Dealer says use marine stab-bil

[cromwell1234]

Well i just picked up some chain wax at the Suzuki dealer, the mechanic told me that ethanol additive in gas is murder on carbs, he said i should use some Marine stab-bil, (green stuff) with ethanol additive, over the winter. In the past Ive always used a little of their red stuff (basic formula) and started the bike every few weeks--new england winters don't offer much riding-should I add this stuff or stick to the old formula--Suzuki "tech-guy" says it works better on older bikes (swears by it and he uses it on his Katana, which he had in the back. its not to costly at 9.00 a bottle--what do you guys do over the winter???

[rustybronco]

fill them up with fuel, start/ride them from time to time.

[Nessism]

fill them up with fuel, start/ride them from time to time.

Condensation will form when you run the engine so each of these "time to time" run sessions need to be 20 minuets or longer to make sure everything is heated and any condensation, such as will accumulate in your exhaust system, is driven off.

[woodman]

I live in Billings Mt and I prefer to fill the tank, & add Stabil then toss it in the spring or dump it in my truck. I run the carbs dry and drain the rest shooting a little carb cleaner up inside & let it drain. I then disconnect & plug the petcock so it cant leak past and get gas in the carbs. Ive never had a carb problem and my bikes set from about Oct 30 to April 15th. There are times you can ride in winter but I leave the little ball bearing cinders at every corner for the rookies. Im 64 & knock on wood never been down so it works for me.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Sounds like good advise to use the green stuff

[gremlin]

stab-bil is a good product. marine grade will work so with the red. even with stab-bil i drain my tanks and refill in the spring with fresh. I dump my old fuel in the truck. the truck will burn it just fine and quick.

[bonanzadave]

use some Marine stab-bil, (green stuff) with ethanol additive, over the winter.

I put that in my Boat gas a few weeks ago and ran it for about 5 minutes. 3.0L straight 4 cyl Mercruiser. Also drained all the water (duh) and shot the carb with engine fog till it quit running. Then fogged each cylinder through the spark plugs. Pulled the battery. Thats alot more than I do to the Bike.

Well see next spring what that marine stabil does for me. I think I will dump some in the Bike gas.

[Old Colt]

These days filling the tank is not the best way to do it. The rules are changing. Due to the alcohol in the fuel, especially in a vehicle without an evaporative emissions system the fuel is only good for about two weeks.
What happens is the alcohol draws in a fair amount of moisture which then settles out and forms an oxygenated jelly in the low parts of the fuel system. This stuff is nasty.
If you have "Canadian fuel" all is as in the past, fill it and store it.
What some do is get your fuel in five gallon cans and let it set for a few weeks. The intention here is to have the alcohol settle out. Then pour some of the fuel off the top and watch the opaque layer on the bottom. You do not want the bottom 1/4 or so.
This will give you about say 4 gallons of clean fuel to mix the Stabil into and use for storage. I like some Marvel Mystery oil in there too.
If this is not a convenient task, put Stabil and oil such as Marvel Mystery in your last load of fuel. run it thorough but after your last ride, drain it and then run the engine out of fuel. One of the keys here is the film of oil in the tank to reduce moisture related issues.
As mentioned previously, you are best not to run it during storage, just let her sit till you can ride again.

[Steve]

In years past, I have used the standard red Sta-Bil (I never knew there was green stuff, too) in bikes that set for the winter. I have also used it in the snowblower that sets for the summer. I usually use about double the recommended dose, run the engine long enough to make sure the treated gas gets all through the carbs, then park the bike with a battery tender on it. As mentioned by others, don't start the bike just to hear it run, unless you plan on getting it to operating temperature with a 20-minute or so ride.

As long as you buy your Sta-Bil in quantities that are used in a timely manner, that will not be a problem. After I bought a large jug (much cheaper in larger quantity), I learned that there is an expiration date on the stuff. Seems to be good for about 1 1/2 to 2 years, then loses some of its effectiveness. I might be switching over to Seafoam this year. It claims to have stabilizing properties, too, and I already have it around for the occasional dose to clean the system out.

.

[Nessism]

Posted this in a different thread but same basic topic.

From the Suzuki GS1000E Owners Manual

STORAGE

For the long term storage of your motorcycle the following steps must be carried out after the motorcycle is thoroughly cleaned.

1. Run the engine for a few minuets, and drain the engine oil

2. Empty the fuel tank and spray oil to the inside of the tank.

3. Drain the gasoline from each carburetor by inscrewing the drain screws.

4. Remove the spark plugs and feed in several drops of engine oil through each plug hole. Turn over crankshaft slowly a number of times and reinstall the spark plugs.

5. Spray oil to the exposed surfaces; be careful not to wet brake parts with oil. Avoid spraying on nonmetal and painted parts.

6. Remove battery and store it in a dry and cool place (not in freezing place).

7. Deflate the tires about 20 - 30% and block up the engine to keep the tires off the ground.

[Old Colt]

That is a sound method.
If you are willing to remove the tank you may want to slosh it with oil. Might be more thorough than spray. Might not be too.

[Florida Guy]

I live in Billings Mt and I prefer to fill the tank, & add Stabil then toss it in the spring or dump it in my truck.

I don't understand why you would dump the gas in the spring.
Sta-Bil preserves the gas for at least a year. It's perfectly fine to use.

[Florida Guy]

even with stab-bil i drain my tanks and refill in the spring with fresh. I dump my old fuel in the truck. the truck will burn it just fine and quick.

So will your bike. Sta-Bil is a fuel preservative.
Read the bottle.

[cromwell1234]

OK Finally talked to a buddy at New Haven Power Sports, the entire shop staff (many with older bikes) swear by the new green color marine stab-bil, for any gas that has 10% Ethanol, the ethanol will not tar up and destroy the carbs over a winter break under the new marine formula, the red stab-bil (Old stuff) will keep it fresh, however you risk the formation of tar like substance that gumes up the carbs caused by ethanol, just going by what the crew at the shop use, I have no reason to doubt them--they said they would rebuild the carbs for free if I had a problem--maybe Ill just let them gum up for a free rebuild--HAHA-

[bwringer]

If you stop riding your bike in the winter for some strange reason , it'll run on Sta-Bil treated gas in the spring, but it won't run all that well.

It's a good idea to drain out at least half into your gas can, mix it with fresh gas, and use it up in your lawn mower. Dump fresh gas into the bike and ride, ride, ride.

Lawn mowers are a great way to dispose of unwanted hydrocarbons. Their fuel systems are dead-simple and easy to clean if something gets fouled up or clogged.

I'd never dump old gas into a fuel-injected car.