How Often Do You Ride The Bike?

[zodc]

I'm sure this has been talked about but I'm curious because I have seen it mentioned that these old bikes need to be ridden, often. Which I'm guessing has to be at a minimum frequency of at least once a week because my bike sat for nine days and had a bit of an issue today.

It started as usual but bogged a bit and flooded out of the left carb. I shut it off, wiped it down, started it again and kept it at a rev around 3,000 rpm until it warmed up. Took it around the block and it bogged again. Repeated the shut down wipe off method and tried again. This time I opened it up hard around the block, came home and let it sit at idle for a good 15 minutes before shutting down and no issues. In fact it sounded better than ever!

Soooo, how often do you ride your bike?

 

[xjwmx]

if it's in good shape, letting it sit shouldn't be a problem. once when i let mine sit an entire winter due to snow, i ran the carbs dry in case the floats and float valves wanted to gum up. after four months like that it started right up and went 2000 miles

 

[zodc]

Ah makes sense to prepare for hibernation.

 

[gggGary]

As an up Nort'r where the salt monsters roam, I ride til the brine trucks spray in prep for a snow, ice event, then walk away. I might get out to the shed and charge the batteries a time or two over the winter. Go out in spring fire up, and ride. It might take a few miles before the engine is in it's "happiest Mode" on one or another of the fleet but a 4-5 month hibernation usually has no other effects. My higher perf motors get no ethanol premium, but others just slurp regular. The Farm-all sits for 7-8 months and tends to flood on opening the tank til it's run for about 5 minutes but that 80 years old carb is really beat up, worn out.
To my mind what you describe means one or more of your carb components is not up to snuff or you have rust, debris in the tank.
BS38 float needles with a metal on metal seat are fussier than the viton tipped BS34 needles. I've been on a long "holy grail" quest to find a viton tip needle to fit the BS38's

 

[zodc]

I see! Thanks gggGary. Yeah, I do have a rusty tank and I have read that these carb are fussy. I’ll look into it.

 

[NashGTI]

I try to ride a bunch to work during the half year where it makes a decent amount of sense to me. I only live 3.8 miles from where I work though so even going to work and coming home for lunch every day I don't put too many miles on anything. If I'm going on anything resembling a decent length ride I'll take my CBR as it's just easier to ride for hours at a time, and even that I hardly did last year. I don't like getting wet going in to work nor do I find riding enjoyable down past 40F or so, but most weeks May through October I'll ride the XS at least 3 or 4 days a week if not all 5 days. Here in Nashville, TN the late fall to early spring weather can be weird, some years you can ride nearly every weekend and be comfortable, other years it seems like the weather never lines up with the weekend so the stuff just sits.

I do find that if you're planning on leaving the bike, or even if you think it's a possibility of letting it sit, for a couple months or more you should run the float bowls dry or drain them completely beforehand. Otherwise you'll be cleaning ethanol crystals out.

 

[motormike]

Here in tundra land…. our ride'n is ..seasonal.... I try and ride each from the stable... but it's not always possible.. sometimes I'll let a couple set out a year... the pair of XS units I have.. the Xs1 and the XsP… I ride every season..although not often. There's a few events locally and regionally I try and attend to not just show my bikes.. but to help promote others... to become involved with motorcycles. John Q. Pubic...and particularly John Q. Public JR., A common problem..not just with the motorcycle family.. but street rods.. car clubs... and many other organizations.
A few years ago.. in the middle of Wisconsin…. I stop'd for lunch in a small town for lunch.. which just happened to be the meeting place for the " cookie cutters " club.... those little kitchen gadgets you press shape in dough and bake. I left there with cookies in star shape.. various animals shapes.. shapes of the state of Wisconsin and Minnesota…. I was pass'n put cookies for days.....

 

[xjwmx]

if you haven't already, get one oft those lawn mower gas filters from the small engine section of the parts store and put it in the line. pick up the 1/4" clear line while you're there.

 

[zodc]

if you haven't already, get one oft those lawn mower gas filters from the small engine section of the parts store and put it in the line. pick up the 1/4" clear line while you're there.

Yes. When I did the carb work I added new clear lines and a filter - plus I put seafoam in the tank. Have been watching it close since.