Getting ready to ride

whiway · 03-12-2012, 04:08 PM

OK. Last fall I put sta-bil in gas & filled up completely then rode about 10 miles home so sta-bil would mix well & get through carb. That is basically all I did other than covering bike w/sheet. Bike was stored in garage all winter & on a couple of occasions I heated the garage for projects which caused condensation to gather on tank. I know better now how to prepare bike for winter largely due to reading this forum & will have better place to store it next winter that will stay steadily cold.
Question is: will the sta-bil take care of moisture in tank & should I be concerned about condensate in oil? Thanks.

mrlmd1 · 03-12-2012, 04:24 PM

If the tank was filled completely up to the fill neck, there was little air space in there to accumulate moisture and condensate. The gas should be OK.
When was the last time you had the oil changed? There shouldn't be any water in the oil, but the next time you store the bike for 4-6 months, change the oil BEFORE you store the bike so it doesn't sit with acidy oil in the engine all that time.
Did you have the battery on a tender or charger periodically to keep it topped up?
See if you can start up the bike when you are ready to ride, not before. You probably have to try and resurrect the battery or get a new one of that is unsuccessful. If you are due for an oil change, go for the first ride, then change it when you come home.

whiway · 03-12-2012, 04:50 PM

Mileage on oil is unknown, only rode maybe 100 miles after buying. Battery is on maintainer.

**jonathan180iq** · 03-13-2012, 05:29 PM

Just give her a regular tune up.
Change the oil, just because, and especially since you don't know how many miles on are the last one.

Also, there are tons of different products for getting moisture out of gas. Just grab a bottle of STP for like $0.98 and dump it in. The Stabil should have taken care of most of the issues. But the best maintenance at this point, and for for any vehicle after a long slumber, is a good long, hot ride. Stretch her legs, get her woken up and then do the other stuff that probably needs to be done before a good Spring/Summer season.

Clean and lube your chain too

Water Warrior 2 · 03-13-2012, 07:13 PM

Check your tire pressures. They will be down.

03-12-2012, 04:08 PM	#1
whiway Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fort Dodge, IA Posts: 7	Getting ready to ride OK. Last fall I put sta-bil in gas & filled up completely then rode about 10 miles home so sta-bil would mix well & get through carb. That is basically all I did other than covering bike w/sheet. Bike was stored in garage all winter & on a couple of occasions I heated the garage for projects which caused condensation to gather on tank. I know better now how to prepare bike for winter largely due to reading this forum & will have better place to store it next winter that will stay steadily cold. Question is: will the sta-bil take care of moisture in tank & should I be concerned about condensate in oil? Thanks. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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03-12-2012, 04:24 PM	#2
mrlmd1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Crawfordville, Florida Posts: 2,853	Re: Getting ready to ride If the tank was filled completely up to the fill neck, there was little air space in there to accumulate moisture and condensate. The gas should be OK. When was the last time you had the oil changed? There shouldn't be any water in the oil, but the next time you store the bike for 4-6 months, change the oil BEFORE you store the bike so it doesn't sit with acidy oil in the engine all that time. Did you have the battery on a tender or charger periodically to keep it topped up? See if you can start up the bike when you are ready to ride, not before. You probably have to try and resurrect the battery or get a new one of that is unsuccessful. If you are due for an oil change, go for the first ride, then change it when you come home.
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03-12-2012, 04:50 PM	#3
whiway Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fort Dodge, IA Posts: 7	Re: Getting ready to ride Mileage on oil is unknown, only rode maybe 100 miles after buying. Battery is on maintainer. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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03-13-2012, 05:29 PM	#4
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	Re: Getting ready to ride Just give her a regular tune up. Change the oil, just because, and especially since you don't know how many miles on are the last one. Also, there are tons of different products for getting moisture out of gas. Just grab a bottle of STP for like $0.98 and dump it in. The Stabil should have taken care of most of the issues. But the best maintenance at this point, and for for any vehicle after a long slumber, is a good long, hot ride. Stretch her legs, get her woken up and then do the other stuff that probably needs to be done before a good Spring/Summer season. Clean and lube your chain too
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03-13-2012, 07:13 PM	#5
Water Warrior 2 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Squamish B.C Canada Posts: 11,409	Re: Getting ready to ride Check your tire pressures. They will be down. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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