Damn Ethanol containing gas!

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2023 5:04 pm

My 1981 CB750F, parked for a couple of months, my grandkids coming for a visit and a ride, pull the F out turn on the gas tap and each carb is pissing on the ground. Love tap the bowls, 2 stop, 2 still leaking. Dammit. Not enough Seafoam in the gas I suppose. Just needed to rant. Cliff.

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2023 5:51 pm

Did you run it dry when you parked it, like I've been telling folks, or years?

Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:00 pm

I can't remember if I did but I did run the others dry yesterday. I'll etch that advice in my memory. Cliff.

Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:26 pm

Magpie wrote:

My 1981 CB750F, parked for a couple of months, my grandkids coming for a visit and a ride, pull the F out turn on the gas tap and each carb is pissing on the ground. Love tap the bowls, 2 stop, 2 still leaking. Dammit. Not enough Seafoam in the gas I suppose. Just needed to rant. Cliff.

About ethanol in gasoline, by Kevin Cameron, Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/2013/07/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ethanol-fuel-and-your-motorcycle/

Hawk Joined: Jun 27, 2003 Posts: 329 Location: nevada

the alcohol laden gas here in las vegas) is pure trash. for me, for the last year i have been buying 100 octane low-led aviation fuel at the local regional air-port. it's a small one about 25 miles out of town. they have self service, and i just bring a couple of 5 gallon gas cans. my bike LOVES this gas, and it can be stored for more than a year (even in your gas tank) before going stale. no rusting of gas tanks, gumming up the carbs, or eating up of rubber parts, (even if you don't drain your float bowels). it's about $2.50 more per gallon, but worth it for as little as i ride these days. something to consider, especially if you store your bike over the winter. i also read about a guy that keeps it in his CBX, when he takes a trip, pump gas goes in it, but when he gets home, the pump gas goes in his car, and ave gas goes back in the bike.

Twinstar Joined: Dec 10, 2019 Posts: 204 Location: Denmark

I usually run on gas like Shell´s V-power 100 (ron) pump gas. It´s only E5 while most others are E10.
The bike runs really great with it, but it will do nasty things when left for too long..

If i want to store something for a longer period, i usually fill it with alkylate gas. It´s much easier to source and cheaper than any race gas around here.
It contains no ethanol and are said to last 3-5 years.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:47 pm

I will never use V Power again in a motorcycle

Twinstar Joined: Dec 10, 2019 Posts: 204 Location: Denmark

Hondo57 wrote:

I will never use V Power again in a motorcycle

Have you had a bad experience with V-power as the perpetrator?

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2023 7:42 pm

Yes possibly as there is no proving it but it was the only gas I used. It partially dissolved the insides of my spigots.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2023 9:30 pm

on my carbed bike, I only use VP T4 in it, unless im going to ride it alot

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:56 pm

I must be one of the luckiest guys on the forum with regards to ethanol free gas. It took a couple of days of riding around and searching, but my house has 4 gas stations, spaced in a circle equally around me, each about 5 miles away, that each have ethanol free gas available. AND that ethanol free gas is dispensed from a dedicated nozzle, so no worries about getting however much ethanol was still in the hose from the previous user! I stop on the way home after riding and top off (doesnt matter if was only 25 miles or 250 miles)

Then when I get home, I dose out some Stabil gas stabilizer into the tank to make up for what i put in that isn't previously stabil treated and run a lap around the block to get the stabilizer into the carbs. When out on a trip, I don't worry and just use whatever regular 87 octane (no they don't ping with it) until I get close to home, then start with the ethanol free again.

And yes, I shut the petcocks off each time the bike stops. Lunch, an overlook, dinner, overnight, over winter.........

I leave the bowls full during the riding season, and drain them for winter storage.

It's what I do, and haven't had to mess with carbs and cleaning/rebuilding carbs on any of the bikes once they were sorted. 25K miles on the 900(985)F in 13 years, 14K miles on the 750(810)F in 7 years, and 25K miles on the CBX (original carbs, never been off or open) in 19 years.

I got into the habit and going to stick with it!

Steve

Hawk Joined: Jun 27, 2003 Posts: 329 Location: nevada

no alcohol free gas available, anywhere here in las vegas. (unless you count the $10 a gallon "race gas" that a few gas stations carry), and then you really don't know if it is really is what they say, or how old it is. some stations have up to 15% alcohol in there gas, again, you don't know the real content. on the other hand, you can buy VP racing fuel in a 5 gallon drums.......to the tune of $200 EACH!. never herd of "alkylate gas" must be something only available outside the U.S.A. ave gas IS my choice, until something better comes along.

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 4:01 am

I can get 110 octane race fuel leaded. I can also get low lead 90 octane rec gas. That stuff lasts a couple years with no treatment. I can also get aviation fuel which is low lead higher octane for about 5 a gallon. I plan on trying the aviation fuel as the airport is down the street. It should be fine. No more ethanol in the CB-Fs

Twinstar Joined: Dec 10, 2019 Posts: 204 Location: Denmark

Hondo57 wrote:

Yes possibly as there is no proving it but it was the only gas I used. It partially dissolved the insides of my spigots.

Sounds crazy. It may Contain some additives, But it should be more or less the same as other "premium" fuels.
But i don´t really see what might else have been the culprit.
V-power is one of the two 5% ethanol fuels that is commonly available here.

adrian wrote:

never herd of "alkylate gas" must be something only available outside the U.S.A. ave gas IS my choice, until something better comes along.

https://www.aspenfuels.com/products/alla/aspen-42/ This is the specific one i am referring to.
We also call it lawnmower gas, as it is widely used for lawnmowers and and other gas powered equipment because of it´s low emission and long life. But probably not a good fuel for actually pushing a high performance engine.

Our prices are around 8.20 usd a gallon for premium 100ron
1 gallon of alkylate gas - 15.40 usd
1 gallon of race fuel 108ron - 25.20 usd

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2023 5:25 pm

110 octane race fuel is 9.90 a gallon
Rec fuel 90 is around 5 a gallon

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 10:32 pm

I start the bike at least once a week to get the fuel moving through the system. If I let it sit for too long, I mix 50;50 AVgas. Avgas is 100 octane low lead and is very stable. I run it in my two strokes 50;50 with pump 91 gas and it helps with detonation and stabilizes the fuel.

Hawk Joined: Jun 27, 2003 Posts: 329 Location: nevada

have seen "lawn-mower" gas in the local home improvement stores, they call it "engineered fuel", sold under the
'truFuel" brand. is very stable, but also very expensive, sold in quart size metal cans, for about $9 each, or gallon size at $24 each. also sold as a two stroke pre-mix, for chain saws, weed whackers, and blowers. is rated 93 octane. not really an option for running in our bikes, due to the cost. to fill the tank (5 gallons would set you back at least $125), but could be an option for long-term (if expensive) storage, if ave gas were un-available (to me).