Fuel stabilizer - serious test!

[Mikep328]

Tomorrow we are flying to Mexico where three motorcycles have been sitting since before Covid with Stabil/fuel in the tanks - my  '73 Norton Commando (fiberglass tank) a BMW R9T and a my wife's Honda Africa Twin.  We'll be there a month; wonder if the bikes will start with no problem or if I'll be working on them for the month to get them to run?  

[Bryanj]

You really expect a Commando to start?

[Skoti]

Tomorrow we are flying to Mexico where three motorcycles have been sitting since before Covid with Stabil/fuel in the tanks - my  '73 Norton Commando (fiberglass tank) a BMW R9T and a my wife's Honda Africa Twin.  We'll be there a month; wonder if the bikes will start with no problem or if I'll be working on them for the month to get them to run?

My old Commando normally starts fine after winter lay up, but the original Amal concentrics fitted are as simple as a Suffolk Punch carb and seldom get clogged up.

Lets wait and see how easy the BMW and Honda start...

[Bryanj]

I am just remembering the rush of mechanics trying to get away every time one came into the workshop!

[Martin6]

Not that I'm at all defensive about my Commando...

...Have to say it's an easy starter and been completely reliable since early teething troubles from not being used for 6 years by previous owner. Smooth, torquey fast and good handling.

Not that I'm expecting the Honda to be any worse, but it is a tough act to match.

[Johnny4428]

My Matchless g3 is the only bike I have that I don’t have to drain the carb prior to lay up just shove it away for a year it will still start first or second kick. Just have to remember to drain oil from sump before start up. Doesn’t require fresh fuel either!

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I never drained the bowls on my XJ900 either, it always started after a 5 or 6 month lay up.

[taysidedragon]

I never drained the bowls on my XJ900 either, it always started after a 5 or 6 month lay up.

Was that in the days of full fat non-ethanol fuel, Ted?

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Yep no E5 or E10, always had to free the clutch off by firing her up on the center stand, up a couple of gears holding the clutch in, it always released, rarely had to resort to  applying the rear brakes, the inertia if thats the right word did the trick, might have been due to the shaft drive.

[Mikep328]

Test has to wait a few days...all three bikes had totally dead batteries so they have to be replaced.  Two of the three had trickle chargers - guess they don't work over the time-period involved (?) the other had it's battery disconnected.  Probably be next week before I get replacements.

[Mikep328]

With new batts all three bikes started immediately, ran fine on the Pre-Covid fuel with the stabilizer added.   

[K2-K6]

Interesting test Mike .... and result.

In discussion we've had before I've thought from looking at the composition it's plausible and seems to offer something in preserving operating properties of the fuel too.

The attached video of water tolerance is clearly doing something with that product too. I'd not dismiss it, but observe that it follows particularly an often given American presentation of simple binary reaction/interaction used to proffer a success view. Whether its as simple as that i don't know. Do we want water absorbed  ? Do we also want preservation of the "aromatic" element of fuel that promote easy starting to have been conserved, as stabil appears to do ?

Real experience of starting things like this with known time interval would seem valuable to us. Looks like quite a stern test over that time frame.

[royhall]

I had 12 months old E5 in my CB350F and it refused to start. I drained everything out, carbs included, and put in fresh E5 and it started first push of the button. As a little test, I put some of the old fuel in a steel tray outside and tried to light it. It wouldn't light with a match so I tried a blowlamp and it wouldn't light at all however hard I tried. That was crappy supermarket fuel (Morrisons), I had even older fuel in the 750 that was fine (BP). Ya pays yer money etc.

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[TrickyMicky]

Just be grateful that you are still alive. When you play with petrol, the vapour given off can penetrate your clothing. If the liquid petrol catches it will just burn, but the vapour ignites instantly with a "whoosh". The flame from the vapour shoots up past your face and you gasp in shock, breathing in the flames. Goodnight cruel world.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

When I was 17 yrs of age I spent 3 months in traction at local hospital with a fractured femur (I was the pillion).
In the bed opposite me was a young man who was a mechanic at a local Fina garage. He had been cleaning out the pit floor with Paraffin using a mop & bucket.
Due to a build up of old petrol in the pit an explosive mixture had built up causing a flash fire when he lit up a cigarette whilst still in the pit. He had horrific burns to his face and hands caused by a brief flash of ignited petrol.
Quite a few arsonists have been badly burnt when pouring petrol throgh letter boxes or when setting fire to stolen vehicles.

As has been said it's the vapour that is flammable not really the liquid.