale
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ctbale 11/11/2019 5:51pm
11/11/2019 5:51pm Edited Date/Time 11/11/2019 5:55pm
davis224 wrote:
Always store your bike with a full tank of gas, do not drain it. Stabilizer optional. If you drain it, you'll develop condensation on the inside...
Always store your bike with a full tank of gas, do not drain it. Stabilizer optional. If you drain it, you'll develop condensation on the inside of your tank, and you'll have water in your fuel when you go to refill it, plus the risk of corrosion on fuel pumps. Can't get condensation if it's full of gas. Drain your float bowl, though.
Your right about topping off the tank, no air pocket for condensation. Same with your car/truck. I know people who let it go to "E" and only add a few gallons, then after a few years wonder why their tank screen is plugged or other fuel issues. I tell them top it every trip to the station
kb228
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kb228 11/11/2019 6:11pm
11/11/2019 6:11pm
Drain carb. Stabilizer in the tank.

Realize literally millions of motorcycle riders do this to their bikes every winter. Nothing wrong with it.
Bennett
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Bennett 11/11/2019 8:33pm
11/11/2019 8:33pm
I guess I am the odd man out. I have never done anything different for storage of all of my gas powered toys: Close fuel petcock. Put away. Get out in the spring. Add fresh fuel to the tank if needed. Start the engine. Enjoy. Never had a problem with any of them.

*not a complete list:
1972 DT360
1993 CR500
1996 Banshee
Snowblowers
Mowers
Riding Mower
Weed Wacker
Tiller

I do avoid ethanol always, though. Maybe that has something to do with it?

I don't know. Works for me.

Result may vary.

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ns503
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ns503 11/12/2019 3:57am
11/12/2019 3:57am
I stabilize, go for a decent ride, then shut the gas off & let it run until it quits. If it will be longer than a few months, I drain the tank too.
Rick Amatuzio 11/12/2019 3:59am
11/12/2019 3:59am Edited Date/Time 11/12/2019 4:03am
davis224 wrote:
Always store your bike with a full tank of gas, do not drain it. Stabilizer optional. If you drain it, you'll develop condensation on the inside...
Always store your bike with a full tank of gas, do not drain it. Stabilizer optional. If you drain it, you'll develop condensation on the inside of your tank, and you'll have water in your fuel when you go to refill it, plus the risk of corrosion on fuel pumps. Can't get condensation if it's full of gas. Drain your float bowl, though.
So.... drain the float bowl and you won’t get condensation in that tank?

Don’t worry about condensation, it isn’t a problem unless your rolling your bike outside every day into 10F weather from an 70F humid garage and back.
Most pump fuels these contain a small amount of isopropyl alcohol which holds any moisture in suspension, so it can be delivered to the combustion chamber and burned. Heet also makes Methyl alcohol, which water WONT stay suspended, but it melts ice instantly. Isopropyl does not melt ice quickly like that.. just FYI
davis224
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davis224 11/12/2019 8:16am
11/12/2019 8:16am
davis224 wrote:
Always store your bike with a full tank of gas, do not drain it. Stabilizer optional. If you drain it, you'll develop condensation on the inside...
Always store your bike with a full tank of gas, do not drain it. Stabilizer optional. If you drain it, you'll develop condensation on the inside of your tank, and you'll have water in your fuel when you go to refill it, plus the risk of corrosion on fuel pumps. Can't get condensation if it's full of gas. Drain your float bowl, though.
Rick Amatuzio wrote:
So.... drain the float bowl and you won’t get condensation in that tank? Don’t worry about condensation, it isn’t a problem unless your rolling your bike...
So.... drain the float bowl and you won’t get condensation in that tank?

Don’t worry about condensation, it isn’t a problem unless your rolling your bike outside every day into 10F weather from an 70F humid garage and back.
Most pump fuels these contain a small amount of isopropyl alcohol which holds any moisture in suspension, so it can be delivered to the combustion chamber and burned. Heet also makes Methyl alcohol, which water WONT stay suspended, but it melts ice instantly. Isopropyl does not melt ice quickly like that.. just FYI
You might get a tiny bit of condensation in the float, but a few water droplets flushed out after you turn the gas on (and drain one more float bowl worth) is better than gas left to sit inside of a tiny pilot jet. If that's the only way for condensation to be a problem, then hot damn a lot of people must be doing that! I'll admit, it's probably much more of a problem with steel tanked street bikes than dirt bikes with plastic tanks, but we sent out a lot of street bike gas tanks to be boiled to clean out the rust/corrosion after they had been left to sit for extended periods with empty tanks.

Will it be certain disaster if it sits for 4 months with an empty tank? Maybe not, but here in the midwest, where there are big swings in temperature quite regularly, condensation in gas tanks absolutely does cause common issues. I was always taught proper storage meant filing the tank, draining the carb, and either unhooking the battery or installing a tender, and NOT to fire it up every once in a while just to "keep it fresh".
Moto520
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Moto520 11/12/2019 8:24am
11/12/2019 8:24am
Leave the gas in the bike.....even top it off if you want. Drain it in the spring before you go riding and gas it up!
HighPlainsSquid 11/12/2019 3:25pm
11/12/2019 3:25pm
Motox627! wrote:
Ride year round Wink
Yeah.... here in New Mexico, we can do that. Might have to drive 2-4 hours south, but I do that anyway to get to tracks.

Good discussion, though. I have lawnmowers and stuff, too. One thing I've done on them is drain the gas and then put in enough kerosene to fill the float bowl- supposed to keep the O-rings from drying out. In the spring, drain that, fresh gas, and go. I dunno... that's just what my local lawnmower guy suggested.
cdncombatmedic 11/12/2019 3:29pm
11/12/2019 3:29pm
I run stabil in the tank with it topped off. Lay the bike on its side with the petcock off to drain the carb. In the spring drain the fuel and use it for the lawnmower. We are lucky we can get 91 without ethanol.

Pit Row

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crispytoast
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crispytoast 11/12/2019 3:43pm
11/12/2019 3:43pm
When I had a bike with a carb..... I would fill the tank, shut off gas petcock, let idle till it dies from running out of gas in float bowl, put away for winter. Stabilizer is hard on seals or anything that's rubber. Been doing that for the last 30 years and never a problem.
cjmx
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cjmx 11/12/2019 4:45pm
11/12/2019 4:45pm
Use gas without ethanol as others have mentioned. No need for stabilizer. I’ve never had an issue with my bikes, lawn mower, or snowblower

Helpful site to find non ethanol gas:
https://www.pure-gas.org/
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Rick Amatuzio 11/14/2019 7:03am
11/14/2019 7:03am Edited Date/Time 11/14/2019 4:28pm
cjmx wrote:
Use gas without ethanol as others have mentioned. No need for stabilizer. I’ve never had an issue with my bikes, lawn mower, or snowblower Helpful site...
Use gas without ethanol as others have mentioned. No need for stabilizer. I’ve never had an issue with my bikes, lawn mower, or snowblower

Helpful site to find non ethanol gas:
https://www.pure-gas.org/
But but.. everyone wants oxygenated fuel.. for power. E15 has same oxygen as U4.4?
Mit12
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Mit12 11/14/2019 2:45pm
11/14/2019 2:45pm
Plastic tanks loose octane. So weather you treat it or not you should drain it before riding it.
cody41
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cody41 11/15/2019 4:46pm
11/15/2019 4:46pm
Start the bike once a month and you’ll be fine.

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