Hi
Im going to store my bike for about 6 weeks until the weather improves, do you empty fuel tank or fill it up to help prevent corrosion, or is 6 weeks not a long time anyway? And Ive been advised to use paddock stands to keep tyres off the ground, what do you guys think?

Thanks Dave

Cant help you much here as I try to ride at least every two weeks during the winter..( Northern California) but always try to keep tank full regardless.

Yep, going to put a tender on battery, do you think fuel stabilizer is needed over 6 weeks, I know on carbs its Important, can injectors gum up that quick?
Dave

* Last updated by: dave350v8 on 2/11/2018 @ 1:32 PM *

Can't hurt.I do try to keep the tank(s)full.

For 6 weeks, I don't think you need to worry much about the gas but might as well fill it up. Running a full dose of Sea Foam in it won't hurt either. My gas tank has been empty for the past 12 weeks. Bike work goes extra slow in the cold dark winters up north. I've had it empty for prolonged periods while working on the bike in winter before. No problems. I think it's better to leave it outside empty in the cold than bring it in where it's warm. Put a battery tender on it. check antifreeze.

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Great info!

Is the fuel tank and system airtight on the zx14, if so the petrol should not go off so quick if sealed, or
have I got that wrong? according to petrol companies the fuel lasts longer in airtight situations, reducing the effect of the ethanol absorbing water and causing separation? Obviously I don't really know what Im talking about

Dave

Is the fuel tank and system airtight on the zx14

I'm going to say NO. It definitely lets air a/o fuel out of the breather tube when fuel expands from heat. I assume it also lets air in as fuel level goes down.

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If the bike is very new and never had a fuel overflow, It might still be pretty airtight. They put some kind of waxy substance in the overflow tube to seal it the system from condensation. That stuff is sometimes seen in a gob below the overflow tube after the engine has become very hot and parked with a fresh tank of gas filled to the neck of the gas cap.

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If you have a local station that sells non-ethanol you will be good for 6 weeks. If your battery is charged you can just disconnect the negative or put it on a tender.
Dave.

lol my 14 has sat now for TWO years with the same full tank.She started and ran fine just a week ago!...yes,I used stabil in her.(non-ethanol)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/13/2018 @ 1:58 AM *

While sitting, the tank breaths so there are two ways the air enters and bleeds off; due to the air being heated up inside the tank. Sealing is out. Only way is to drain the tank and keep the cap open so it stays dry. Condensation at the top of the tank is where rust will start. Topping off the tank covers the ceiling more. Gas goes bad in about 9 months and starts to gum up after a year or so. 6 weeks is not long enough to render the gas useless. Battery should be charged during down times. A clock is the parasitic draw so this will drain the battery. A battery alone looses 1% a day; according to Yuasa. So 30 days equals 30% down. Tire wise, the flat spot will centrifugally move out plus add the heat to expand. If you can hack the few bumps before it smooths out again... call the ball on the stands.

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I've never noticed flat spots on tires after storage but I put the bikes on stands anyway. That also seems like a good thing to do for the suspension but I doubt it matters much for that either.

I think for a seasons storage, doing nothing at all short of making sure the coolant can't freeze will yield the same result as going through the whole routine. These bikes do wear out as time goes on though so it makes sense to do everything you can to not wear them out while you're not riding them. My bike's 10 years old so by now, I might have bought myself another year of trouble free miles by storing it as gently as possible.

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Thanks everyone for your info, certainly not worried about 6 or 7 weeks of storage now, to be honest if a nice day or two appears during winter I find it hard not to give it a blast down the road before the spiders have chance to finish their webs.
Thanks again

I think it's best to leave it shut off until riding season starts. but if you're going to do a nice long ride and the engine gets hot, I can't see how that would hurt.

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A bike shouldn't just "sit". If you're not going to ride it, I'd still warm it up a few times during the six weeks. About 7-8 minutes is enough to warm it up and burn out any condensation in the exhaust. While warming up, exercise the levers and brake pedal a few times and all the buttons/switches. Push the forks up and down several times, shocks too. Seals go bad from complete non-use. Keeping the bike garaged and covered with a blanket will help keep the parts from slowly oxidizing and dust sticking to everything. If you've seen the difference between covering and not covering, you'll insist on a soft blanket. Get a battery tender and install the charger lead for easy hook up after every ride or while storing.
I've always done this routine if I can't ride for any extended time. Doesn't take much effort.

If it's in an unheated garage up North, you won't get condensation out, you'll get it in. 50° and a dry day is the least favorable conditions you can do an oil change without getting condensation. Store it before weather gets colder than that and you won't have condensation in. If you don't believe me, start it up in 30 F weather and look for the milky film on the oil sight glass a few hours later. Letting it idle for prolonged periods is not good either so that's not the solution.

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Thanks, Rook, for the added info about condensation. I've never lived in colder climates so I don't have that experience. I don't know where Dave lives. My advice could be useful to some owners. My point was the bike should be ridden if at all possible.
So, in colder climates, how long would you have to run the bike to be sure all condensation was burned out?

operating temp.When it doesn't reach that,the vapor doesn't evaporate.Sorry...not Rook.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/19/2018 @ 12:15 PM *

So, in colder climates, how long would you have to run the bike to be sure all condensation was burned out?

I have no problem riding in a little colder weather than 50 as long as I don't change the oil. There is a crankcase vent that goes to the air box. I imagine that retains some heat from the engine right below and the hot inside air meeting the cold outside air is probably less dramatic than when you drain all the oil on a cold day and suck cold air into the hot, empty oil pan. 40 F doesn't seem bad either. When you start getting closer to freezing temps, that's when you see the whitish water scum on the sight glass. It might be difficult to get the bike to operating temp when the air is that cold. The water temp (which indicates on the multimeter) might show 3 bars (halfway up the scale) on the Gen1 but that does not mean the whole motor, exhaust and the entire bike is at operating temp. If it's 30 F, you might need to ride the bike 30 minutes or more to get it hot enough so that condensation won't visibly form. If it's in the 20s, the water temp won't go above 2 bars when you're moving. It might hit 3 if you let it idle a few minutes after a ride but I don't think the whole bike ever gets warmed up when the air is that cold. You'd need to let it idle longer than it should. If it's in the teens, the condensation might never boil off unless you go for an hour long ride or more and who's going to do that when it's that cold out? I ran mine in single digit temps and let it idle 20 minutes in the closed garage. The water temp never went above two bars. Steam came out of the exhaust even after I shut it down. So my conclusion is, if you're not willing to take it for a good ride, leae it shut down. Probably if you see a lot of steam when you start it, that's too cold to run it...unless you don't mind water in the oil. I think it's not just a matter of how warm you can get the bike but how gradually it will cool off after shutdown.

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