Winter fuel question

[Lbxpdx]

On my old airheads I always filled up the tank with non ethanol during the winter, since they are steel.  With an aluminum tank, do you suggest empty or filled?  I have a spare parts bike that I was going to work on over the winter and was thinking since it is an aluminum tank that leaving it empty over the winter is fine. 

What say ye?

[natalena]

Since the brick isn't ridden in winter much, it's always full non-ethanol 91, with a splash of Sta-bil. I usually run it to operating temps once or twice before getting out in spring. Cheers.
Ps, I like full tanks to keep everything submerged.

[Chaos]

Steel rusts, aluminum corrodes.  Very bottom corner of K bike tanks is were the water collects and tends to corrode out, common on bikes that sit for a long time.

[Laitch]

I've stored my Brick six months a year for the last 12 years and 70K miles with a full tank of fresh E10 conditioned with Stabil. People could eat off the floor of that fuel tank, it's so clean—one person at a time, of course. The engine starts right up in the spring and I ride off dedicated to use up that tankful as mindfully as possible.

[frankenduck]

Steel rusts, aluminum corrodes.

Rust is corrosion.

[Laitch]

Fish got to swim; birds got to fly.

[Chaos]

But is corrosion rust??

[frankenduck]

Rust is iron oxide corrosion. Aluminum alloys containing no Fe do not rust.

[Laitch]

But is corrosion rust??

Has Google broken? Will the mechanic's shade tree become the Bodhi of truth here?   

[Kaos]

Has Google broken? Will the mechanic's shade tree become the Bodhi of truth here?   

And supposedly i am the one that brings Kaos.
Anywho. additive, full tank (low lead) and if you can, or just simply start it once in a while. Could easily do a month or so without starting.
Shake it, stir it, and or throw some screws in your tank (grandpa's tip) if you do see corrosion forming.
[fun fact] E10 could possibly start to deter after 2 within 3 months. Its not an overnight process.
BUT if its corrosion you're worried about, remove the tank drain it, dry it and use a tank liner.

or. just start it every now and then. ride it down the street when its an option. Then it shouldnt be a big issue. and cover your bike, it helps.

[Chaos]

Or buy a Ural and ride all winter

[The Mighty Gryphon]

ummm...

How did you get off the bike to take the picture without leaving any footprints in the snow???

[Laitch]

[fun fact] E10 could possibly start to deter after 2 within 3 months. Its not an overnight process.
BUT if its corrosion you're worried about, remove the tank drain it, dry it and use a tank liner.
or. just start it every now and then. ride it down the street when its an option. Then it shouldnt be a big issue. and cover your bike, it helps.

STA-BIL®-conditioned fuel won't separate for six months, at least, so the start of corrosion is defeated. Starting a Brick only now and then when it's idle just creates condensation in the crankcase, evocative odors, and pleasant memories but that's all it does. To place a battery that's in good condition into storage, take a farewell ride on the Brick then disconnect the ground strap from the transmission. I found covering the Brick when it's in storage invites mice habitation. I just plug the exhaust with a rubber stopper; mice can't enter the air snorkel because it's screened, so they move somewhere else. Sometimes the mice trek up the road to nest in our attic and have a once-in-a-lifetime feast on the homemade peanut butter I put in our mousetraps.
Otherwise, I'm 100% in agreement with Kaos. 

[Bmwsquirl]

Good afternoon
http://www.pure-gas.org

[rbm]

I store my K-bike with the tank off, empty of fuel on a shelf.  I first run the engine with gas conditioned with Ethanol Shield to be sure that the petrol-delivery system on the bike is protected over the winter.  Ethanol Shield is a far superior product to Sta-bil. Sta-bil will not absorb water in the gas but Ethanol Shield will.

[frankenduck]

It also helps to have a dehumidifier in your garage. I do and it has made a world of difference.

[K1300S]

STA-BIL®-conditioned fuel won't separate for six months, at least, so the start of corrosion is defeated. Starting a Brick only now and then when it's idle just creates condensation in the crankcase, evocative odors, and pleasant memories but that's all it does. To place a battery that's in good condition into storage, take a farewell ride on the Brick then disconnect the ground strap from the transmission. I found covering the Brick when it's in storage invites mice habitation. I just plug the exhaust with a rubber stopper; mice can't enter the air snorkel because it's screened, so they move somewhere else. Sometimes the mice trek up the road to nest in our attic and have a once-in-a-lifetime feast on the homemade peanut butter I put in our mousetraps.
Otherwise, I'm 100% in agreement with Kaos. 

what Laitch said.  this is the right answer.  fill the tank to keep the moisture in the air from messing with metal parts, add stabil, run it for a few minutes to circulate the stabil infused gas through the system and leave it alone until spring.  take battery out or leave it on a good maintainer.  do not start it until spring, or whenever you ride it next.  I have left bikes for well over a year with this prep and they start right up, with no corrosion issues in the tanks.

[Chaos]

If you do start it up, take it out for a nice long run to get all the temps up. Around here there’s usually a day in January where it is 50 or 60 and it’s nice to blow all the cobwebs off.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Dehumidifiers don't work for 5 months of the year around these parts.  Heck, the one in our basement ices up from November to March.  If I had one in the garage it would be frozen from mid-September to mid-May.