Alright guys, Can any of you recommend a good fuel preservative for carb'd bikes? I'm going to stick the R1 away for a while and looking to put some preservative in the fuel system that will help with the carbs gumming up over time.
I use Sta-bil on carbs and injectors, street and track: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.goldeagle.com/product/sta-bil-fuel-stabilizer/amp/ I’m in the States.
Before storing I run older bikes on a light premix of high quality fully synthetic 2 stroke (smells great too if you choose well!) then drain all remaining fuel and run it dry. The 2t sticks around and stops the tank rusting as well as keeping the carbs and engine top end nicely protected.
Drain the carbs and tank - slight mist of ACF50 in the tank after a few days with the filler cap open, then close it - that's what I do anyhoo
On carbed bikes I turn off the fuel then start the bike and run it until float bowls are empty. Tank is best drained and ACF50 will certainly help keep corrosion away.
I fill up the tank to the brim to reduce the water absorbtion. Then I pour this in and forget about it. Never had a problem which could mean I'm lucky or that this stuff works. https://www.wynns.eu/product/fuel-stabilizer/ Two strokes & fourstrokes, carbs or injection left November to March and never a problem.
Apart from filling the tank I've never added anything to the fuel. The bikes are also stored from November to March and I've never had a problem either. If I was laying them up for longer I might consider an additive but I've never found the need.
Might be worth noting that when petrol was just petrol, and all seals were a good spec, all you normally had to think about was the jets varnishing up unless you got water directly in the fuel e.g. in the form of condensation. With ethanol added to almost all fuel now in varying amounts, there is more to consider. Ethanol is hygroscopic, is incompletely solubility in petrol, and is incompatible with a lot of polymers used for our older fuel systems seals, pipes etc. (Incl. composite fuel tanks) for long term direct contact. So it carries water and drops out of solution promoting rusting on the low spots on metal tanks, and embrittles seals and floats all through the fuel system. Jon
We know that. By brimming the tank the surface area is minimised, reducing the area of fuel exposed to the atmosphere. Also minimising the internal surface of the tank exposed to air where atmospheric moisture can condense. On a carbed bike, as I said above, make sure the carbs are empty. With an injected bike your never going to get rid of all the fuel unless you strip the fuel system which just isn't worth it. The system on modern bikes is designed to operate with ethanol fuels and if you can't park it up for 2-3 months, taking the precautions above, they're not fit for purpose.
You can also buy Wynns Heet to remove water from your fuel tank. https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/wynn...SRxzwDZAao4jlgw_kEk2JAqnAGnhbKUBoCWgwQAvD_BwE
As Derek says, up to five or six months then top of the range pump fuel should be ok. Any longer then take a trip to your local garden machinery supplier and get some Aspen or similar. https://aspenfuel.co.uk/
I use briggs and stratton fuel fit from our local garden machinery place, it's a lot cheaper than everything else I've seen and he swears by it. I put it in my classic car which is in storage for 6 months every year with a brimmed tank.
