| Author | Message | ||
     Rotorhead |
It's not winter yet in upstate NY but I figure it is time to start thinking that way. I have been lucky to never having to store my ULY for the winter. I know there are many "ways" to store a bike and I know the badweb members love to share there knowledge. I really need some advice on storing the ULY for over a year without riding. I'm leaving this week for an all expenses paid trip to IRAQ for a year. So should I drain everything or fill everything? Leave it on a jack and off the wheels? Leave it on a charging system or remove the battery? The Battery is 1 month old. I may just let my brother inlaw ride it and convert him to a Bueller from his V-Star!!!!! I was on my way to breaking the 65,000 mile mark by spring of next year but it will have to wait. To all Badwebbers post your trips, tips and lots of pictures. Next years riding season for me will be lived through your rides. Make it good ones. | ||
| Prowler |
Rotor, my son is stationed in Italy for two years, so I filled his tank with fuel and Stabil, changed the oils and pulled the battery. Battery will be trickle charged (on and off). Bought a can of engine fogging oil and fogged the motor. Bike is up on the lift until next summer when he comes home for a couple weeks. Will repeat this process next year. Don't know if fogging is really necessary, but it gets humid here, so thought it'd be a good idea. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Remember when you do come back that the tires might not grip as well as they do now. They will look fine but I have seen tires harden up over time. The worst was when my XLH1000 was out of commission for a couple of years. They looked fine with no cracks or anything but gripped so badly that the rear would spin up in top gear in the rain on the highway! don't be afraid to wright yourself silly little notes and tape them to the key. what are the odds that you'll be able to remember all of this stupid crap after a year in the sandbox? | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Let your brother ride it so long as you trust him not to abuse it. Motorcycles are not meant to sit for 2 years without dire consequences. Better to turn your brother onto Buells than to let him continue to ride one of those crappy cruiser V-Stars. I rode a 650 V-Star to a fellow coworker's house because he didn't know how to ride yet. I was not impressed at all with that bike. I mean, how weak can they make a 650cc engine. Apparently Yamaha spared no expense in that regard. | ||
| Od_cleaver |
Rotorhead, My son is in Iraq now. He stored his bike as follows: 1. Change engine oil as you normally would. 2. Take it for a ride to a gas station (this will get that clean oil coating all of the internal engine parts). 3. Add your favorite fuel stabilizer to the tank and then the gas. 4. Your ride home should be long enough to thoroughly warm the engine (this also gets that mixed stabilized fuel through the fuel pump and into the injectors). 5. Make arrangements to have someone trickle charge the battery every two to four weeks. Having the battery out of the bike makes screw ups harder to do. Engine fogging, jacking the bike up, mouse proofing the intake/exhaust systems, etc. are options. Tires on the Uly normally don’t last long enough to worry about them becoming hard. When you come home, do the following: 1. With the spark plugs removed, but connected to the wires and grounded to the engine, crank the engine until you get oil pressure. If you can, disable the fuel pump while you do this (I think that ’08 and later Ulys have a separate fuel pump fuse). 2. Install new spark plugs. 3. Check tire pressure. 4. Go for an easy first ride. Note: 1 and 2 are a pain in the butt on the Uly. I do them on my Harley, but not on the Buell after my normal 4~5 month winter storage. I live in Minnesota and have a candy butt. Take care, | ||
| Treefrog |
I could ride it for you every now and then once spring gets here.  Seriously, if you need any help with it, let me know. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
I really need some advice on storing the ULY for over a year without riding. I'm leaving this week for an all expenses paid trip to IRAQ for a year. "all expenses paid?" How cool is that? NOT really! I was just joking with you! We're all proud of you for serving our country! Stay safe and we'll see you back here in a year riding that Uly again! As for storing the bike, I would see if you could get someone to start it once a month and let it run for a few minutes. Leave it on a battery tender and change the fluids before you leave and right after you get back! Good Luck!!! | ||
| Hooper |
C-don took my comment! I was going to wish you all the best over there, ask you to keep in touch with us, request that you post lots of pictures from Iraq, and let us borrow your bike in upstate NY (to keep it running). Thank you...stay safe and say hi to all the Americans over there. | ||
| Ronmold |
Wouldn't draining the gas completely be best if setting for a year? Even with stabilizers year old gas would be bad and Uly tanks are aluminum so no rust problems. | ||
| Prowler |
Stabil is only supposed to be used for "up to a year" of storage. If stored for more than a year, I'd probably drain the gas from the tank. | ||
| Od_cleaver |
Per the Stabil site: "STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer eliminates the need to drain fuel during storage, and keeps fuel fresh for up to 12 months or more." I am right now testing the "or more" part of that statement. My generator was running this weekend on 2 year old fuel. It worked just fine. Cylonedon said >>> "As for storing the bike, I would see if you could get someone to start it once a month and let it run for a few minutes. " You risk developing condensation in your oil when you use this technique. | ||
| Dentguy |
I am right now testing the "or more" part of that statement. My generator was running this weekend on 2 year old fuel. It worked just fine. Gotta say I've testing the "or more" also. Been a little over 2 years with my generator and pressure washer before on StaBil and they both did fine. | ||
| Dfishman |
Try to make sure it is real gasoline not the ethenol blend.The ethenal blend does not store well at all.My generator that is used for power outages sometimes sits for 12-18 months at a time.I do not drain it & keep stabil in it.It always starts up & runs fine.I got it in '93 after hurricane Emily & it is stored for long periods. | ||
| Nadz |
Have fun in the "thousand-mile-beach-with-no-sea". Keep head down and optics clean. I'll prolly be over to join ya soon enough! But wait- isn't the lil' lady gonna ride? Back on topic, I live in the North Country too, and each year parked my 12R empty, put some new gas in, charged the batt, and she fired right up every spring. Gotta love DDFI! Oh yeah, +1 on mouse-proofing. -Nadz | ||
| Rightpecial |
I went on that exact same vacation not too long ago. I hate to tell you but the tourism agency lied to you. They don't have palm trees, women, and beaches...only dat trees, pissed off dudes, and sand. I looked for a year, waiting patiently, and not once did I get a little umbrella in my drink. All the advice is good, but I would consider simply removing the battery rather than throwing it on a charger...could be wrong though. | ||
| Rightpecial |
Oh, and it wouldn't be smart to post pictures of this vacation on the internet...from personal experience...just saying. |
