Bad Gas!

[Melnic]

I winterized the XS650 back in November. I run Ethanol Free and then fogged cylinders. Charged battery monthly.
Took it out back a couple months ago and started right up. Took maybe one more ride or two since then.
Monday I put some more gas in it and it started right up but then was popping and misfiring on me at idle.
Thought I just needed a longer warm up although it was 70F out. Rode in neighborhood and it ran but sounded sick.
Put it away and rode the scout. Thought that it was time to get Electronic ignition but it made no sense.
Then realized I may have used my waste gas in it. That's the 5gal can I drain gas into when I drain the tank on a bike, that I then put into the SUV when its at least half full.
I had the gas I pulled from a bike I purchased in late December and emptied the tank in Jan. Gas was likely in that bike since Sept so that gas was at least 9 months old.
So today, went to the station I get Eth free and then came home, drained the tank and the carb. Put in 2gal and it not only started up well, but did not seem to need to warm up for long. Did 30 miles on back roads and it sounded great. I think that is the first time I had a bad running bike from bad (old) gas.

 

[Niels B]

i have too many bikes to ride them on a regular basis, and some may really only get on the road once a year, I always drain carb and keep batteries maintained. The other day I pulled 6 bikes out and to them all for about 30 min drive, none ever acted up due to bad gas

 

[46th Georgia]

I winterized the XS650 back in November. I run Ethanol Free and then fogged cylinders. Charged battery monthly.
Took it out back a couple months ago and started right up. Took maybe one more ride or two since then.
Monday I put some more gas in it and it started right up but then was popping and misfiring on me at idle.
Thought I just needed a longer warm up although it was 70F out. Rode in neighborhood and it ran but sounded sick.
Put it away and rode the scout. Thought that it was time to get Electronic ignition but it made no sense.
Then realized I may have used my waste gas in it. That's the 5gal can I drain gas into when I drain the tank on a bike, that I then put into the SUV when its at least half full.
I had the gas I pulled from a bike I purchased in late December and emptied the tank in Jan. Gas was likely in that bike since Sept so that gas was at least 9 months old.
So today, went to the station I get Eth free and then came home, drained the tank and the carb. Put in 2gal and it not only started up well, but did not seem to need to warm up for long. Did 30 miles on back roads and it sounded great. I think that is the first time I had a bad running bike from bad (old) gas.

I put my '81 in storage 3 years ago in January. Before I did, I filled it with ethanol free, added the correct amount of Stabil and a small bottle of two stroke oil. Rolled it out in March of this year, installed a new battery and it fired right up. The fuel didn't smell bad and we ran that entire tank through it without a hitch. Why add 2 stroke oil you may ask. Twofold, 1. to help prevent tank rust. 2. I think ethanol free, although it doesn't rot rubber parts, my experience working for a car collector, is that it dries rubber parts out and the 2 stroke oil (or Marvel Mystery Oil) will help prevent that. It can't hurt, and like I said, the bike ran flawlessly. Pro tip, shake bike before using.

 

[Melnic]

Never had problem winterizing boat engines (outboards and wave runners) with ethanol free or even 10% as long as I put startron or stabil in. Wave runners and one boat sits from Sept thru May each year. But don't think any stabil was put into that FJR tank or something else was going on with that gas can that I plain forgot about like those darn "no spill spouts" that cause more spillage than the old days of spout and vent. I am slow on replacing those things w/ a vented spout anyway.

 

[Melnic]

Update, not bad gas.
Turns out the gas was a red herring.
My timing was off (retarded)
My thought is that either the octane of the suspected bad gas or more likely the ambient temperature was affecting how the bike was running while the timing was off. Basically it was on the edge of misfires between the gas, temp and timing off.
after a few rides the misfiring i initially experianced happed again on a hot day. Once I addressed the timing, it was good again.

 

[AUTOMAN]

Update, not bad gas.
Turns out the gas was a red herring.
My timing was off (retarded)
My thought is that either the octane of the suspected bad gas or more likely the ambient temperature was affecting how the bike was running while the timing was off. Basically it was on the edge of misfires between the gas, temp and timing off.
after a few rides the misfiring i initially experianced happed again on a hot day. Once I addressed the timing, it was good again.

Simply lovely.