I’ve got a carburated motorcycle that has been left idle for 6 months. Gas is almost a year old. Is siphoning old gas out and replacing sufficient to fix? Maybe change the oil too?
That would be a good start but it’s always possible the carburetor(s) may need work.
The battery could also be on shaky ground. Most cycle batteries don’t hold up near as well as automobile batteries.
Besides the tank, don’t forget to drain the carburetors. Hopefully, the gas in the carbs has not changed to varnish. Unless the battery was on a tender, it may need replacing too. Changing the oil is a good idea.
Ed B.
How does one drain the Carbs? Is it something within the same difficulty as changing oil?
If you don’t have easy access at the carbs, I wouldn’t worry about draining them. Can you see the bottom of the carb bowls?
I change the oil in the fall, let it sit for the winter, then the oil is ready to go in the spring. I put non-ethanol gas in the tank and add some sta-bil before storage.
6 months isn’t a disaster - yet. I’d drain the tank, and refill with a gallon or 2 of fresh gas. Then start the bike and let it run for about 1/2 hr. This will move the old gas out of the carbs. If the bike is going to sit for another 6 months put stabilizer in the fresh gas.
Hopefully you will be ok an the bike will run fine. After running the bike an oil change is a good idea. You didn’t mention how long the old oil has been in there, so it can’t hurt. Even if you don’t bother to change the filter, fresh oil is a good idea.
It depends on the bike. Some have a nipple on the bottom of the carb bowl where you can connect a rubber hose and in these carbs there is also a screw that can be drain the fuel out the hose. Most bikes have carbs that can be difficult to access without taking off some parts. I’d just drain the tank, refill with fresh fuel and give it a go. If it was sitting for 2 years I’d be more urgent about draining the carbs, but by then they would likely be dry and gunked up already.
I know what I should have done, but unfortunately I’m not able to change that. I dont know what the carbs look like nor their bowls
6 months is nothing, My triumph started with old gas after 14 years, sure it took a little starting fluid eat my dust!
Don’t worry about it then. 6 months is nothing. Here in Minnesota, every motorcycle sits in the garage for 6 months and I’ve never drained a carb.
What kind of motorcycle?
The oil is 1 year old. The bike was new when I bought it. I put 100 miles on it over 4/5 months. Then I didnt ride it for 6 months.
Fire it up, go for a ride and change the oil. All should be fine.
Only 100 miles on the oil, if it looks good on the dipstick I wouldn’t even change it yet.