How to store bike?

[malamikigo]

Originally Posted by caferacermike

Errr... That's old timey advice right there.

Sorry, I'm not a mechanic. Was just repeating what I'd been told numerous other times for my previous bike.. I've only owned my ducati a month, so good to know what I suggested isn't appropriate, since mine is currently sitting exactly as I described.

It'll only be for about 4-5 months though. Do you still recommend draining the tank for shorter (ie, just winter) storage?

[caferacermike]

It happens. For 90 years the common advice was that if you were going to store it for a couple of months to fill it completely to the top to prevent rusting. That was back when gas was good, tanks were metal, and sheep were scared. Fuel used to have rust inhibitors, lead, zinc, and other items that helped keep the valve train lubricated. Modern fuel doesn't have any of these and the new cleaners they add can cause bare metals to flash rust even sooner. Manufacturers were told to switch to plastic when modern fuel injection began mass production. The manufacturers of the injectors told the auto industry that any little speck of contamination could cause failure. That's why you see plastic tanks, submersed fuel pumps and inline filters installed inside the tanks shielded from the outside. Modern cars have plastic fuel tanks as well as about 80% of the new bikes.

I can't comment about whether you should drain your fuel or leave it. I can't tell where you post from. Well I could search your ISN but I'm lazy and you might be using a third party to generate a false ISN as many people do these days. It's the 10%+ ethanol that you need to worry about. If you get 100% gas and put some stabilizer in it, Startron comes highly recommended these days, then 4 months might be fine. Expect rough running for the first tank and then better performance with each new tank of fuel after hibernation.

[malamikigo]

Sorry, I'm in Vancouver, Canada. I think the gas we can get here is a little better quality than most of what is available in the US. My bike is stored with 94 octane, ethanol-free gasoline from Chevron in it. (plus stabilizer).

I'll probably put it on the road again at the end of March - mid April. Should be alright, me thinks. Will probably be a rough first tank, but I may just drain it and put fresh in at that time. Usually what I've done with my other bikes, rather than run a whole tank with stabilizer and old fuel.

[Steve L]

What about leaving the bike in a trusted family members garage? Or a friend. I was deployed for 2 years to Iraq so I know the deal. I would gladly store someones ( a soldiers) bike in my garage and look after it for a year. Start it up and let it run once or twice a week.

Sent from my Zombie796

[malamikigo]

Starting up a bike and just letting it run once or twice a week is actually worse for it than properly setting it up for storage.

[Steve L]

Do explain

Sent from my Zombie796

[malamikigo]

Starting the bike and running it for short periods can actually do more harm than good since the oil will not get up to high enough temperatures to drive off the condensing water inside the engine and oil tank. That water will combine with the combustion products in the oil and form acids. These are hard on the internal components of the engine and also hard on the oil.

Again, I am not a mechanic, but this is how it's been explained to me, and searching google for information provides consistently same info.

[Steve L]

Yup. So get it up to temp.

Sent from my Zombie796

[malamikigo]

If that's how you want to do it, go for it.

[caferacermike]

Originally Posted by malamikigo

Sorry, I'm in Vancouver, Canada. I think the gas we can get here is a little better quality than most of what is available in the US. My bike is stored with 94 octane, ethanol-free gasoline from Chevron in it. (plus stabilizer).

In theory you should be fine. Acerbis makes the plastic tanks for Ducati and had been making plastics for dirt bikes for decades before Ducati wanted reliable fuel injection and the plastic tanks that go with them. That's why Ducati went with Acerbis, they knew what they were doing. Everything was fine in the rest of the World and for the first couple of years in the US. Then the US mandates of 10% ethanol blending became the norm and those 2 year old, and brand new bikes, began to suffer the bloat. It took a year or so to figure out what was going on. That's why the fully formed plastic tank was short lived and now you find that the outer is just a skin to cover the ugly fuel tank beneath. There is some wiggle room in the new bike design. Since you say you filled it with ethanol free fuel, the rest of the world says you should be ok.