ok , a nice and easy question?
with the modern fuels we have nowedays , i have problems starting a couple of m/bikes , that have stood over winter , with there origional fuel in the tanks
so obviously the tank (or shelf) life is not what it used to be.
is the a product guarentee on petrol ?
we know there is on food,canned beer, dog food etc,
what about petrol?
|
It's not so much waht is in the tank as the gunge that is now in the carbs from the evaporated fuel.
You can get 'fuel stabiliser' for keeping tanks 'fresh'. For laying a bike up for winter, I'd close the fuel tap and run it until the fuel in the carbs is burnt off.
|
ok , this is a guenuine question , no joking,
obviously the fuel taps are turned off , and in reality there is no fuel in the carb float chamber,
but trying to restart one after a 5 mth break is proving to be impossible , but after emptying / refilling the tank , and removing the drain from the carb , and refitting ,,she runs.
so the fuel has lost its "go"
is there a warrenty/guarrentee on petrol?
|
|
|
|
freddy1
This is a common problem with garden machinery too. I was once told that the shelf life of unleaded is six weeks. Four star lasted much longer; I once started-up a Sprog-Eyed Frite that had sat for 14 years with the original fuel. Stunk a bit though.
|
|
|
I have a problem with the advice to turn off the fuel and run the carb. dry,the last two bikes and my present scooter have no fuel tap so although I agree with the advice can anyone suggest a way to do it.
ndbw
|
although not an answer , you will find that newer bikes / scooters have vacum operated taps, only work when the engine is running , for my sins i ride those things www.ras675.co.uk/
yes i am a fool , but what the hell
|
A common problem with bikes which are stored for the winter. The advice given in the mags is to drain the fuel completely before putting the bike under wraps, and to spray the inside of the tank with WD40 to prevent corrosion forming.
--
|
thanks for all the help , i have been using bikes now for close on 35 yrs,
now the question again,
does uk. unleaded petrol have a guarentteen life , or are we just suppossed to throw it away when it dos,nt work?
as the fuel is 80-90% tax , can i reclaim this from the goverment , also the other costs from shell/bp etc
|
I don't think you are going to get an answer to your question, because where anything to do with motoring or taxation is concerned, special (hidden) rules apply, needless to say not in the consumers' interests.
There is no specified shelf life for petrol, no Best Before Date. You have no rights to expect it to last a certain time. There is a minimum Ron number, but they are free to fiddle that to your detriment if they wish. Look at the way they surreptitiously reduced the lead content of 4-star, and then abolished it. The substitute LRP is useless.
This latest "silicon" affair shows that there are no requirements in place for monitoring petrol quality, and those affected will face a considerable struggle proving liability.
Cars can legally be sold as "new" even though they have been standing outside for two years and driven, harmfully, around car parks and forecourts. Try leaving a washing machine outside or using it a few times, and then try to pass it off as "new".
But for cars, ordinary trading standards and consumer rights do not apply.
The reason of course is that motoring in general is a branch of the government's tax farming racket, so obviously your interests are not going to be allowed to interfere with it.
FWIW, I disagree with the advice to drain lawnmowers etc and run them dry. I think it is better to add a bit of oil to the petrol and fill the tank to the brim. Obviously check tht the tap doesn't leak.
|
I have found that Optimax / V-Power "keeps" much better in the bike than regular Unleaded, and I believe this was confirmed in a test in one of the bike mags last year (RiDE I think) who also found that it left significantly fewer gummy deposits than standard 95RON Unleaded when left for a period of time.
There's a marked difference in starting performance when there's V-Power in the tank. With regular Unleaded the bike will start fine after a period of disuse, but usually runs noticeably "lumpy" until fresh fuel is added to the tank. With the Shell fuel it runs the same after a 3 month lay-up as it does when used the day before. I don't claim to understand the chemistry behind it, but I do know it works.
When I know the bike is going to be out of use for more than a few weeks, I always try to drain the carbs down by turning off the fuel tap and running the engine until it stops. The ZZR will actually idle for about 5 minutes on the fuel in the carbs!
Cheers
DP
|
I too have found Optimax lasts longer, and use it in the garden. I also have some fuel stabiliser, you can buy it at machine mart or cheaper (but you have to buy more and pay postage) at Frosts.
www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/fuel-ad...e
www.frosts.co.uk/
S231 Description POR 15 Fuel Preservative
|
|
|
|
"WD40 to prevent corrosion forming."
Unless it has a plastic tank of course !! ;-).
The CBR I had was never any trouble to re-start after a winter rest. It was kicked over with the kill switch off to get some lube going, then started with a full choke, it invariably started after a few turns. The little 125 we had for a couple of years wasn't started for two years, it took some persuading including a new spark plug but ran ok once it was bump started.
|
I think unleaded petrol (in general) is better nowadays than when it was first introduced. I used to experience trouble with the bike after being laid up in the garage over winter, but now it seems the same when it next gets started up.
One thing I did find was that shaking the bike (to stir up the petrol) before opening the fuel tap made a difference - as per the old days when you mixed 2 stroke oil in with the petrol.
|
My R6 fired up as if it had been used all winter. Ran smooth as silk. Tank was almost empty, about 20 miles left in it.
I put the battery on a trickle charger, but a few people have told me they dont bother and they have had no problems.
|
Only petrol device in the Bromp house is the mower. Usually starts OK after the winter lay up, but the manual warns against leaving it fuelled and suggests petrol deteriorates pretty quickly.
As for the most part unleaded is a fast moving product I guess long shelf life is not an issue for the fuel companies.
|
|
I have started many cars that have been stood for a few months and never had a problem. I think petrol is pretty stable over the long term.
|
|
It is. My chainsaw has started after sitting for two years. The two-stroke oil isn't supposed to last long either, but the thing runs normally after long periods at rest. If the oil was no good it would seize.
|
|
|
|
|
|
