Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: to park or not to park..., stablizer, spring hope

Question
Hi,
I've heard that you should never park an ATV or a bike on an incline for any appreciable amount of time, as it could result in a gas leak or cause other damage to the vehicle.  Is this true?  If so, what constitutes "an incline"?  I'm thinking a real steep hill here, not just a sloping driveway...?
Thanks!
Beth

Answer
I've never heard that.

In general, I wouldn't worry about it.

With modern bikes, any slope on which you can park the motorcycle safely (so it won't tip over) would probably not cause any damage due to fluids seeping in to or out of places they shouldn't. Any vehicle parked for a very long period of time may develop issues, possibly some related to the angle at which the bike rests, but I've never heard specifically of something going wrong.

That said, you should try to find a flat, level place to park or store the bike to best prevent it from falling or being knocked over. If you're putting it away for the winter, it's not a bad idea to drain the carbs and use a fuel stablizer for what remains in the tank. But that's mostly for ease of starting in the spring.

Hope that answers your question.

Pat