Due to ill health & an impending operation it is unlikely that I will get to ride at any point over Winter. I never ride when it is below 10 deg and/or when there is salt on the roads anyway. Occasionally when the roads are dry & salt-free I may venture out, more for the bike's benefit than mine but not this Winter. The question is: should I drain the tanks? Bikes in question are Monster 1100 Evo & Paul Smart, both fitted with plastic tanks. Tanks very much.
Yes as best you can because of the ethanol content of the fuel. Whilst regularly cycling petrol through the tank should not have an effect on the plastic, it has in a few isolated cases so I would not want to tempt fate. Andy
this is a difficult one and (i'm sure you know) two opposing 'camps' of thought. I tend to go for the brimming method if only two bikes and you could use Shell's best so octane won't drop too much when you come to starting after winter plus low ethanol content. If your storage area doesn't fluctuate in temperature much and little or no damp present then fully draining is probably just as good. It's water and water moisture that are your enemies when it comes to Acerbis tanks if made from PA6 (it will be displayed on the tank somewhere next to the manufacturer's name)
Thanks for that, very useful info. Fortunately the bikes are in a heated & insulated garage as it is integral to the house so no nasty condensation when it warms up after a cold period. Looks like draining is the way to go.
