Totally, everything on the machine and the cover last so much longer. I’ve got a 10 year old Polaris cover that still looks perfect and the RMK it’s on is still nice, bright and shiny. I forgot to show what the sun does to plastic skis.
Yeah, I’ve never dealt with ethanol but I’ve read that it can do nasty things. I’d drain the carb if I had to use ethanol gas. I typically drain the carbs on my 2 stroke dirt bikes just because it’s so easy. The only things I keep stored with a full gas tank are any of my motorcycles that have steel tanks to prevent rust.
5 more minutes and I fog the cylinders plus slightly lift the front and rear to take some pressure off the suspension, Next season 1pull and away you go!
How do you go about fogging the cylinders? Something like 20 years ago or so I bought some fogging spray and found it to be quite time consuming and the process was messy. I had never fogged engines before and I’ve not done it since with no ill effects. I believe it was Kawasaki brand fogging spray, I’m pretty certain I still have the can. I used to raise the sleds up to take weight off the springs but I found that to also be a hassle. I then started wondering about if it even did anything beneficial. I researched springs and learned they don’t care if they are compressed or left fully extended, it’s the cycling between compression and extending back that eventually wears them out. The valve springs in a guys truck engine are left in all kinds various states of compression when parked and it doesn’t hurt them. Same thing with pistol or rifle magazines that are stored fully loaded for years. I just park the sleds on some pallets or wood to get them off the soil. That prevents them from freezing to the ground in early winter and allows air circulation under the sled. I’ve not noticed any of my sleds suspension getting soft or riding low from just parking them normally.
@@thatalaskaguy for fogging I just pull the plugs, couple of shots in each then a couple pulls on the cord and put plugs back in. Just like taking pressure off suspension parts, dunno if it helps but probably doesn't hurt!
@@dougneufeld7523 thanks for describing your method to me. I made it way, way harder. I recall pulling the airbox off, fogging the engine through the carbs while pulling the engine over at the same time. I think I did it on one of my old Ski-doo sleds and I found it to be a big hassle. Nowadays, just removing the plugs and spraying something down the cylinders on a modern Polaris is a hassle. On my old, non rider forward sleds it would be easy to do. I forgot to mention in the video I kill the sleds with the choke so that introduces a rich mixture into the engine before it dies. So far, I’ve not had any storage related engine issues.
Unless im out in the bush my machines are in my shop. I refuse to leave them outside for long periods of time, if i have to they get covered up at a minimum.
I used to do that with my newest sleds. But with my kids I’ve now got too many other toys and vehicles that need maintenance to have my shop plugged up with snowmachines for half the year. Motorcycles are awesome for storage. They are light, they easily roll across all surfaces and best of all they stack together vertically.
The inside storage thing is so important for longevity.I stuff mine into a sea-can and leave doors part way open during hot summer.All good tips.
Totally, everything on the machine and the cover last so much longer. I’ve got a 10 year old Polaris cover that still looks perfect and the RMK it’s on is still nice, bright and shiny. I forgot to show what the sun does to plastic skis.
Lift the rear slightly, it's almost does the same as the rubber strings you were talking about 👍 //vk540V owner in north of Sweden 😊
"ain't it great living in the ethanol-free state" - Carl Carburetor
Yeah, I’ve never dealt with ethanol but I’ve read that it can do nasty things. I’d drain the carb if I had to use ethanol gas.
I typically drain the carbs on my 2 stroke dirt bikes just because it’s so easy. The only things I keep stored with a full gas tank are any of my motorcycles that have steel tanks to prevent rust.
5 more minutes and I fog the cylinders plus slightly lift the front and rear to take some pressure off the suspension, Next season 1pull and away you go!
How do you go about fogging the cylinders? Something like 20 years ago or so I bought some fogging spray and found it to be quite time consuming and the process was messy. I had never fogged engines before and I’ve not done it since with no ill effects. I believe it was Kawasaki brand fogging spray, I’m pretty certain I still have the can.
I used to raise the sleds up to take weight off the springs but I found that to also be a hassle. I then started wondering about if it even did anything beneficial. I researched springs and learned they don’t care if they are compressed or left fully extended, it’s the cycling between compression and extending back that eventually wears them out. The valve springs in a guys truck engine are left in all kinds various states of compression when parked and it doesn’t hurt them. Same thing with pistol or rifle magazines that are stored fully loaded for years. I just park the sleds on some pallets or wood to get them off the soil. That prevents them from freezing to the ground in early winter and allows air circulation under the sled. I’ve not noticed any of my sleds suspension getting soft or riding low from just parking them normally.
@@thatalaskaguy for fogging I just pull the plugs, couple of shots in each then a couple pulls on the cord and put plugs back in. Just like taking pressure off suspension parts, dunno if it helps but probably doesn't hurt!
@@dougneufeld7523 thanks for describing your method to me. I made it way, way harder. I recall pulling the airbox off, fogging the engine through the carbs while pulling the engine over at the same time. I think I did it on one of my old Ski-doo sleds and I found it to be a big hassle. Nowadays, just removing the plugs and spraying something down the cylinders on a modern Polaris is a hassle. On my old, non rider forward sleds it would be easy to do.
I forgot to mention in the video I kill the sleds with the choke so that introduces a rich mixture into the engine before it dies. So far, I’ve not had any storage related engine issues.
Unless im out in the bush my machines are in my shop. I refuse to leave them outside for long periods of time, if i have to they get covered up at a minimum.
I used to do that with my newest sleds. But with my kids I’ve now got too many other toys and vehicles that need maintenance to have my shop plugged up with snowmachines for half the year.
Motorcycles are awesome for storage. They are light, they easily roll across all surfaces and best of all they stack together vertically.