[msurk]

I was having a hard time keeping the SV I purchased running so I had the carb cleaned. Its been running great. However, we've had a string of cold snowy weather here in Colorado so I haven't ridden in a couple weeks. How long can the SV sit before I need to start it up in hopes the carburetor won't gunk up again? Do I just let it idle? How long?

Marc

 

[doxiedog]

It will not charge at idle,max output is 5k. Use a fuel stableizer if worryed,run it into system. The best thing,of course is to go for a ride 78° here today.

 

[83transam350]

78° here today.

I'm very jealous!
And I have let my bike sit for a couple of months without any starting problems, but thats an EFI bike.

 

[msurk]

It will not charge at idle,max output is 5k. Use a fuel stableizer if worryed,run it into system. The best thing,of course is to go for a ride 78° here today.

Are you saying idling won't do the trick and I need to get it up to 5k rpms for anything meaningful to occur?

Marc

 

[beancookie]

That's in regard to the battery. A trickle charger should do the trick.

 

[cfreger]

I use SeaFoam as a gas treatment on a regular basis.
That way, whether I ride a lot or a little, I just don't worry about it.

It's a fuel stabilizer and a carb cleaner
(and a floor wax, and a dessert topping ;D).

 

[fivetoez]

I go out & start mine up every few wks. or soo....& i let er run for about 5min. @ about 1,500rpm.

 

[SDRider]

I would start it before riding.;D

 

[PMD]

+one on the seafoam.run it thru the system,and then let sit overnite.Once a month,extra doesn't hurt anything and it is a gas stabilizer.

 

[TomServo]

If you want to run it for a little bit and worry less about running down your battery, unplug your headlights. That will help it from losing charge when running at lower engine speeds. I killed my battery last weekend at the ARC course and it couldn't charge enough since we're just riding around the parking lot. unplugging the headlights A) made it easier to start since they weren't competing for juice at start and B) the battery was starting to charge enough even at low rpms that we didn't have to keep jumping it. It may be easier to pull the fuse for the headlights, but on my S, it was easy enough just to reach up front & pull the harness on the lights.

 

[JcTerra]

Just make sure you let it run long enough to get fully warmed for the sake of the carbs.

I have an 02 that doesn't get much use, especially in the winter so I used to start it every couple of weeks and just idle it for a few minutes ... bad technique, I found out. The carbs ended up gumbed up anyway due to the short time I was running it which just generated condensation in the cold carbs.

I should have run it long enough to get the whole engine fully warmed. If you can ride at all, then I've heard a good 15min ride and roll the throttle on and off at higher rpm near the end is the "perfect" solution to generate heat and good vacuum through the carbs.

So if you can only run it in the driveway ... then I would think, at least 15 min and rev it to get some vacuum through the carbs.

Just trying to save you the agro' of carb clot ...

 

[NTJordan]

IMO you should not start the bike unless your are going to ride it. Like Doxie said, there wont really be any battery charging happening, and fuel stabilizer will take care of keeping everything clean inside. Even if you let the motor come up to operating temperature, you really aren't doing any good by just letting it warm up and then shutting it down. Again, this is what I have learned, and it has worked for me, but there are many opionions I am sure.

 

[msurk]

How about 75 mph and 5500 rpms? We had a break in the weather so I figured I'd clean the carbs out.

That seafoam stuff, doesn't it create a large smoke cloud? How long does it last? I have a belligerent neighbor with an irritating lap dog who deserves to get smoked [grin].

Marc

 

[cfreger]

^^^^ I have seen videos of cars billowing smoke after a Seafoam treatment, but that is after adding it to the crankcase of an old, gunked up engine as an engine treatment. (It is the old gunk that smokes, not the Seafoam).

I was talking about adding it to the fuel tank as a gas treatment, to keep the fuel line and carbs/FI clean, and keep the fuel from destabilizing. For that, you add one ounce of Seafoam per gallon of gasoline. That will not cause smoke.

(I have also given my engine crankcase one Seafoam treatment since owning it. The bike did not smoke as a result.)

 

[veritas4156]

^^^^^
It won't smoke if you add it to the crankcase. If it does then you have more serious issues due to really bad blow-by or bad valve seals or some other problem.

+one on the seafoam.run it thru the system,and then let sit overnite.Once a month,extra doesn't hurt anything and it is a gas stabilizer.

Sorry, have to interject. Too much seafoam will make anything run TERRIBLE. I love the stuff and use it in everything I own(even the lawnmower), but follow the instructions. If you accidentally add a little too much its not gonna hurt anything, but I added a whole can to my jeep once when I had a quarter of a tank(5 gallons) and it was just nasty listening to that thing run. Jeep still runs fine, it just ran like crap till I filled the tank(which was pretty quick). The smoke is all the crap you're burning out of your system, and it lasts roughly one tank of gas if you're adding it to the gas. I also tend to feed it through the intake via vacuum lines on my cars and Seafoam DeepCreep works great as a penetrating oil or as an aerosol throttle body/ carb cleaner. Some people say its pricy but you get quite a few uses out of a can if you're just using it on a bike, and I think its definitely worth it. I work at an Advance Auto and I recommend this product for several problems, and anytime someone asks me for a fuel system cleaner, intake cleaner, fuel line antifreeze, fuel stabilizer, crankcase detergent, seal conditioner, or just something to buy.

 

[andyauger]

It's bad to start any vehicle unless you're going to warm it up fully and keep it there for about half an hour. When you start a cold engine a lot of blowby in the form of unburned fuel and moisture get into the crankcase. That's what turns the oil acid and uses up the additive package. It takes a fair amount of time to cook all that stuff out. That's why, for example, short runs (commutes of less than 30 minutes, or a bike used for errands) are considered the most severe service for the oil.

If it's going to sit up for a short period of time hook up a battery tender and forget it. If it's going to sit for more than a couple of weeks you should use a fuel treatment (Seafoam and Stabil are two good, commonly available treatments) per the instructions. Run the bike for three or four minutes to get the treated fuel into the carburetor bowls. Shut down, hook up the battery tender and forget it. If it's going to sit up for a couple of months do the same thing, but change the oil after shutting down. Consider pulling the plugs and spritzing the cylinders with a fogging oil.

 

[Veee]

It's bad to start any vehicle unless you're going to warm it up fully and keep it there for about half an hour.

bs.
and btw. charging system works at idle. put meter on battery and you will see.

 

[NTJordan]

Not all charging systems work at idle. I have put a multimeter on many bikes that in fact do not charge till about 2000 rpm. Close to idle, but not that low. The SV may very well, but I can't say.

 

[Veee]

The SV may very well, but I can't say.

than why you saying?
sv is in question here, not Andy's Indian from 30's.

 

[nightowl]

I was wanting to buy a Bandit 1200, but after learning about these carbs,


What everybody says is true!

Bikes with carbs really do S-U-C-K !!!!!!!