HOW MUCH FUEL STABIL for 5 gal tank ?

[getsum]

HOW MUCH FUEL STABIL do you put in the for 5 gal tank

Figured I would do this for the winter.
Even though I go out and start her up every couple of days.

Let me know what you think -









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[Alan Schlosser]

StaBil says 1 oz. per 2.5 gallons of gas, so 2 oz's.
I usually add it towards the end of the season so I know it's worked its way into the system. If I ride longer that expected, I top the tank off again with gas and add the appropriate amount of stabilizer.

[argonsagas]

StaBil says 1 oz. per 2.5 gallons of gas, so 2 oz's.
I usually add it towards the end of the season so I know it's worked its way into the system. If I ride longer that expected, I top the tank off again with gas and add the appropriate amount of stabilizer.

That covers it. Unless you plan to ride the bike during the winter I would not follow your example of starting it every few days while in storage. It sounds good, and there is no question that a great many people do this every year and are proud to continue the tradition, but it really is not the best thing to do.

This is because the oil never gets hot, so the natural condensation builds in the crankcase and elsewhere in the engine, leaving it prone to corrosion. Ambient temperatures and humidity levels have a lot to do with the quantity of water involved, but some will be there in virtually all circumstances.

In addition to the water, you get various hydrocarbons, partly or wholly unburned, that mix with the oil and change its Ph balance, usually making it more acidic, which is not good for any engine component. The greatest moment of build-up of these chemicals is upon start-up, which is about all the bike will see for several months, so, like the water, they are building quickly and staying for a long time.

Once the Stabil is added the engine should be run to get it mixed with the gas, and to get it down to the carbs, but it would not hurt at all if you drained the carbs to eliminate risk.

Removing the spark plugs and using a fogging oil in each cylinder before replacing the plugs, lightly, will take care of the combustion chambers. An oil change before parking the bike will take car of everything else except the battery, which should be removed from the bike, kept away from concrete floors, and be kept charged throughout the entire period. It also helps if it is kept warm, but charging indoors is not recommended.

Many recommend keeping a trickle charger/battery tender connected for the entire winter. I use one, too, but with a timer, so the battery gets a 3 hour charge every day.

[tomcat24551]

All above is good advice, but just one more point to add to it:

Just starting the engine for a few minutes every two or three days will put a lot of condensation (full of sulfuric acid) in your exhaust system. Over time rust'll take its toll on the chrome from the inside-out. Not a pleasant thought since new stock exhaust systems are unavailable now.

My rule of thumb: I don't ride the bike in cold weather unless I'm gonna ride at least 10 miles and get the engine full hot.

[jimcor]

An article in "Cycle" (now defunct, gbnf) once addressed this issue and argon's post reads almost like the Reader's Digest version of the essay. I might add they also concluded that it takes an air cooled motorcycle engine a minimum of 30 minites of riding to achieve operating temperature in winter. Don't judge how hot your engine is by just the head temperature either. One last point, your battery is not being recharged in those every other day quickie runs, it's actually better for the battery to sit unless you're going to run that engine for 30 minutes or more.

[Steve]

Yup, I agree with all the others above. However, I usually add a bit more Sta-Bil to the mix, sometimes even doubling what is called for. Has not hurt anything yet, that I know of. 8-[

You can find an automatic battery charger/maintainer at Wal-Mart for under $20. Just make sure that the package says "automatic" and "maintainer" on it. You can leave it plugged in all the time, just make sure you start with a battery full of water. Might not hurt to check the water level every month or so, but a good charger will not boil it out.

I have used Sta-Bil in the past, and have just used the last of my large bottle. I have recently been made aware that Sta-Bil has a shelf life of about 2 year after you open it, so don't get carried away on the size of the bottle that you get. I got a 16 oz. bottle a few years ago, and just used the last of it. Another product that will stabilize your gas is SeaFoam. It also works as a wonderful cleaner agent while you are riding, so you really have the best of both worlds. I am switching to SeaFoam for all my routine gas-line needs.


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[getsum]

THANKS FOR THE INFO.

In a couple days - once it actaully quits raining here in DALLAS I will just take her out for a nice ride on the HWY.

Get her nice and warm and go from there.

Thanks again. :-D :-D :-D :-D

[Clone]

you actually want to measure it out. I just dump in half a bottle of stabil or half a can or seafoam.