[kentuckyfried]

I have one regarding my upcoming bike purchase:

My old bike, a Honda CB550, had to be hooked up to a trickle charger.   Otherwise, if I left it in the garage without riding it for over a week or two, I pretty much wouldn't be able to start it.   

Also, the original owner mentioned that just letting the old bike sit around so long wasn't so good for the carburetors, b/c the fuel would eventually start to gunk them up if not ridden regularly (preferably every 2-3 days).

Do these same sorts of considerations apply to modern day, post-2000, fuel-injected motorcycles?   I would assume that I do need to keep the bike plugged into a trickle charger, but that if I forgot for a week, it might not matter as much as in the case of the CB550.    It is bad to let a "new" bike sit for 2-3 wks at a time?

Sometimes, I get bogged down by random bs at work or other garbage, that I couldn't go out and ride for a week, 2 weeks.   So the CB550 degrading was always a constant source of worry.   

 

[Jimmie]

Something was wrong with the Honda. You shouldn't have had to do that to make it start after only a week or two. Should of been able to sit at least a month or more without help from a trickle charger. My experance in the last few years, gas is only good for 3 to 4 months before it starts to go bad. I work on portable generators, and see a lot of bad gas . You can let your bike sit more than a few weeks and it won't hurt it. Last winter I let my 650 set a month and a half, and went out and it started up just fine. If your going to let it set longer than a couple of months, I would put some STA-BIL fuel stablizer in the tank. And fill the tank to the top so no rust starts on the exposed metal. 

 

[Bud.]

After adding the stabilizer make sure to run the bike so that it goes through your entire fuel system (lines, injectors).

 

[kentuckyfried]

lol...ok. This's welcome news to my ears.

I don't plan on letting the bike sit that long, at least while I'm living in CA.

Something was wrong with the Honda. You shouldn't have had to do that to make it start after only a week or two. Should of been able to sit at least a month or more without help from a trickle charger. My experance in the last few years, gas is only good for 3 to 4 months before it starts to go bad. I work on portable generators, and see a lot of bad gas . You can let your bike sit more than a few weeks and it won't hurt it. Last winter I let my 650 set a month and a half, and went out and it started up just fine. If your going to let it set longer than a couple of months, I would put some STA-BIL fuel stablizer in the tank. And fill the tank to the top so no rust starts on the exposed metal. 

 

[kentuckyfried]

If I end up moving to Canada, like some miserably cold place like Edmonton, what steps do I need to make sure to ensure that the bike is properly maintained in storage?

The few things I recall reading are

(1) remove battery
(2) place in garage and cover with breathable material
(3) Add STA-BIL to fuel tank and run * (just mentioned of course)

Not to cap on any Edmonton or anything, it's a beautiful area in the spring for motorcycling, but many winters last 6 months over there, so I've heard...

 

[kentuckyfried]

If I want to invest in a mechanics tool set, what size (number of tools) is adequate for doing cycle repair work? And what companies are recommended other than Snap-On?

I've seen sets that are over $450, and then I've seen other tinier sets that are $70+. So the range can be broad.

 

[gahdzila]

I've been pretty happy with Craftsman tools from Sears.

here's a couple of threads to give you some ideas:
http://forum.svrider.com/index.php?topic=51890.0
http://forum.svrider.com/index.php?topic=49914.0

 

[athflying79]

Wal-Mart sells Stanley tools. Some of the stuff is junk, but if you look you can pick the nicer stuff up for really cheap and it's made by Mac Tools. Some of the mechanics here use the stuff right along side there Snap-On tools. Plus it's about 1/12 of the price.

 

[Randy S]

I've never liked buying sets. Some of the tools you will never use.

Buy good names. I like S-K/Facom, Proto, Mac, Matco, Cornwell, Snap-On, etc. You'll find that certain brands are exceptional with certain tools. There is nothing better than a snap-on socket, in my opinion. Likewise Knipex pliers.

Buy good stuff and it will last. If you work on your biakes and cars regularly, it pays off in the long term. I've bought a lot of good used tools on Ebay. If you have a Grainger account, they can be a good source of new tools, as are several online retailers available through the internet. Even yard sales and swap meets can be good if you know what to look for.