Race bike winter storage

[Pittenger5]

Is there anything special about storing a race bike for the winter as opposed to winterizing a street bike? Is it better to drain all the fluids, or just change the oil and put anti-freeze in? And what about gas, drain it or put pump gas with fuel stabilizer in?

[RyanNicholson]

last year i just put anti freeze and fuel stabilizer in and disconnected the battery....worked out fine.

[Pittenger5]

Ok IM bringing back this thread, cause one of these nights Im gonna get my bike ready for its long winter nap.
Since I own a carberated bike, and Ive never owned one before, is there anything different I need to do to get her put away nicely? Just replace the water with antifreeze, change oil, and add fuel stabilzer? Do I need to do anything special with the carbs?

[wookie]

drain the carbs of fuel. should be a screw on the underside.

it would seem that turning off the gas flow the carb (assuming the bike as a valve) and running the engine should empty the bowl/carb.

[OreoGaborio]

it would seem that turning off the gas flow the carb (assuming the bike as a valve) and running the engine should empty the bowl/carb.

i do that, but i also put in staybil. it doesn't completely drain the bowls.

[Pittenger5]

Hmm, well this seems more difficult than Im willing to do.
Is it better to fill the tank and add stabilizer, or just drain the fucker and leave it running till the gas is out.

[wookie]

yeah, I meant in addtion to adding stabilizer.

not that difficult
(1) add stabilizer
(2) run bike for a bit
(3) close gas flow btw tank and carb
(4) run bike to drain the bowl (when the bike won't run at all, the carb is pretty much empty)
(5) top off the gas tank
Done

Or -
(1) add stabilizer
(2) run the bike for a bit
(3) top off the gas tank
Done

[Honclfibr]

At minimum, put stabil in the tank, run it for 2-5 minutes with the fuel petcock on for the carbs to fill with stabiled gas. Easy. Now your carbs are filled with stabiled gas, which is better than raw gas.

One better: After letting the bike run with the petcock on, shut off the petcock and let the bike run until it dies. Now your carbs are mostly empty and what's left is stabiled gas.

Bettererer: After the bike dies, remove the gas tank, reach under the carburetors and burn yourself on the hot engine. Swear. Let the bike cool. Drain the float bowls. Now your carbs are really mostly empty and what's left is stabiled gas.

Besterest: Now, take the carburetors off. Dissassemble. Lose a few pieces that probably weren't important anyway. Jump up and down on your carburetors trying to put them back. Swear at kawasaki engineers for their poor airbox boot design. Leave bike in pieces. Buy ZX6R. Set fire to EX500. Now your bike is on fire and it really doesn't matter what's in the carburetors which are little more than a puddle of goo on your garage floor now anyway. Success!

[Pittenger5]

Oooh I already like betterest, I already own a ZX6R

[Honclfibr]

Oooh I already like betterest, I already own a ZX6R

Uh oh, you're going to need to winterize that one too then. The good news is you'll be racing a ZX10 next year!

[CMG241]

I'm not a mechanic nor do I play one on tv but over the years have winterized enough stuff - swap water for anti-freeze, stabilize the fuel, fill tank to tippity top (if steel), run for 5 minutes, turn off and put it away for the winter. Leave the fuel in the bowls and in an ideal world start the bike once a month thru the winter. If not an option spray fogging oil in the cylinders.
I had twin 454's in my boat and never considered draining the carbs, no one ever did. Come spring I'm going to suck the stabilized fuel out of the bikes and run in my car, why not. If this winter is like the last couple my street bike will see the road each month any ways.

[Pittenger5]

Well Ive winterized the 6R every year, and she seems to be fine. Aside from me crashing it. But didnt know if carbs are different than FI

[Crash Dummy Denno]

my winterizing process for the past 4 years on my bikes

drive into garage with whatever gas/oil/coolant was in the bike, turn off, put battery on tender and cover it if i was feeling frisky

i've never had a problem

i'll do it right this year.... hopefully

[Pittenger5]

You MIGHT want to put in antifreeze on your race bike at the very least. Unless it stays somewhere warm. Ive tried that, but I couldnt get the bike up the stairs to my bedroom.

[Crash Dummy Denno]

You MIGHT want to put in antifreeze on your race bike at the very least. Unless it stays somewhere warm. Ive tried that, but I couldnt get the bike up the stairs to my bedroom.

no im gonna do it right this year - i was just illustrating the fact that people do over-do this stuff as it is not that critical - just dont forget to put the battery on a plugged in tender sucks starting a season off paying for a battery

[Pittenger5]

Haha funny thing is Ive never taken a battery out, or even left it on a tender. Ive never had a problem. Seems a lot of this happens to do with luck. Course, my bikes are left in a semi-heated garage, so its not as bad as an unheated garage or shed.

[Crash Dummy Denno]

Haha funny thing is Ive never taken a battery out, or even left it on a tender. Ive never had a problem. Seems a lot of this happens to do with luck. Course, my bikes are left in a semi-heated garage, so its not as bad as an unheated garage or shed.

wow - total mind job

[Pittenger5]

I bet its all communist propaganda from the makers of Staybil and Battery Tenders, and of course the stand makers cause you might get flat spots in your tires.

[CMG241]

I bet its all communist propaganda from the makers of Staybil and Battery Tenders, and of course the stand makers cause you might get flat spots in your tires.

Ever since fuel was reformulated a few years back it doesn't last for chit without stabilizer......or does it?

Hey Dennis, the thread is race bike storage not street beaters (note to self, don't buy a bike from Denno)

[Crash Dummy Denno]

Ever since fuel was reformulated a few years back it doesn't last for chit without stabilizer......or does it?

Hey Dennis, the thread is race bike storage not street beaters (note to self, don't buy a bike from Denno)

that was last year this is now - ive turned over a new leaf with my purrrrttty R6 and now my racey 636

[CMG241]

Theres nothing "racey" about a 636.....good chick bike though.

[Pittenger5]

Only if its that gay green color. Especially if you have a ghey matching green helmet

[Crash Dummy Denno]

Theres nothing "racey" about a 636.....good chick bike though.

i challenge you to a trackday

*takes glove off and slaps chris i the face*

[CMG241]

i challenge you to a trackday

*takes glove off and slaps chris i the face*

See your there, just promise to wear your yellow bumble bee outfit on the green Saki

**take out penis - insert into Denno's coffee*

[SVRACER01]

holy crap! we arent building rockets here! stabil in the full tank. run it until it warms up and put it away. pull battery and throw on a trickle charger(or just run trickle charger to batt in bike if possible) DONE! did this to my other SV 2+ years ago and pulled it out this summer for amanda to ride and it fired right up.

the coolant is the only real issue. drain it, change it to antifreeze or heated storage. those are your options.