Sea Foam For Winterizing

 Last year I used Sea Foam to winterize the carbureted Suzuki Intruder. 

An old school biker told me the technique: 

Run the tank down to nearly empty.  Dump a full can of Sea Foam into the tank, and run it long enough for the cleaner to get into the carbs.  Turn the bike off and let it sit for 48 hours.  Then, close the petcock and start the bike, burning all the gas out of the carbs. 

The funny thing was, the old school bike made it sound like it was a deep dark secret.  And as I was finishing up, I noticed these same instructions on the side of the can.  Nothing secret about it. 

Last year when I did this, the next spring when I started it up, it ran but would not take any throttle.  I borrowed a little gas from the lawn mower can, and got it running.  Took it on a seven mile ride.  To start with it was backfiring like crazy at mid-throttle on acceleration.  After several miles it calmed down quite a bit.  

Another year has rolled around and I just dumped an entire can in the Suzuki tank, like before.  In 48 hours I'll run the fuel out of the carbs, and in the spring, I'll provide another report. 

Chilly Ride

 

It’s the start of fall break, and time for my daughter to bring her bike home for winter storage. She enjoyed having it with her during the first two months of school, but with cold weather approaching riding opportunities will be more sparse. 

 

 

We plotted a course that skirted most of the rain, and rode home. Rain chased us all the way home but we made it.

 

50 degrees with knees in the breeze for three hours is enough to give you a chill. I’ve ridden longer in colder but I know it’s a new experience for her.

 

I encouraged her to drink warm beverages rather than iced soda. She tried a caramel mocha thing at McDonalds, and hated it, but wanted to get the benefits of the warm drink despite her distaste.