Fuel Stabilizer Recommendations?

[stupidamerican]

Hello out there - a little chilly these days.

Since owning my Fazer I've always used a Fuel Stabilizer over the winter months while not riding. Specifically I've used Stabil - but damn this stuff is expensive on Amazon.co.uk

I went to Halfords looking for something similar and found nothing.

Any suggestions on what to buy or where to look. It doesn't have to be Stabil but I would like to use a fuel stabilizer if possible.

Thanks
Clayton

[johnfoxllb]

Yamalube fuel stabilizer available from your Yamaha dealer.

[nickodemon]

I've never used fuel stabilisers ever in any of my bikes over the last 29 years. Never ever had an issue restarting it and running the tank empty and filling with fresh fuel

[stupidamerican]

I've never used fuel stabilisers ever in any of my bikes over the last 29 years. Never ever had an issue restarting it and running the tank empty and filling with fresh fuel

A lot of folks swear by this method. Over on the FZ1OA forum some people suggest that it could cause o-rings and such to dry if left empty for too long.

I'm not trying to start a debate - just saying.

I like using a fuel stabilizer - cheap piece of mind - and I plan on doing the same this year.

Thanks

[stupidamerican]

Yamalube fuel stabilizer available from your Yamaha dealer.

Yamaha stealerships in the states don't carry this stuff on the shelves. At least I've never seen it before. The range of Yamaha branded stuff at my local dealership here in the UK is immense compared to anything back home.

They even carry WD-40 chain cleaner and chain wax. Again, something we can't get back home.

I'll be headed to the dealership in a few days and I'll pick some up.

Thanks for the advice!

[codgie]

in 30 yrs of bikes ive never put anything in my tank but fuel


fill it up put it to bed


start it up in the spring
never had a problem


always keep it full stops condensation forming and water getting into fuel

[stupidamerican]

I wonder if UK petrol is better than what we get in the States?

Petrol will turn bad in the carbs in 3 months time back home. I'm not so much worried about rust/condensation in the fuel tank but more so the petrol turning into varnish in the carbs.

[msmudge]

The UK fuel in my CBR 600 did exactly that. Bike never ran again whilst I owned it.

[noggythenog]

in 30 yrs of bikes ive never put anything in my tank but fuel


fill it up put it to bed


start it up in the spring
never had a problem


always keep it full stops condensation forming and water getting into fuel

I run some carb cleaner through the system before filling her up & not touching her til spring also, added some stuff to prevent from rust forming for what its worth, i dont believe it is fuel stabiliser as such.


Last year my bike was totally fine.




My opinion on the problem.....guys starting their bikes inside the garage or shed during winter layup without running them on the roads, either start it up & go for a decent spin....or leave it alone til spring.


Controversial i know.

[nickodemon]

Correct. It's better to keep the battery charged up and not start the bike, as all you will do is cause condensation in the exhaust and engine, which will rust the exhaust and could emulsify the oil

[Captain Haddock]

Like wot Noggy said, if you're not going to get it properly hot don't start it up, it'll only fill everything with condensation.
Other option is to lift the tank and turn the fuel tap off, run it till it stops and the carbs are empty, crack open drain screws to make sure.

[Noj]

Some good points that have been made.


US fuel tends to suffer slightly worse than UK due to storage techniques and climate.


Petrol suffers less than diesel from degradation through storage, however due to new legislation being brought in which will increase the ethanol levels within fuel, this will increase the fuels hygroscopic properties causing an increase of water and microbial growth. This legislation will come in power 2015.


Condensation as mentioned previously in fuel is an issue when storing, however I'll be surprised if it is significant enough to affect performance Just over the winter months. The biggest problem with condensation and water will be corrosion within the fuel system however this should be fairly minor if at all.


Finally as for products, the only one I would recommend would be 'aquasolve'  it's a very very new product. It's perfectly designed for what you require.


I suggest you look at the website and information that is on there.


However as suggested, fill it up to the top until spring.

[Simon.Pieman]

I took this picture of a carb bowl from a zzr400 I was servicing for a lady friend. This bike was fuelled up just before xmas a couple of years ago and left in a dry garage until beginning of March when it was started up and then decided to misfire on all cylinders and generally run like crap.
 This is what you risk getting in your carbs if you leave a bike for a coupl of months without using preserver or draining the carbs. And no, it isn't caused by water ingress in the tank/carbs, it's fuel gone 'off'

[Captain Haddock]

With the more common usage of biofuels in petrol I wonder if any of it's microbes similar to the diesel bug causing the problem, that lives at the water/fuel interface absorbing nutrients from the fuel and oxygen from the water, makes a right mess of fuel filters in many boats.

[stupidamerican]

I took this picture of a carb bowl from a zzr400 I was servicing for a lady friend. This bike was fuelled up just before xmas a couple of years ago and left in a dry garage until beginning of March when it was started up and then decided to misfire on all cylinders and generally run like crap.
 This is what you risk getting in your carbs if you leave a bike for a coupl of months without using preserver or draining the carbs. And no, it isn't caused by water ingress in the tank/carbs, it's fuel gone 'off'

This is exactly what I'm talking about. I've had this happen to me a few times with lawn mowers and what a pain to get clean and running properly. When you say - it's fuel gone 'off' - this is what I was referring to when I said the fuel turning into varnish. Basically the petrol turns into a thick liquid that smells like varnish that's used on furniture.

I stopped by the Yamaha stealership and picked up some Yamalube fuel stabilizer. After I "Ivanize" my carbs in the next couple of weeks, I'll be filling up the tanking with petrol and leaving it the rest of the winter.

I totally agree about not starting the bike up during storage. A risk causing condensation without running the bike enough to "dry" everything out.

You guys have been a big help - Thanks!

[CRH]

briggs&stratton lawn mowers use there own fuel stabilizer called ...fuel fit"...ive used it for quite a while now both in my mowers and bikes ....and never had any problems with starting or running after any winter!!...its realy good stuff?...250ml treats 10gall petrol..and at around a fiver a bottle"..i think? is a bargain!!!

[Dave48]

Having read this thread yesterday I asked my local Yamaha dealer today whether they stocked Yamalube brand fuel stabiliser. "No" the guy said but they did have Motorex. I paid £5-99 for a small bottle-(125ml?)-it states this will be sufficient for 30Litre of petrol so will scale down accordingly to suit my tank size.
In my experience-old leaded fuels rarely gave problems-other than leaving bike untouched for long periods when the carb float bowls would sometimes get gummed up as the more volatile fractions in petrol evaporate leaving a sticky residue like varnish.
From the photos it almost looks like some biological process is happening in the fuel-as said-could be due to the ethanol content. Havent had this happen to me yet and it looks like a right palaver to rectify so am going to try the Motorex-cant hurt can it? Less pain than stripping 4 carbs
I have found some bike engines that have had modern unleaded left in for 2 or 3 months reluctant to start-is this due to the more volatile fractions evaporating?-if so we will be resorting to old ways like squirting ether spray into air intakes-the way they used to start old diesels in extreme cold conditions!

[keithfzs1000]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-DYNO-TAB-Fuel-Stabilizer-Tablets-8-tab-Card-Keep-Petrol-Diesel-Fresh-/111204602355?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19e44f91f3

enough for 2 poss 3 bikes depending on size of tank
never had to use it before in 30 years of biking but last year when I was modding the fazer I did notice difficulty in starting as was not run for 3 month and was the same with my wifes bike as if I didnt go out on bike she didnt

so might try it 

[codgie]

try this ?


http://www.lucasoil.co.uk/store_item.php?product=10314

[Noj]

With the more common usage of biofuels in petrol I wonder if any of it's microbes similar to the diesel bug causing the problem, that lives at the water/fuel interface absorbing nutrients from the fuel and oxygen from the water, makes a right mess of fuel filters in many boats.

Although it's called 'diesel bug' all Fossil fuels suffer. Adding bio fuels make it worse and reduce the 'BTU' of the fuel.

There are many other fuel additives made by endless company's. None do what 'Aquasolve' dose, when fuel gets cold and I mean clold, the water drops out of phase ( basically separates). Fuelset is another product, the best it can do is a micro emulation which separate when cold, so dosnt fully work and still allows the slimy growth you see in picture.
If not treated it will only re populate when next opportunity arrives.

Grate picture of microbial growth in petrol.

Another thing Aquasolve is a biocide with biostatic property's so desolves the slime and returning it to fuel.

[PaulSmith]

I took this picture of a carb bowl from a zzr400 I was servicing for a lady friend. This bike was fuelled up just before xmas a couple of years ago and left in a dry garage until beginning of March when it was started up and then decided to misfire on all cylinders and generally run like crap.
 This is what you risk getting in your carbs if you leave a bike for a coupl of months without using preserver or draining the carbs. And no, it isn't caused by water ingress in the tank/carbs, it's fuel gone 'off'

That is a stunning mount of gunge in the carbs. How much of it was already there before the bike was parked up for the winter?

[Simon.Pieman]

That is a stunning mount of gunge in the carbs. How much of it was already there before the bike was parked up for the winter?

 That would be hard to say, but the bike was running fine before it was laid up. I'm not sure if this sort of thing is accumulative or not. It was interesting what Noj said in his post that the microbe infestation doesn't go away unless treated.

[keithfzs1000]

just gone picked up brothers trike from ex gilrfriends she has had it in locked garage 14 mths, (owner dispute) got here put spare battery on and tried to fire up took some doing but it did

moral of the story

14 mths of half a tank of petrol stood idle in a garage it didnt go off 
 buy the stabilzer or not while bike sleeps a month or two hhhmmmm i think not never have and cant see a reason to change my mind all those who have been caught by the gunge etc well i would suggest there is other circumstances that have helped to cause it

[Simon.Pieman]

14 mths of half a tank of petrol stood idle in a garage it didnt go off 
 buy the stabilzer or not while bike sleeps a month or two hhhmmmm i think not never have and cant see a reason to change my mind all those who have been caught by the gunge etc

Why risk it for the sake of less than a fiver?
Your trike might still suffer, there could be globules of microbial growth sitting in your float bowls silently waiting. All it takes is one to go up a main jet and you could be looking at a major carb clean/rebuild.
 For peace of mind all that's needed is a fivers worth of the right chemical, turn of the tank petcock and drain the carb bowls. Done.

[Noj]

It's true you may never have an issue with water or microbial. However this problem is often started with poor fuel husbandry and promoted with an environment that helps growth of microbes. In the UK we have high quality fuel for now. Till we add more bio fuel! ie ethanol

Once you have an issue, it can be a real issue to clear with out cleaning, dismantling and flushing, which in my mind is not cost effective, as it could be your local supplier that has the problem, that is re contaminating you.

Worst case just treat if you get a problem.