Long term storage of bike, cars trucks

[Hoffa509]

My employer is giving me a year long, all expense paid trip to Afghanistan. I do get a two week break in the middle. I am debating on what to do with my vehicles. I have a Honda Reflex, Husky TE250 (fuel injected), a KLR650, a car, and a truck. During my last deployment I had my wife promise to go out and start everything every two weeks. We had a little domestic friction when I got back on mid tour leave with all my batteries dead and the alternator on my truck siezed. So this time, I think I will just leave the bikes in place. She may drive the truck and car. So my plan for all the vehicles is fill them up with premium and add STA-BIL. I will also fog the two carb bikes. I also have a battery tender for the KLR.
So with the local humidity and the current ethanol level does this sound like a good plan? The bikes will be in a garage.

Unfortunately there will be no riding over there. I did have an Army bike years ago but that was when I was younger and the Army was less risk-adverse.

[J&J]

On anything with a carb, turn the gas off & run them dry. The gas is more of a problem than fogging in my opinion. For anything fuel injected you can get the blue marine formula sta-bil, better for ethanol gas.

[J&J]

On anything with a carb, turn the gas off & run them dry. The gas is more of a problem than fogging in my opinion. For anything fuel injected you can get the blue marine formula sta-bil, better for ethanol gas.

And Thank you for your service to our country

[Laoch]

I can start them bikes for ya






When I went on deployments, I just drained the fuel, pulled the batteries, and put a little oil down the sparkplug hole. No worries.

[waserman]

Again thank you for your service for our country . Anything with a plastic tank drain and run it as dry as you can , metal tanks fill completely leaving a little room for expansion with temperature rise . The carbureted bikes run dry and drain the bowl with the drain screw or bottom carb plug where the main jet usually is located . I have had good results using Lucas products , ethanol additive and their gas additive also at the same time . The other thing that seems to have worked for me is some 2 stroke oil added to the fuel when I didn't have the other products available at the time , seems to have kept the fuel fresh for some odd reason . The only problem I have seen with the fuel injected bikes is if the fuel phase separates the water and gel like crap end up at the bottom of the tank or fuel injector and cause corrosion or worse in the tank if metal and injectors themselves , the Lucas gas treatment has enough oil in it to protect for a while.

[Longboardr]

You're close to the water, you should be able to find a marina that carries ethanol free gas. As others said fill up the metal tanks, full tanks don't rust. Turn off the petcock and run the bike dry.

Best of luck in the sandbox and thank you for your service!

[Bork]

I would change oil & run a few minutes to circulate it, & go to airport & get some av gas. Supposed to have a shelf life of two years. Run thru engine & then drain carbs. Fill tank as much as possible or remove tank & dump out all fuel. I usually take out spark plug & squirt some oil in cylinder and turn over a couple of times & screw plug back in & done. If there is a battery, remove & get someone to maintain it. Or maybe put a trickle charger on a timer like for automatic lights in home & have it charge everyday for 1/2 hr?(depending on amperage output)
Also a good article on additives: http://www.fuel-testers.com/is_gas_addi ... _list.html

I dont know how accurate this is, I'm leery of additives (snake oil), but seems unbiased, they only sell testing kits, right?

[motojunky]

Good advice posted above.

Momma says that ethanol is the devil. (in my best Adam Sandler/Waterboy voice)

There are plenty of marinas around, but none sell ethanol-free fuel. At least not the last time I checked. When I first got the Scorpa and learned of the tank's aversion to ethanol, I checked *everywhere* around our area. The airport over on Oldfield Point Road in Elkton will not sell you AvGas without a plane. I have a sorta-connection to get AvGas from the airport in Smyrna, but it's a pain.

The 98 octane race fuel they sell at the pump at the North East Sunoco is not ethanol-free, contrary to what the station employees say.

My recommendation is to go over to the VP distributor in Newark (rt. 72, right where it goes under I-95) and pick up 5 gallons of an ethanol-free race fuel. They make/sell a product called SEF-94 specifically for storage, but it's actually a few bucks more than the 96 octane ethanol free C9 that I get there for my trials bike. There's a race fuel place right next to the Cecil County Dragway, and another actually at the track too but I think the VP place in Newark is closer to you. For me, the VP place works 'cause it's on my way home from work.

Full metal tanks, empty plastic tanks, carbs run dry with the ethanol free fuel, and ethanol free fuel in the FI bike is what I'd do. I like a little oil in cylinder (via the plug hole) too.

I'm right around the corner. I'd be happy to come by now and then and circulate the oil through your truck & car. I can ride the bikes for you too, but I think they're fine set up for storage. If you want some help setting the bikes up for storage, I'd be happy to give you a hand.

There are several of us TST guys close to you (me, Russ, Jason and my brother Ryan are all real close). Leave your wife with contact info for us in case she needs anything.

Will you be at Candytown on Sunday?

Craig

[Bork]

Airport in Cumberland sells to car racers all the time. in Fl they fill up airboats. If you see any car racers around ask them where they get their fuel? I love the stuff. Every thing starts so much easier! I run in all my small stuff also, weedeaters, lawnmower etc...

[Longboardr]

Fwiw there are gas stations you can get ethanol free gas from. I use Hake's in Dover, PA. All their gas is ethanol free and their premium is 93 octane, expect to pay about 50¢ more a gallon.

Of course a lot of you guys are far enough south that it's a considerable haul up here