Empty or full

[Green RT]

So I would like to hear some discussion of what would be the best procedure in the following situation. Let me start by saying I realize that it probably doesn't matter much,  but we like to debate the details, right?

 

After most of my life using a motorcycle for daily transportation, I have reached a point and a living situation where my bike is only used for an occasional trip or occasional recreational ride. With everything else going on that means that the bike is ridden maybe half a dozen times a year and sits for a month or more between rides. Rides are generally long enough to use much of a tank of gas or many tanks, since probably half my rides are multi-day or multi-week trips.

 

So, the question is: Is it better to leave it with a full tank of gas between rides or a mostly empty one. My analysis of the question so far is:

If the tank is full there is less space for condensation to add water to the tank. However I live in a dry climate and the bike is parked in a bedroom where the temperature  never varies more than a few degrees C.

But if the tank is full the gas is getting old and losing some of its volatiles. So maybe an empty tank would be better. Then it gets filled with fresh gas at the start of every ride.

 

I will close by adding the fact that I live in Mexico, and they do not add alcohol to the gas here, so that is not part of the equation. It also means that there is no winter down time, the rides are distributed pretty evenly throughout the year.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[ltljohn]

My opinion is add a fuel stabilizer like seafoam or stabil  and store it full.

[TEWKS]

It would depend on the tank material in my mind. Tin, fill and treat the fuel. Plastics, I'd still put a drop of fuel treatment in but the level of fuel seems less important in your stable environment.

 

Mr. Joe Friday to the courtesy phone please. 

 

[AZgman]

Storing the tank full pushes more air, and thus water vapor, out of the tank. Plastic won't rust, but water in the gas is still not good. 

[Antimatter]

Either way is fine, although if you want to store with an empty tank you should either fog it, or dump a teaspoon of oil in it and swish it around.  My personal rule of thumb is for any storage that lasts less than a year, tank full with treated gas.  More than a year, drained and oiled/fogged. 

[Hosstage]

In your situation I don't think it matters much as far as treatment, though I am a fan of Seafoam. I would leave it empty and start with fresh fuel with the next ride. But really, for me it would have whatever fuel it has left in it from the ride, whether empty or full due to needing fuel to make it home.

[chrisolson]

1 hour ago, Green RT said:

With everything else going on that means that the bike is ridden maybe half a dozen times a year and sits for a month or more between rides. Rides are generally long enough to use much of a tank of gas or many tanks, since probably half my rides are multi-day or multi-week trips.

 

 Haven't seen any recent data on  how quickly modern gasoline degrades given temp/humidity/time variances ... particularly gas that doesn't have alcohol or other US style additives.

 

I have more than one bike so even riding often, one of them will have a similar usage pattern.  They are always garaged with partial tanks with what's left after the ride home ... so my short answer is more empty than full.

 

I also live in a dry, mostly warm climate.  In my experience I have not seen water contamination as an issue and consequently I consider stale or old gas more of a problem. 

 

When I ride the bike that has not been out in a while, given that the tank is not full,  the first stop (or the day before a multi day trip) is for  known , "fresh" gas (don't know if the old stuff was bad, but I feel better with fresh starting out on a new  ride).  Couldn't do that if the tank was already full . 

 

Never had a problem

[Rinkydink]

I fill with non ethanol fuel and idle/run Star-Tron fuel stabilizer through the fuel system and have never had one snag in any antique or new bike I’ve owned. Do the same in portable generators and mowers. I was taught steel tanks need to be full for rust protection. 

[Oldrider51]

Another vote for a full tank and a good fuel stabilizer whether or not the fuel has alcohol or not.

[Rougarou]

A month at a time between rides, I wouldn't even worry about it.  The Honda Shadow we have sees about 500 miles a year, if that, it's been in the basement garage for two months now and will likely be there for the next three-four months.  Come springish, I'll crank it up and ride to work a few times (100 mile round trip).  Haven't had any issues since we purchased it in 2012 and that's pretty much been its riding style from the get-go. 

[realshelby]

Think of it this way, whatever part of the tank not covered in fuel is more likely to surface rust. 

 

After having MANY issues with fuel stabilizers, I have quit using them. They cost me more than they helped. Don't even think of using them in fuel tanks with foam slosh barriers or foam around the fuel pickup.......

 

Good ole race fuel or aviation fuel doesn't degrade like typical pump gas. 

[dirtrider]

6 hours ago, Green RT said:

So I would like to hear some discussion of what would be the best procedure in the following situation. Let me start by saying I realize that it probably doesn't matter much,  but we like to debate the details, right?

 

After most of my life using a motorcycle for daily transportation, I have reached a point and a living situation where my bike is only used for an occasional trip or occasional recreational ride. With everything else going on that means that the bike is ridden maybe half a dozen times a year and sits for a month or more between rides. Rides are generally long enough to use much of a tank of gas or many tanks, since probably half my rides are multi-day or multi-week trips.

 

So, the question is: Is it better to leave it with a full tank of gas between rides or a mostly empty one. My analysis of the question so far is:

If the tank is full there is less space for condensation to add water to the tank. However I live in a dry climate and the bike is parked in a bedroom where the temperature  never varies more than a few degrees C.

But if the tank is full the gas is getting old and losing some of its volatiles. So maybe an empty tank would be better. Then it gets filled with fresh gas at the start of every ride.

 

I will close by adding the fact that I live in Mexico, and they do not add alcohol to the gas here, so that is not part of the equation. It also means that there is no winter down time, the rides are distributed pretty evenly throughout the year.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Evening Green RT

 

Personally I wouldn't do much of anything. 

 

With E-10 you have a good 3 months before meaningful degradation sets in.

 

With your non alcohol fuel (assuming somewhat fresh at fill-up)  you have a  good 6 months or more before meaningful degradation sets in.

 

As far as moisture problems, those are more prevalent on the older motorcycles with open-to-atmosphere  fuel tank venting.  Modern motorcycles have very hearty emission evaporation systems that kind of filter the tank venting so very little moisture can get back through it back into the fuel tank. 

 

If storing with E-10 (alcohol fuel) then I would suggest keeping at least enough fuel in the tank to be above the fuel pump.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hosstage]

Right now mine are stored in the garage for 4 or 5 months of real winter. I honestly couldn't tell you how much fuel is in them, whatever was left over from the last rides. They've always been stored that way for winter, one carb, one efi. I run non-oxy fuel. Haven't had any rust problems that I can tell in 20 years on the carbed bike, 6 on the efi, I don't run the fuel out of the carb, always starts right up in the spring, runs good, better when I get fresh fuel back into it.

Tires are a little square for a while though!

The fuel I buy for the lawnmower, snowblower is non-oxy, and I treat it with Seafoam when purchased, I never know how long that is going to sit in the garage or in the machine.

[elkroeger]

Ethanol, non ethanol, seafoam, leaded, unleaded... it doesn't matter.  Just fill it up.  All the way.

 

Now you have an excuse to go burn up a tank of gas.

 

"Sorry honey, you're gonna have to (insert boring chore here) by yourself.  I gotta go rotate the gas in the bike.  No, I don't like it either, but it has to be done.  Don't wait up for me."