Indoor Winter Storage

[The ModFather]

I know that there are better methods with greater detail for indoor winter storage (i.e. battery tender etc.) but seems my buddys here in the states seem to advocate almost empty tank and run it every two weeks for 20min where as the boys I know up in Canada say its best to leave the tank all the way full and dont run it at all (albeit with a battery tender). Thoughts and votes please.

[ducatiz]

Both of your choices stink

There are plenty of threads about this on the board.

It doesn't take too much work to properly store it so it is perfect when you take it out.

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=49764.msg910321#msg910321

[hillbillypolack]

If it's indoor, as in 'in the house', that'd be fantastic.  Since I'm guessing it's an air cooled Duc, you have simplicity on your side.

In the fall, change to fresh oil, filter.  Fill tank but add Sta-Bil marine formula to combat the dreaded ethanol's effects.  Run the bike until warm to get the fuel into the injectors etc.  Pull plugs, and fog cylinders with fogging oil.  Pull battery and leave hooked up to tender or equivalent. You can use track stands on both wheels to minimize flat spots on tires if you like.

Maybe toss a cover or old bedsheet on the bike for the duration of the winter and hibernate until the frost clears in the springtime.  It's worked flawlessly for me the last 15 years.

[xsephirot]

Fill it up. Add some stabul. Hook up battery tender.

[ducatiz]

Do not use Stabil or Startron for storage.  Use them to "refresh" old fuel if you must, and its cheaper to make your own.

Directly from the MSDS:

StarTron:    >95% 64742-96-7 (Solvent Naphtha)
Stabil regular:  >95% 64742-47-8 (Kerosene)
Stabil Marine:  80% 64742-47-8 (Kerosene), 20% "additive mixture"


I can email you the MSDS sheets for these.  As well as K100, I have a 3rd party review of it.

K-100:  30-45% Ethelyne Glycol (coolant), 30-40% butyl alcohol, 15-20% alkyl alcohol, 5-10% Alkenoic acid, 4-7% secondary amine

Neither Stabil nor Startron have done 3rd party testing.

[booger]

It's best to drain the tank completely, pull it off the bike, and set it on a shelf to air out.

Take the battery out of the bike and stash it someplace relatively warm and then hook the tender up.

Some change the oil out for winter storage, then change it again in the spring. That's too many oil changes, especially if you use good synthetic oil to begin with. I change the oil in the spring; the dirty oil sits in the sump anyway and will not hurt anything at all.

Clean the bike well (I never used water to wash my bike, only WD40 for the hard parts and plastic polish for the body parts), keep it covered and in a garage, preferably on a front and rear stand. Do this and you will never have corrosion issues and your bike will remain as new. I never understood why anyone would want to wash a motorcycle with water, and some are even foolish enough to wash with a pressure washer. That and riding in a downpour will cause electrical problems. BMW GS might be able to handle it but Ducs don't do very well.

[Preisker]

Move to California.   Today it was 72 degrees here, just north of Santa Barbara, and even though my S4 is turning into a push start only bike (for right now at least), I still try to ride it every day.   Beats riding my wife's Sportster.   Hell, riding my Honda CT-70 is better than riding the Sportster.  Almost the same power, too.

[phishhead1]

you know us midwesterners are having a heat wave right now 55 yesterday and 45 today.  one of my ridin buddies got himself a trophy yesterday for doing 77 in a 45. unfortunately i had to work or i would have one to.

[hillbillypolack]

Do not use Stabil or Startron for storage.  Use them to "refresh" old fuel if you must, and its cheaper to make your own.

I don't know about that.  It's necessary to get the treated fuel into the injectors, seals, etc and keep it there during storage.  Dried seals (from draining fuel system etc) could adversely affect the seals.  Untreated fuel could get gummy in the fuel delivery system.  So keeping treated fuel, full tank etc seems to have led to the best results for me.  I'd rather not try an alternate.

[hillbillypolack]

Clean the bike well (I never used water to wash my bike, only WD40 for the hard parts and plastic polish for the body parts), keep it covered and in a garage, preferably on a front and rear stand. Do this and you will never have corrosion issues and your bike will remain as new. I never understood why anyone would want to wash a motorcycle with water, and some are even foolish enough to wash with a pressure washer. That and riding in a downpour will cause electrical problems. BMW GS might be able to handle it but Ducs don't do very well.

There is nothing wrong with water washing a bike.  Nothing.  It's validated to be able to ride through rain (water) and wiring looms, fuel systems and electrical components are designed to be water proof.  But I agree, power washing isn't smart.  It only invites the possibility of pushing water through seals and into bearings and electrical components.

I have an equally OCD method of washing, drying and detailing a bike prior to storage.  1)  wash bike with S-100 except for the area near the gauges and airbox.  Be sure you're in a shaded area.  Low pressure garden hose, cool water to rinse.  Run your bare hand over the surfaces to make sure you're rinsing off all the soap.  You can use a soft paintbrush to get into the hard to get areas and wash out the road grime.  2) dry large areas with towels.  3)  dry nooks and crannies with compressed air and soft paintbrush to 'chase' out the water from the small areas.  4) follow up with WD-40 in those nooks and crannies which chase out H2O and prevents rust.  5) Wax or detail bodywork  6)  lube and tension chain  7)  enjoy cold beer

[polivo]

Im sure there are a MILLION better things you can do. But this guy is probably asking for the simplest. Not everyone is handy or even has a set of decent tools at their disposal.  or maybe were just lazy.

I have done this for 15 years.. its worked on everyt JAP bike ive owned.. and hopefully this year it will work just as well on my ducati!

1. fill up fuel tank.
2. add the correct amount of stabil
3. run for 3 to 5 mins
4. turn offf bike.
5. connect battery tender.
6. come back in 3 months. Then end.

[ducatiz]

1. fill up fuel tank.
2. add the correct amount of stabil
3. run for 3 to 5 mins
4. turn offf bike.
5. connect battery tender.
6. come back in 3 months. Then end.

If you have a plastic tank, you should not leave it filled. 

Stabil is crap.  Look up the MSDS.  Kerosene and naphtha.  Save yourself money and leave it alone.  If you have to use something K100 is the only third-party tested product to be shown to work.

[Howie]

If you have a plastic tank, you should not leave it filled. 

Stabil is crap.  Look up the MSDS.  Kerosene and naphtha.  Save yourself money and leave it alone.  If you have to use something K100 is the only third-party tested product to be shown to work.

Would you suggest leaving the plastic tank empty if ethanol free pump gas is available? 

I ride all year so Stabil for the bike is not an issue.  Experience with my lawn mower says spring start up is easier.  As far as Stabil protecting your plastic tank, i agree, it won't.

[MsTek]

you know us midwesterners are having a heat wave right now 55 yesterday and 45 today.  one of my ridin buddies got himself a trophy yesterday for doing 77 in a 45. unfortunately i had to work or i would have one to.

Haha.. trophy!

[ducatiz]

Would you suggest leaving the plastic tank empty if ethanol free pump gas is available? 

I ride all year so Stabil for the bike is not an issue.  Experience with my lawn mower says spring start up is easier.  As far as Stabil protecting your plastic tank, i agree, it won't.

I would say if ethanol free gas is available that the risk is lower, but not eliminated.  Gasoline still absorbs some water, just far less than ethanol.  I would still drain it. 

I put a QD on one of my gas lines and made a drain line with a female QD on a hose.  I just put the hose in a gas can and then onto the male QD on the gas tank. 

Stabil is good for refreshing old gas and it's fine for running thru the gas in the bike so you have some in the fuel system (well, the injectors?), but for storing gas in a plastic tank, nuh uh. 

For the record, I DO use stabil in my lawnmower -- I don't care about moisture in the tank, and I am just doing it for the startup advantage, but I wouldn't count on it for long-ish term storage of my bike.

It definitely increases the octane of fuel to make it burn better after it's gotten "stale."  But using it in a Ducati plastic tank to protect from moisture is a bad idea.  Drain it.