Saddest time of the year...

toomanytoys

Well-Known Member
#1
Started prepping bikes for winter time and getting them put in storage. Everything has been treated and bowls drained in preparation for winter. Also put my motorcycles away too.

Left 1 motorcycle and 1 mini bike in a spot where I can get them out for a nice day. The ct200u is probably going to get refined plus powder coat this winter so it'll go in the basement. But I'll probably wait to do that so I can get a couple snow rides in. That's a lot of fun around the yard.

Hate winter! Do you guys do anything special before storing your bike for the winter?

Some of you are probably lucky enough to get to ride year round.
 
#2
Started prepping bikes for winter time and getting them put in storage. Everything has been treated and bowls drained in preparation for winter. Also put my motorcycles away too.

Left 1 motorcycle and 1 mini bike in a spot where I can get them out for a nice day. The ct200u is probably going to get refined plus powder coat this winter so it'll go in the basement. But I'll probably wait to do that so I can get a couple snow rides in. That's a lot of fun around the yard.

Hate winter! Do you guys do anything special before storing your bike for the winter?

Some of you are probably lucky enough to get to ride year round.
We can ride year round hear in South Carolina
 
#6
When I store my toys for the winter I have to put them in the shed or the garage so I spray a light coat of WD40 on the chrome parts ,cables, unpainted bolts, and any spots were the paint is chipped off etc… if I don’t I get surface rust ‘dusting’ come spring due to condensation.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#7
I just use TRUFUEL in all my small gas engines anyways.
Shelf life on the stuff is over 3 years, & won't glaze up plugs like Stabil.

I also use a good coat of Carnauba paste wax on the painted, bare metal,, & chrome parts ect.

Polished exhausts ect,, I use Marvel oil on a rag,, & wipe em down.

Exposed cable ends, I use Maxima chain wax.

I don't hardly use WD anymore on anything.
It's really bad for plastic & nylon ect.

Lastly,,

I always have big pieces of cardboard on the floor, underneath everything,, carpet works also.
Concrete sweats & is ''very'' corrosive.
Everything is also covered with large old bath towels, or old blankets.

I
 
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toomanytoys

Well-Known Member
#10
Bet they run pretty good. ;)
Day to day nah but I can leave it in there all winter and they fire up second pull after sitting for 4 months!

I'd go broke trying to feed it to my minibikes. We go through 3 to 5 gallons a week of fuel in them. My daughters will ride every day if they can! My tillotson drinks fuel at twice the rate as the stock coleman. Worth it though.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#11
Day to day nah but I can leave it in there all winter and they fire up second pull after sitting for 4 months!

I'd go broke trying to feed it to my minibikes. We go through 3 to 5 gallons a week of fuel in them. My daughters will ride every day if they can! My tillotson drinks fuel at twice the rate as the stock coleman. Worth it though.
Being a part time OPE specialist @ Lowes,, I recommend to everyone,, if they don't run TRUFUEL all the time,, at least use it the last run of the season, with putting in a pt. or so into an empty ''4 stroke''tank,, & then run for @ least 10 minutes before putting away.
They will fire right up next season. ;)
I don't like running carbs dry anyways, as it dries stuff out ect.
TRUFUEL won't hurt rubber & plastic parts ect. @ all.

A Qt. of TRUFUEL is also cheaper than a bottle of Stabil.
You can use a Qt. of TRUFUEL in @ least 2 - ''4 stroke engines'', & the 40 -1 ''2 stroke stuff'',, you could probably spread out in ''at least'' 4 ''small'' 2 stroke jobs.
 

mustangfrank

Well-Known Member
#12
Being a part time OPE specialist @ Lowes,, I recommend to everyone,, if they don't run TRUFUEL all the time,, at least use it the last run of the season, with putting in a pt. or so into an empty ''4 stroke''tank,, & then run for @ least 10 minutes before putting away.
They will fire right up next season. ;)
I don't like running carbs dry anyways, as it dries stuff out ect.
TRUFUEL won't hurt rubber & plastic parts ect. @ all.

A Qt. of TRUFUEL is also cheaper than a bottle of Stabil.
You can use a Qt. of TRUFUEL in @ least 2 - ''4 stroke engines'', & the 40 -1 ''2 stroke stuff'',, you could probably spread out in ''at least'' 4 ''small'' 2 stroke jobs.
Geez, I sure hope you're getting paid commissions the way you're pushing $24/gallon shelf gas. Between my little 50:1 snowblower and my 40:1 and 50:1 yard tools I use 6-8 gallons a year, I could replace all my machines every 3 years with the money I'm saving mixing my own premix. Only had to replace a weed wacker once in 12+ years, I should calculate the savings but I'm lazy.

Started using ethanol free gas after I found a nearby station that sells it, still using the same gallon of Klotz premix oil I bought in 2009 (1/4 gallon left) and leftover Arctic Cat Synthetic from when I got out of snowmobiling for the winter machine, both smell SO NICE when they burn as a bonus.

I could see using the shelf gas if I had only one premix machine or didn't have a garage but mixing my own is so easy and cheap, dare I say even better or fresher. Ironically Menard's sells premix oil measuring cups on the same shelf as the premixed quarts.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#13
Geez, I sure hope you're getting paid commissions the way you're pushing $24/gallon shelf gas. Between my little 50:1 snowblower and my 40:1 and 50:1 yard tools I use 6-8 gallons a year, I could replace all my machines every 3 years with the money I'm saving mixing my own premix. Only had to replace a weed wacker once in 12+ years, I should calculate the savings but I'm lazy.

Started using ethanol free gas after I found a nearby station that sells it, still using the same gallon of Klotz premix oil I bought in 2009 (1/4 gallon left) and leftover Arctic Cat Synthetic from when I got out of snowmobiling for the winter machine, both smell SO NICE when they burn as a bonus.

I could see using the shelf gas if I had only one premix machine or didn't have a garage but mixing my own is so easy and cheap, dare I say even better or fresher. Ironically Menard's sells premix oil measuring cups on the same shelf as the premixed quarts.
If I had to do my own lawn using a lawn tractor or push mower, I would pretty much use prem. ''non alc.', pump gas, except for using TRUFUEL for the last ''short'' run of the season,, before putting away.
''Small'' 2 stroke stuff, I just use 40 - 1 TRUFUEL,, as the price of 2 stroke oil, plus pump gas together,, can be pretty spendy also, especially if you just buy small bottles.

I also don't get pd. commissions ect., ''wish I did'',, just tell it like it is that works best for me, & hearing from others ,, that use it.

''Lastly'',,

TRUFUEL 2 cycle stuff, doesn't distort ''block carb'' fuel metering diaphragm's over time like mixed pump gas does.

These days, if you don't use up pump gas ''in a can'' in short order,, it usually starts going bad quick, regardless if it's mixed or not,, & you ''definitely'' want to avoid alc. fuel,, especially in any 2 stroke,, if you can.

I remember the days of old especially when I was a kid,, that pump gas in a can, would still be good & smell fresh,, even after 6+ months.

Pretty much not anymore though,, unfortunately.
 
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#14
No need to purchase any (high priced) special fuels. Just add "Sta-Bil" brand fuel stabilzer to your gas and you are good for at least a year even with (ethanol- containing) regular "pump gas". With have been doing this for all of our bikes for over 15 years now with excellent results
Michael
 

toomanytoys

Well-Known Member
#15
I use 64oz of trufuel a season between leaf blower and weedeater. I have maybe 10 minutes of weedeating and I blow my side walks off with the leaf blower.
 

mustangfrank

Well-Known Member
#17
If I had to do my own lawn using a lawn tractor or push mower, I would pretty much use prem. ''non alc.', pump gas, except for using TRUFUEL for the last ''short'' run of the season,, before putting away.
''Small'' 2 stroke stuff, I just use 40 - 1 TRUFUEL,, as the price of 2 stroke oil, plus pump gas together,, can be pretty spendy also, especially if you just buy small bottles.

I also don't get pd. commissions ect., ''wish I did'',, just tell it like it is that works best for me, & hearing from others ,, that use it.

''Lastly'',,

TRUFUEL 2 cycle stuff, doesn't distort ''block carb'' fuel metering diaphragm's over time like mixed pump gas does.

These days, if you don't use up pump gas ''in a can'' in short order,, it usually starts going bad quick, regardless if it's mixed or not,, & you ''definitely'' want to avoid alc. fuel,, especially in any 2 stroke,, if you can.

I remember the days of old especially when I was a kid,, that pump gas in a can, would still be good & smell fresh,, even after 6+ months.

Pretty much not anymore though,, unfortunately.
I'm not picking a fight with you but there's nothing magic about the ingredients in canned shelf gas or the oil additive they use.

It's a convenient retail packaging that has a ridiculous cost markup, much like travel size toiletries. I did the math, I pay about a dollar premium to buy 100% gasoline over regular ethanol blend and roughly 75 cents in oil per gallon I mix (from a 1 gallon jug). So 5 bucks for a gallon versus 6 bucks a quart adds up.

I'd balk if it was double but at over 4 times the cost it's not a convenience I can see paying for with my usage.

I do like the less messy pouring out of the little metal quart cans though when I got some samples with my mower but I get by with my dedicated 1 gallon premix plastic gas cans.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#18
Added,

Up till around 10 years ago, I used to race a 1/8 scale R/C Miss Budweiser Unlimited Hydro, & a 52' Catamaran,, both powered by highly modded Zenoah 26cc water cooled ''weed eater'' type engines, running also on tuned pipes.
RPM's of these on the pipes was ''over'' 19k.
The 20 - 1 mix I used, was Husqvarna XP oil,, with a min. of 92 octane pump prem., ''non alc''.

The block carbs were Walbro , & I had to put in new kits every couple of years,, because of the pump gas stretching & distorting the fuel metering diaphragms.
When those diaphragms stretch & get distorted,, it doesn't allow the fuel needles to open as far as they should, & in turn,, creates a ''lean'' condition.

Wish I knew about TRUFUEL 2 stroke stuff then, I would have used that instead,, with just adding a bit more oil to the stuff.
Would of saved me some coin on carb kits.
 

mustangfrank

Well-Known Member
#20
Wish I could remember who shared this link on here with me to give him credit but I found my local ethanol free gas pump using this site. I don't get my vehicle gas there so I would have never found it, 2 miles from my house. I never had any issues using regular pump gas and Stabil in my metal tanks (vehicles, not easily drained) but the higher cost 100% gas gives me piece of mind on my vintage bikes and gas tools for the sake of the rubber parts. I drain everything that can be though, float bowls are vented to atmosphere, I don't subscribe to leaving any kind of gas in there for months on.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada (pure-gas.org)
 
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