[ALEXB]

[Moved from separate thread: https://gl1800riders.com/forums/5-gl1800-tech-board/440105-not-starting-9.html]

...it's imperative to... not store them with a fuel additive in the tank...

...It appears a fuel additive may help with making the fuel still combustable, but possibly not help with keeping it less sticky...

I'm unclear on what your recommendation is, for Storing.
-I gather that the Fuel Get's Sticky, from age.

-Sticky Fuel occurs, whether or not a fuel additive is used in tank.


In which case, is it perhaps best to Empty the Tank, and Run the Bike Dry? --I'm thinking about my 1st Gen 2003, with a plastic tank.




And a follow-up Question: If I were to procure a bike that's been Sitting a long time, and possibly having "Sticky Valves"... How Best to start it the first time, to avoid the valve collision?

 

[GoldWingrGreg]

I'm not able to write it more clear than Honda does in their Owner's Manual. Below is the path:

Owner's Manual > index > storage > motorcycle > storing your Honda > preparation for storage.

Further down the page they say how to take it out of storage.

The only exception to what they write is this ... if non-ethanol gas is available, store it with that gas in the tank instead of ethanol.

 

[garyem]

Good I am safe that is what I do on the last couple of tank fulls in the fall.I put non ethanol gas in

 

[INTHEWIND]

Good I am safe that is what I do on the last couple of tank fulls in the fall.I put non ethanol gas in

I use non-corn gas 100% of the time. Its readily available where I live.
Lawn mower, generators, snowblower, Goldwing.:smile2:

 

[JayB]

From now until spring I run the non-ethanol fuel along with seafoam additive. Never know you get those 45 to 60 degrees days in the middle of winter so you have to be ready to throw the helmet on for your wintertime wellness ride!!!:surprise:

 

[Pooch]

OP, If you're looking for ethanol free stations in your area, try this https://www.google.com/search?q=ethanol+free+gas+stations+los+angeles,+california&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=34058197,-118251187,4669&tbm=lcl&ved=2ahUKEwiB28qRwL7fAhXho4MKHewDB74QtgN6BAgAEAQ&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:3&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:,33.834665265087175,-117.92408032776734;mv:!1m2!1d34.06193584257391!2d-117.51415295960328!2m2!1d33.62680214562286!2d-118.37932629944703!4m2!1d33.84464599178456!2d-117.94673962952515!5i11

 

[GoldWingrGreg]

Hopefully the discussion here will start to reflect what the Owner's Manual says to do.

 

[cycledude]

Have there been any Goldwings that suffered from valves getting stuck and causing damage ?

 

[cihilb]

Have there been any Goldwings that suffered from valves getting stuck and causing damage ?

You could always exercise the engine during winter storage. Open the throttle full open and run the starter until the oil light goes out. The bike will not start as long as you hold the throttle wide open, but will circulate the oil. Don't know how this would work in very cold weather. My bike sits in a heated shed (about 50 degrees all winter.

 

[Fluke189]

I never thought of valves being a problem. I've had and still own several motorcycles that sit as long as 10yrs without being started, and I drain all the gas out because in my opinion and experience seafoam or stabil is not going to cut it for more than a year at best. I put in gas, put a battery in, and they fire right up. Also had a 1993 E350 Ford van that sat 6 years with gas in the tank, and it fired right up as well. I don't think valves are a concern, but here in Denver it's bone dry 95% of the year, so maybe damp environments may be different.

 

[awingnut105]

I have known of two 1800’s that were let set for long periods of time. Neither had valve problems. Both had to have the fuel pump replaced and one had injector problems.

 

[garyem]

I owned a lot of different bikes,this is a first I heard of such a thing.

 

[jlbc212]

I've found the best thing to do with all engines that need to be "stored" is to place them in storage with fresh fuel treated with Stabil or SeaFoam, and start them up at least once a month and run them for 5 minutes or more.

 

[GoldWingrGreg]

have there been any goldwings that suffered from valves getting stuck and causing damage ?

that's a big yes

Thus the warning ... follow the instructions in the Owner's Manual. This topic was moved from another post. Not sure from where, but more info was offered there.

Notice that the Owner's Manual does NOT say to:
- periodically start one up
- add an additive

That means do neither.

 

[INTHEWIND]

You could always exercise the engine during winter storage. Open the throttle full open and run the starter until the oil light goes out. The bike will not start as long as you hold the throttle wide open, but will circulate the oil. Don't know how this would work in very cold weather. My bike sits in a heated shed (about 50 degrees all winter.

I do that every week or so in the winter.
No need to start the bike.

Full throttle while operating starter until the oil light goes out, takes about 1 second to turn off the light.
The starter will stop turning in 5 or 6 seconds.:smile2:

 

[GoldWingrGreg]

I do that every week or so in the winter.
No need to start the bike.

Full throttle while operating starter until the oil light goes out, takes about 1 second to turn off the light.
The starter will stop turning in 5 or 6 seconds.:smile2:

I never thought about that. But cranking it over with the fuel system and ignition system being disabled (wide open throttle) might not be a bad idea. It allows the intake valve stems to "self clean" them selves with no fuel pressure in the system. One possibility of sticky fuel getting onto the valve stem is from a leaking injector. If no fuel pressure, the likelihood of an injector leaking is greatly lessoned. Again, what probably makes a GL1800 different is that it has horizontal valves with an injector sitting directly above the intake valve shaft. If an injector were to leak, it would leak directly onto an intake valve.

However, when one guy's injectors where sent away for cleaning, one of the before/after tests checks for a leaking injector. None were found.

 

[ALEXB]

Greg...


So then I'm still wondering how best to Store an 1800?


If the culprit to sticky valves is Fuel (with or w/o Stabilizer), then why not simply Run the Fuel System Dry prior to storage?... and perhaps hand crank (or turn via Starter, w/o starting) prior to next start-up.

 

[GoldWingrGreg]

Greg...


So then I'm still wondering how best to Store an 1800?


If the culprit to sticky valves is Fuel (with or w/o Stabilizer), then why not simply Run the Fuel System Dry prior to storage?... and perhaps hand crank (or turn via Starter, w/o starting) prior to next start-up.

Does running it dry guarantee that the fuel rail are empty ... probably not.

Sorry to be the one who continues to emphasis the important of follow instructions ... but unless someone is able to know that there is absolutely no fuel left in any part of the system, the most practical thing to do is to follow the instructions in the Owner's Manual that came with their Wing.

 

[OnTheFence]

For those of us who don’t have access to the manual, what does it say regarding the fuel system? Surely it can’t be all that complicated.

Assuming the book doesn’t recommend fuel stabilizers, are there any negative consequences to using? Or is it merely an unnecessary expenditure?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[INTHEWIND]

For those of us who don’t have access to the manual, what does it say regarding the fuel system? Surely it can’t be all that complicated.

Assuming the book doesn’t recommend fuel stabilizers, are there any negative consequences to using? Or is it merely an unnecessary expenditure?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you are not riding for 4-6 weeks, use the Honda fuel stabilizer.:smile2:
https://motorcycle.honda.ca/Content...enericContent_FFH/winter-storage-guide-EN.pdf

https://www.wikihow.com/Winterize-Your-Motorcycle