Gas going stale? Should I be adding something to it?

[dan filipi]

I've been very busy with no riding time left in the last month or so and it doesnt look to be getting any better in the next month or 2, weather cold and rainy months now.

I got to wondering about the gas going bad.

I've heard the gas these days starts to go bad after just a week but mostly I'm concerned with the ethanol and water content.
Yesterday I ran the bike for about a 1/2 hour then turned the gas off and let it run til it died to empty the bowls to help prevent the jets clogging.
I understand water is heavier than gas and accumulates on the tank bottom so what is that water and ethanol doing to the gas tank. Is it rusting the tank or am I worrying too much?

 

[AApple]

I'd say you worry too much...I have 5 cars and the 'Wing, so all but one vehicle sits for long periods of time. The 'Wing hasn't been out for over a month now :crying: due to the weather here. My 'Burban hasn't been fired up in several months, and the '85 Vette....can't even remember that last time I fired it. My '74 Vette hasn't been started in over a year. All of this to say the fuel hasn't gone bad in any of them. As far as water...yeah, there may be some condensation, but keeping the tank full will limit that. It doesn't hurt to put in some "Stabil" if it sits for a while, tho...

 

[mcgovern61]

The ethanol has been a problem on many recreational boats! When sitting for more than three months, the water tends to separate out from the gas. Gas stabilizer helps. Some one else I know shakes his gas up to keep it from separating. Others have used seafoam. I just keep starting and running mine every week until the gas is used and fill it again. (Good reason to take the bike out and run to the gas station! Makes for a rather brisk run!) Gumming up is an issue, but leaving the carbs dry can also dry out the seals.

 

[dan filipi]

It sounds like the best thing to do is go for a ride once a week. :mrgreen:

 

[Andyb]

It sounds like the best thing to do is go for a ride once a week. :mrgreen:

I agree.

 

[rkthev]

If it's water in the fuel that you are concerned about, add some "Heet" or "Iso-Heet" to the gas occasionally. It absorbs the water and allows it to be consumed in the combustion process. I also use Stabil if I think I may not be riding for awhile, and I try and keep the tank full.

https://www.goldeagle.com/brands/heet/default.aspx

 

[BigAndrew]

It sounds like the best thing to do is go for a ride once a week. :mrgreen:

Or if its too cold you could always let it run in the garage for awhile, That would be a good idea for all you northern guys, You dont want to pull you bike out of the garage come summer time and have it not crank due to gummed up carbs :fiddle:

 

[rryman]

All the talk about this on the GWRRA board suggests not starting the bike and running it in place. I don't really understand this. Seems to certainly be better than letting it just sit. So far, I have managed to have weather at least every 3 weeks to get in at least a 30 mile warm up ride. But, if that doesn't happen, I certainly going to start it and let it warm up to the point the fans come on. That should get the juices going. I'm more concerned about the carbs than anything else. Gotta be very careful about starting one in a garage if you don't have a REAL good ventilation system. I usually open the door. I also always keep the tank topped off. Seems like if the tank if full, there is less air inside to contribute to oxidation and rust.
Randy

 

[dan filipi]

I've thought about this and read what others have to say and it seems to me if you live in a damp area prone to rust that your better off to run the engine for a couple fan cycles at least once a month to distribute oil in the engine.
The reason I see a couple fan cycles is to heat the engine up enough to evaporate any water inside as well as burn off condensation in the exhaust.
Makes sense to me, but running it for just a few minutes would do more harm than good because that will create condensation inside as well as in the exhaust.

 

[Joep]

It also heats the oil up to get rid of it's condensation from cooling down when cool..

 

[GL1100A]

I use Sta-Bil when I don't expect to ride again soon. I also use Marvel Mystery Oil about once every thousand miles but I don't believe it stabilizes gasoline. I studied the issue and it seems that gas gets stale faster in small quantities. Such as jets and small passages in Carbs. Frequent use is the best bet but not dependable in cold climates or because of other slow use reasons etc. I do idle mine in the cold weather until HOT. I also rev the motor gently every few minutes to change oil flow and I like the sound. I run mine until the fan kicks on and off at least twice. I believe that the heat really hits all parts of the systems that way.