What's best for fuel in a tank, it's E5 but been in there for some time. Is it best to drain the tank or leave the E5 in there, or add fresh fuel??
My storage routine is brim tanks with E5 and drain carb bowls if carb model. Apart from that I do nothing else than slap a trickle charger on. My 30 year old GSXR tank still looks brand new inside.
That's good to know and pretty much what I have been following, I'm tempted to drain the tank as much as I can and refuel with fresh super unleaded. Battery is caput but it is 6 years since the last battery.
I was recommended an additive which requires running the bike to get the additive into all the nooks and crannies in the carbs. Andy
The links below, from other threads on this Forum covering Ethanol in fuel might help. Also, I'm sure a search on here will find more information. For overwintering, the two schools of thought are: fill the tank and keep topped up, or drain the system completely. Some people run the bike up to temperature every 4 weeks or so, but others say this gives rise to condensation inside the engine cases. I fill up with Esso Synergy Supreme Plus and add a fuel stabiliser treatment, then run the bike once or twice during storage. The additive is more important now since more Ethanol is being added to fuel. Esso Synergy Supreme Plus was previously Ethanol free but may now contain Ethanol up to 5%, depending on where in the UK it is sourced. Good luck. Tom. https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/e10-fuel-from-september.84434/ . https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/advice-for-laying-up-a-jil4-and-storing-for-several-months.88000/ .
Additives are a tricky subject, whilst some swear by using them others play them down as snake oil and only use them because they want to believe in the product and it’s effectiveness Seemingly there’s a lot of conflicting research and theories out there. Me I’m going with brim the tank with E5 and trickle feed the battery like I have done on every bike I’ve owned.
I emailed Esso and was told that Synergy Supreme was still ethanol-free (except in some areas for some reason); the pumps apparently have to be labelled "E5" by law, but this just means the fuel contains up to 5% ethanol - in this case zero (which is less than 5!).
This is an extract from the Esso website giving more detail about where their fuel is not Ethanol free, and a link to their site below that. "Although our pumps have E5 labels on them, our Synergy Supreme+ 99 is actually ethanol free (except, due to technical supply reasons, in Devon, Cornwall, North Wales, North England and Scotland). Legislation requires us to place these E5 labels on pumps that dispense unleaded petrol with ‘up to 5% ethanol’, including those that contain no ethanol, which is why we display them on our Synergy Supreme+ 99 pumps." Unfortunately, my region is in the list of exceptions! https://www.esso.co.uk/en-gb/fuels/petrol . Hope it helps. Tom.
Clean, polish and oil it up. Drape in bike cover, rotate the optimate through 3 bikes, leave the fuel in it but very low, a few litres and its good for up to six months or so; job done. Been doing it for years without issue. Don't sweat the small stuff.
