Many of the experienced folks on this forum might not need this information, but this is for those who don't know what ethanol is and how it can affect engines.

Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting and distilling starch crops, such as corn. An internet search for 100% pure gasoline stations in your town or city will tell you that there are not many. Chances are you are pumping an ethanol blended fuel into your bike...and other small engines.

So most of us are stuck dealing with fuel that is 10% Ethanol. I won't get into it here, but it's because of politics, and the powerful corn lobby.

"So what?" you ask.

If you're riding all season then there are usually no worries.

But if you let a partial tank of ethanol blended gasoline sit for a few months during the winter season, it is not a good idea to start your bike.

Do your research and you'll find that today's ethanol blends are not good for your engines after 30 days of sitting in a fuel tank unless you have added a fuel stabilizer. Some of the more common ones are Sta-Bil, Sea Foam, and Lucas.

"Well I didn't know that, so now what?" you say.

I suggest siphoning out the old fuel, adding fresh fuel of the highest octane rating, and adding a fuel stabilizer to that full tank of ethanol blend.

Then enjoy your first ride without the worries of gunking up your fuel system.

Think this is all BS? Ask your local small engine shop and mechanic about the effects of ethanol on your small engines and motorcycle.

Hope this saves some folks some headaches as you fire it up this Spring...

 

Good to know. Luckily, I haven't had my bike sitting more than a week at a time. And I don't think there's a ethanol free station in this town.

 

I totally agree. As a matter of fact my small engine dealer recommends running all your gas out for seasonal storage. Luckily, in WI you can find lots of ethanol free Premium, which people want for their boats.
That is all I use on my bike and all yard equipment. All Kwik Trips have ethanol free premium. The BP in my town has it, but only at 2 pumps out of 16, so sometimes you need to ask. I used to give bikers a heads up on which was the ethanol free, but some people get bent out of shape, so now I say nothing.
Out of state, I have been forced to use ethanol gas, but I always make sure none of that crap is in there over the winter.

 

I left E10 in my tank for a year or more for 4 deployments. All I added was 1oz of TCW3 per 5 gallons of gas and she fired up first crank every time.

If you look at the MSDS of the various stabilizers they are upto 95% Naphtha. The Ethanol Stabil is exactly that with a dash of what looks exactly like TCW3. Lucas Safeguard is only 75% Naphtha.

If you look up the CAS number for what formula Naphtha they use you can make your own waaaay cheaper, or just add the TCW3 straight to the gas and forget about the Naphtha filler you are mostly paying for. Brand does not matter, I use super tech. Best damn fuel stabilizer I have ever used and it was under $3.00 for a quart when I bought it.

 

On another side note. MTBE that may be available in some areas when you buy E0 gas does not mix well with E10. MTBE and ethanol are a BAD combo. Unless you burn it up right away the two will form a brown sludge. So dont put half a tank of E0 into a half full E10 tank and throw it into storage. You will not be happy come june when you fire up the ride for the first time.

Either have MTBE oxygenated gas or E10 and you wont have a problem. Mix the two and it is not an ehtanol problem, its an incompatibility between oxegenates in the gas problem.

 

Since you started this thread, I'll ask here.

I've never used it, or had the need to, but if you have forgotten to use Sta-Bil, how do those fuel revitalizers work? Like "Start Your Engines!" or the like?

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...ntifier=248617

 

I learned a lot from this FAQ portion of the Sta-Bil site. It does not revitalize, or make stale gasoline fresh again. It creates a chemical reaction in fresh gasoline that bonds to the water molecules that the ethanol extracts from the air inside your tank...hence the advice to fill the tank as much as possible before adding the stabilizer.

For the record, I'm not affiliated with Sta-Bil or any other company. I just found their website educational. My father spent 27 years as a gas pump mechanic and I've been fascinated with all things gasoline since my childhood.

As far as the "revitalizer," I'd suggest siphoning out the stale gas and adding fresh...I don't take chances with my bike.

 

Here's what I'd add to the start up checklist.


Brakes, all lights and signals, tire pressure.


My wife wanted a motorcycle so I bought her a cheap Vulcan off craigslist and was so eager to test it out I didn't check the tire pressure. I was riding on 8psi front and 15psi rear lol. That makes for tires that grip the road really well! Got home and did a thorough maintenance on all major components before letting her learn on it though. Sad part is it's not the first time I've taken off without checking my pressure to have to pull in to a gas station and top it off.

 

I always used fuel stabilizer even before ethanol blend was in existence. Yup I'm getting old, lol

 

Have used StaBil in everything for decades...works like a champ. BUT...don't forget it has a 2 year shelf life. I found out the hard way. Bought a large bottle one year because I use a lot of the stuff. One spring, nothing would run right. Long story short, the previous fall I used that big bottle of StaBil...which was almost 4 years old. I got real good at rebuilding carb's that spring.