No its the same thing, but one is done while you have control over a running bike, and the other is after you realize you forgot to run the gas out, and now you have to mess with draining the bowl by hand. I prefer the first one.

Today the 4 of us decided to go for a ride, even though the temperature was just above freezing. So it has only been one day, but turning on the gas in all three bikes waiting 10 seconds and hitting the starter......all three started right up, well I know its only been one day, but hey I did say I was going to post my findings from one day to one month. So there it is. We had a nice ride, however all three of the other riders said that their hands about froze off even wearing gloves. So tonight we ordered heated grips for the XT 225 bikes, along with the spoilers that go on the Pro Rally hand guards. I have the Acerbis dual sport hand guards with the spoilers so my hands didn't get cold even at 40 mph for 15 miles.

 

The fuel doesn't just set the bowl. It is also setting in much smaller passages like the pilot circuit, which play a large part in starting your bike. The thinkened fuel, which is sitting that small passage, is behind an even smaller passage....the pilot jet. It's gonna take the larger and much less confined body of gasoline in your tank a lot longer to get that way.

 

I ran the carbs on both bikes dry last night. Had a heck of a time starting mine then remembered the hand over the exhaust trick. Worked like a charm. Now if I can remember to turn the fuel back on when I go to start them up.

 

Then this post should be comprehensive on the subject. So, if someone could describe/pic how to drain the bowl, me and I'm sure other noobs would appreciate it greatly, thanks!!!!

 

I tried the hand over the exhaust on all three bikes, it didn't do anything.

 

Actually on the klx its not really that easy, since the drain screw is behind the exhaust. On the XT225 its really easy to get to, but like I tried to say in my original post its a lot easier to remember to shut off the gas next time you pull into the driveway and let the bike run out of gas than to have to mess with draining it by hand. But either way works I guess, it just depends on when you do it.

 

Sorry I forgot to post a picture. But first, and forgive me in advance, but do you have the KLX 250? I see you have about 80 posts and so you have been around a while, but I don't seem to remember you......yea like I'm going to remember everyone here I mean I am over the 40 year mark. Well I will see if I can find a picture and then post it. Now where did I put the memory pills so I can take them and then remember where the camera is. I'll be back, but in the mean time if someone else here wants to post a pic of how to drain the bowl on the KLX feel free. Nobrakes? Todd? Tony? Anyone? Jump in here.

 

Ok so here is a picture. See that really small Allen head screw at the bottom of the carb? Opening that up a little will drain the gas out of the bowl. Make sure you have the gas to the off position. Tony showed me how to do this when he decided to take Kato snorkeling.....thanks Tony

 

My klx has been setting for about 3 weeks, and I have always had a problem starting it after setting since it was new. So I decided to go riding Saturday. After cranking on it several times I pulled the plug and sure enough, it was wet. So, to prove a point to myself, I put the plug in with out doing anything to it. Cranked on it a couple of more times and no start. Then I drained the bowl, opened the petcock back up, and cranked it ....... it didn't turn over more than two times and it was running!!!!!
The reason for checking the plug was to dispel the theory that the fuel is gelling. It's been my experience that gas doesn't gel, diesel does, and that only happens with extreme cold. Gas will "varnish up"(wich I suppose could be considered a form of gelling), but that takes a long period of time. (several months). Also if the gas was gelling my plug would not have been wet!
So, I contacted my resident fuel professional and described this to him. He said "Gas, today, is not what it was 20 years ago. It has more additives and in a lot of cases Alcohol. Alcohol will cause gas to "break down" faster, even though it raises the octane, in smaller quantities it will cause the octane rating to go down after setting. The small quantity of gas that is held in the carb bowl is actually breaking down and is not burning in the chamber. The amount of gas in the tank, however doesn't break down as fast and therefore fires properly"
This made since to me based on what I observed. I then took the gas that I drained out of my carb bowl and tried to light it on fire. I had to actually touch the flame to the gas and hold it there to get it to light, much like diesel.
Also what he told me conincided with something that I read on this forum..(I believe it was from Marty) about regular gas stays good longer than the higher octane blends.
So ..... these are my observations and some of the information that I got. Hope it contributes to solving this mystery.

 

Right, so here is my conclusion: I am running the gas out of at least my wife's bike and if I foresee my bike sitting for a week or so in the winter I am running the gas out.