Steps to store CB1 for winter. Should carbs be drained?

[Car2Slo]

Some of you may be lucky to ride all year round but I live in a city that can see 30+ inches of snow.  As a result I've got to prep my ride for storage.  Looking for recommendations in steps I should follow.

Some of the practices I've done in the past include;

- wash and wax bike
- change oil
- put battery on charger
- put bike on stands (I put on hard styrofoam squares)
- fill gas tank
- put stabilizer in fuel and run for 10 minutes

Anything else?

- I just spend a few hundred bucks on carb rebuild and wondering if I should drain the carbs?  Will running the bike with gas off and it stops by it self suffice?   How do I drain carbs (steps)?

[mrbones]

After you put the stabilizer in the fuel and let it run a bit, I'd drain it all out of the tank and carbs and use it the lawn mower (oops, I mean snow blower, lol) or put it back in your car. You can drain the carbs by turn a small screw at the bottom of the float bowl. Gas will come out of the little tube that is connected to it. Obviously, on this bike, you have to do it 4 times.

I wouldn't bother changing the oil until I ride it again, but that's just me. Make sure that battery charger is a low charge monitoring type like a 'Battery Tender' (over priced, tho). You can get ones like that at Wal-Mart for abou $20.

[mechdziner714]

Inst it better to leave the tank full to prevent rust, or did you mean to drain it in the spring and feed the mower w/ it.

[mrbones]

Hmm, that's good point. My bikes are ridden year 'round so the only ones I've stored are my ATVs which have plastic tanks. Anyone else have an opinion on this?

[Honda Nut]

Yeah, definetly leave the tank full.  Two things: one, it prevents rust inside and two, it keeps moisture from building up on the inside (that causes the rust).  You can drain the carbs, but I guess that depends on how long it will be stored for.
I run the stabilizer through for a bit, then just leave them full.  The theory being that any crap that is in the carbs already won't dry up and become hard to remove, better to keep it wet and do a flush in the spring (and if they are worse than that- it's time for a carb cleaning anyway).  Make sure you put chain lube on too.  If you park the bike on concrete, insulate the wheels from the floor with carpet (the concrete sucks the moisture from the tires- thus "squaring" them).  If you are parking it in an area where mice may get to it, plug all holes- i.e. the exhaust pipe and maybe remove the seat so they cant chew it.  Hope this helps- sorry so lengthy 

[SHOwallen]

I have a question.  I just bought my 1990 CB-1 a month ago.  I am currently getting it ready for winter.  I changed the oil and the coolant.  I have a question about running the carbs dry.  I turned off the gas and let the engine run for about 15 min, then I noticed that it was leaking coolant.  I'm guessing out of the resvoir drainage tube.  I'm wondering if I have too much coolant or if the engine was getting too hot just idleing there.  I turned it off.  How long should it take for the engine to die if it is idleing with the gas off?

[Rusty]

SHOwallen,
Put the bike up on the center stand. On the left side, bewteen the side panel and the carbs, above the motor, you can see the reserve tank. There are two lines on the tank. If your coolant is above the top line, you have too much in it.

When I put a bike away for the winter. I put stabilizer in the tank, fill the tank. Put the bike on stands. Every two weeks or when the weather permits, I start the bikes up outside. Leave it warm up on idle. Then play with the throttle, never taking it past about 4000 rpms (neighbors hate it   when I do the RC51 with SATO pipes ). Takes me about 15 minutes of run time. Run it long enough to get the moisture out of the cylinders and exhaust pipe. Then cork the pipes back up when done. Never had a problem (just neighbors ) In the spring, change oil, check everything over.

[SHOwallen]

I checked the resivor tank and it was dry.  Any ideas why it would leak?  It has never done this before, I recently changed the coolant.  It only happened when it was idleing for 15 min. 

[mechdziner714]

Fill that ressy up, start it and find out where its comin from. My guess would be a dry rotted hose somewhere.