Carbs | GTAMotorcycle.com

Carbs

M

Merkid

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I've been reading a lot of posts about folks that are taking their bikes out of storage and experiencing carb issues. Some of the bikes sat for as little as four months and have clogged jets and associated orifices. Probably didn't drain the fuel bowls prior to storage or use stabilizer.

I can recall storing bikes for over a year and having them fire right up afterwards. Damn this Ethanol stuff.
 
You try to give people advice, but some people just won’t take it. I use stabilizer at all of my vehicles and engines that are going to be stored for a period of time. Never had an issue with my carbs. The other thing I did, was run the last few tanks of gas with non-ethanol, premium, when it was available. The stabilizer will cost you about five bucks a year. Why people would risk a major carburetter issue to save five bucks is beyond me.

People will tell you that they never had an issue, until they do.
 
^ this
those handy dandy, easy to get to drain screws, at the bottom of the carbs, are there to make your life easy with a simple screwdriver..you don't even need to remove em, just loosen them enough to drain. rag/container to catch gas.
 
I have to admit I that I was somewhat sceptical about this stuff but I’ve e used it a few times on my lawn equipment and it actually works
 
sea foam does work ..like solvent an light lube
friend put some in his carbed 900F gas tank
worked so good all the scale varnishh crap stuck on the walls of the carbs came loose -- wreaking havoc with debris floating around in the carbs plugging jets n such. he then had to dissassemble n clean carbs.

using it on clean, or very near clean carbs for storage is best lol.
 
I grew up with carbs. I don't have carb problems. I sometimes have carb ISSUES, but I can easily fix them. Not so with EFI. I can easily repair an EFI system, by slapping new parts in... but FIX? or modify? Nope, I'll stick to carbs thanks.
Clogged passageways and varnish are nothing new, and I'll point out that a EFI metering system and injectors have a LOT smaller passageways to clog than any carb... just a EFI system runs at 70psi, so the chances it will start are better... but it'll still run like a dog's breakfast with clogged passageways or injectors (injector nozzles are teeny tiny)... just like a carb bike does
When you're done with the bike: drain the tank, drain the carbs or run the bike till the injectors are dry and you're done. Store the bike for a month or 15 years, doesn't matter. When you want to use it, put in fresh gas and go. Takes half an hour in and out.
or
Go BUY Stabil, go fill the tank, putz around with measuring cups, run the bike for 15 minutes and HOPE it starts in the spring. So far it's cost $10, a couple of hours and you've got 6 gallons of carcinogens over there, and you're not sure the thing will start in the spring
Sorry I don't see the advantage of "stabilizer"
And I don't see what the problem with ethanol gas is either
 
bitzz said:
When you're done with the bike: drain the tank, drain the carbs or run the bike till the injectors are dry and you're done. Store the bike for a month or 15 years, doesn't matter. When you want to use it, put in fresh gas and go. Takes half an hour in and out.
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Never ever run the fuel pump dry on an EFI bike, you can cause unrepairable damage.
 
Heated storage, start the bike once a month and run up to opperating temperature will solve all your problems.
 
I once stored a 2000 R6 for an unexpected 12 years.
Bike was put away for what I had initially though as 1 winter. Left it with fuel stabilizer.

When I was time to fire it up again I was expecting to have problems.
Well, all odds were in my favour as the bike started on first attempt.
 
guzzirider said:
Heated storage, start the bike once a month and run up to opperating temperature will solve all your problems.
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Might solve your fuel problems (it doesn't REALLY) but creates more expensive engine problems. That's a great way of creating condensation inside the crankcase.
 
TK4 said:
Never ever run the fuel pump dry on an EFI bike, you can cause unrepairable damage.
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The three minutes it takes to run out of gas in the fuel rail isn't enough to overheat your fuel pump. If you're REALLY that concerned, I'm not, pinch off the fuel line just before the fuel rail.
 
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"Main problem is that it isn't exactly the same as pure gas and requires different methods for protecting the bike. Riders, in general, are not good with change." (he posted it weird, so the quote didn't work)

My point was/is: I've been doing the same thing for 50 years, since WAY before ethanol gas, and I don't have carb problems. It works, it's the easiest and fastest and cheapest "system" I have found ... and I betcha I put more bikes per year into or out of storage that anyone else here. So far this year I have brought 3 bikes out of storage, and put 2 into storage.
 
guzzirider said:
Heated storage, start the bike once a month and run up to opperating temperature will solve all your problems.
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How long is that? Coolant comes up quickly but getting oil up to temp takes about 10 minutes of riding. I have no idea how long it takes idling, probably 30 minutes or so.
 
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