Seafoam or Stabil in gas tank?

[Squishman]

It's getting close to the time to park the conk for the winter. Would it be redundant to use both? I have a huge can of Seafoam, so I am hoping that it does what Stabil does. I know Seafoam does a lot more than that.  That's not what I'm asking.

[Mettler1]

  Stabil!!   You don't want Seafoam setting in the carbs all winter.

[Steve in Sunny Fla]

Stabil in the tank, and drain the carbs. Steve

[Squishman]

Thanks you guys. I understand the blue marine stuff is better than the red stuff.

[Pfloydgad]

Depends on how you treat your Connie in the Winter. With the type of weather we get here in Ohio, I can ride one day and have 3" of ice under 6" of snow in 24hrs. But I never really put "Hey Baby" to bed for the Winter.
I use ISO ProHeat (Red) bottle. It keeps the octane up to par and kills any moisture developing.
And if I can't ride her, I will start her at least once a week. I put her on the centerstand and put her in 2nd gear and let her move all her parts that move. I usually let run for 10 to 20 minutes, and always till the fan comes on. So processing the fuel keeps it flowing pretty well.
I always top off the tank with new fuel that is also treated with Iso while in storage in the container.
Just another way to do it, hope this helps.
Ride safe all, and especially now, ATGATT.
Greg

[Summit670]

I use Sta-bil, the regular stuff.  The other stuff is for marine environs and/or ethanol fuel but it would also be fine I'm sure.

The bike is garage stored, with battery kept charged via battery tender and I am usually able to ride it once a month Dec-Mar.

Oh, and octane - I think it is better in winter for easier starts to use 87.  No scientific testing done though to prove that.  I suppose 91 would last longer or be better for long term storage but if it is stabilized and run monthly I don't worry about it.

[T Cro ®]

I use Sta-bil, the regular stuff.  The other stuff is for marine environs and/or ethanol fuel but it would also be fine I'm sure.

The bike is garage stored, with battery kept charged via battery tender and I am usually able to ride it once a month Dec-Mar.

Oh, and octane - I think it is better in winter for easier starts to use 87.  No scientific testing done though to prove that.  I suppose 91 would last longer or be better for long term storage but if it is stabilized and run monthly I don't worry about it.

The blue colored Marine Stabil would be a great choice for use in bikes as it was specifically redesigned to deal with ethanol and the detrimental affects it has.

Actually from what I recall the high octane stuff has an even shorter shelf life than the lower octane stuff which is the preferred fuel for the C10 Concours anyway and does the old girl absolutely no good whatsoever.

[Cholla]

If you are going to start the bike ride it. And never, ever run it in gear on the c-stand. This is hard on the driveline. Better to let it sit than periodically starting it.

[Summit670]

Octane & Storage - While on a COG tour of the Lincoln Ne plant a few years ago when they were still making the concours, I asked the dyno guys how they remove all the fuel from the system after testing to prevent the fuel from going bad.  They told me they use aviation fuel when they do their testing because that fuel stays good a lot longer than regular fuel.  I just assumed the higher the octane the more stable the fuel is against breakdown.  Maybe that only applies to aviation fuel.

[Cholla]

Aviation fuel has no corn squeezins and the additive package is much different from mogas, one ingrdient being lead.

[amigoride]

I have stored my '05 with Seafoam in the fuel for several years. What is the potential negative effect of this?
I use Seafoam occassionally and believe it keeps thigs clean and running smoothly as advertised.
Why is Stabil a better choice for storage?
Thanks,

[Cholla]

Seafoam is a solvent and used too much can do harm to parts in the fuel system. Think-it is in tour carbs and petcock and fuel lines all winter...

[Squishman]

For myself, I don't use Seafoam in the bike. I use it for my work van. 6 oz every 4k miles in 1/2 tank of gas.
That is the only reason I buy it in the gallon can.

[Summit670]

Note on STP carb/fuel injector cleaner - A few years ago I had some plugged up jets and dirty bowl from a Kaw 175 2 stroke.

I didn't have the actual carb soak stuff but I did have a bottle of this which says it treats like 20 gallons.

I figured heck, at 100% solution it should clean these parts right up so I filled an old coffee cup full and dunked the parts for a few minutes.   I was scared that this solution would really eat into this fast.  Nope.  I soaked for another hour.  Nope.  Let it soak over night and still didn't phase/clean the parts.

I bought some carb soak from the parts store.   Cleaned the parts up real quick.

Moral of the story - this STP stuff can't clean your fuel system at 100% concentration so I really don't see how it will do it when diluted down with 20 gallons of fuel.   Waste of money.

[T Cro ®]

I have stored my '05 with Seafoam in the fuel for several years. What is the potential negative effect of this?
I use Seafoam occassionally and believe it keeps thigs clean and running smoothly as advertised.
Why is Stabil a better choice for storage?
Thanks,

Because Seafoam is a cleaning agent comprised of mostly Naphtha a solvent and some alcohol whereas Stabil is fuel preservative comprised mostly of light oil along with a proprietary ingredient that stabilizes fuel and slows down the evaporation and break down rate.... Not all "Snake Oils" are the same and need to be used according to directions and intent as misuse can lead to an even worse problem than the one your hoping to ward off.

[Pfloydgad]

And never, ever run it in gear on the c-stand. This is hard on the driveline. Better to let it sit than periodically starting it.

C,
Well you have peaked my intrest on this statement.
 Let me see here, 38 yrs on 2 wheels, 9 bikes, 2 Connies with combined mileage of 211k, 3 Gold Wings, CB900C, CB650 and CB650SC, Suzuk GS850, another 175k combined and no damage to any drivetrain from Winter routine.
So can you please tell me how a roughly 80 to 90 lb. rear wheel spinning the gears with less stress then my 250lbs and bike weight, no to mention all the other torque caused by twistin the throttle, is going to do damage ?
It just doesn't seem to that big a problem, but I'm just guessing here, you know, with my limited experience.
Thanks for your input.
Ride safe all, and please, ATGATT.
Greg

[T Cro ®]

C,
Well you have peaked my interest on this statement.
 Let me see here, 38 yrs on 2 wheels, 9 bikes, 2 Connies with combined mileage of 211k, 3 Gold Wings, CB900C, CB650 and CB650SC, Suzuki GS850, another 175k combined and no damage to any drive-train from Winter routine.

What about the wrung out splines on your drive hub last year? 

While I can't prove it either way but I'm inclined to have some belief that running the drive-line without the benefit of load COULD cause some premature wear on the back-face of the gears and splines due to the slightly herky jerky rotational forces. That and unless your seated on the bike waiting for it to happen perhaps a highly dangerious thing to do in case of the bike coming off the center stand unintentionally.

[Outback_Jon]

While I can't prove it either way but I'm inclined to have some belief that running the drive-line without the benefit of load COULD cause some premature wear on the back-face of the gears and splines due to the slightly herky jerky rotational forces.

Don't you get those same forces (actually even higher forces, since the momentum of the bike and rider figure into it.) on the back face of the gears and splines when you ride the bike?  Unless you never back off the throttle or use the brakes.

[amigoride]

One last comment on the Seafoam/Stabil topic.
I became just a little "anxious" after reading the comments from a couple of our more respected fellow fanatics.
The response to my inquiry from the Seafoam people was "Seafoam is a pure petroleum blend and will not harm any fuel system component".   
I assume it is in their best interests to not promote the product for any application where there is potential for a problem.
I am not advocating the use of Seafoam over any other product. It is in both my bikes and they are tucked in for winter.
This motorcycle passion sh**t  makes for a hell of a long winter. Skis and snowshoes until March/April.
Hunkered down.......

[CRocker]

Not to hijack...but, I have found better results with Star Tron...won't harm like Seafoam (in excess)...and lasts longer than Sta-bil...so, that's what I use...just my .02...