View Full Version : How long will petrol last in the tank??...
Welsh_Wizard
09-12-07, 08:29 PM
..before it goes all rancid and starts breaking stuff ??
I've only been out once in the last 3 weeks and didn't know whether that was a problem or not (apart from being super boring :( ).
Any idea's ??
Any other problems that could occur through lack of use ???
na its fine, i have left the SV before for a couple of month and it started fine and ran fine
caz650s
09-12-07, 08:38 PM
You could always add some fuel stabiliser ...stops it going thick and also keeps moisture out ...be sure to run the engine for a while once you have added it to get it in the carbs/injectors ..I use Hondas own brand.
sv-robo
09-12-07, 08:48 PM
i read somewhere that petrol these days isnt as long lasting as it use to be ie the old 2/4 star.apparentley after 4/6weeks is when its suppose to start deteriorating,which is why some people reccomend fuel stabilizer if its gonna be stood for a while.although in saying this i know people who just leave it as it is and it seems fine so really its down to what you think.:-k
dickis01
09-12-07, 10:01 PM
From my race car days, the biggest problem we had with old fuel, would be reduced octain levels. This is not a problem in it's self, but in high compression engines it can lead to poor performance (Less hourse power), Should last around 6-8 months in the tank max, If it is older than this then it will damage your engine, blocked Carbs/injectors. Stabalisers and octain enhancers all help. If you are going to leave a bike stood for more than 5 months I woudld drain the tank.
wheelnut
09-12-07, 10:12 PM
Just go and fill your tank before you put it away for Winter, it will be fine
Blue_SV650S
10-12-07, 09:19 AM
... after 4/6weeks is when its suppose to start deteriorating,.
And of that how long has it been in the petrol stations tank already?? ;)
Fuel will 'work' that is greater than 6 months old, even a year, but at tat point you start getting other problems like gummed carbs (if the bike hasn't been run).
As stated fuel is best in its first month, but I wouldn't worry too much after 3. Presuming your tank is 1/2 full, just top it up with nice fresh 'super' unleaded to bring the octane back.
That said I have issues with getting 'fresh' super (I don't think the turnover is as quick as normal, so it could have been sat in the tanks for months already???), so if it were me I'd just top it up with normal unsplendid.
A bigger problem is probably carb gumming/sticking and getting damp in the tank ... that'll make it go rusty inside ... open the lid and spray WD40 in there :)
Blue_SV650S
10-12-07, 09:26 AM
From my race car days, the biggest problem we had with old fuel, would be reduced octain levels. This is not a problem in it's self, but in high compression engines it can lead to poor performance (Less hourse power), ....
That is not entirely true ... octane isn't there just for power, it is to stop pre-ignition (pinking) on a race engine they run super high compression, therefore they are at greater risk of pre-ignition. Pre-ignition can kill an engine BAD ... from burnt out valves, to holed pistons, to bottom end failure ...
My bike race engine would only run high octane fuel (still pump fuel - but 'super' only) ... I evidently bought a bad batch once and within 1 days use (~20 mins) it had burnt the valves out ... as I had bought the fuel (Optimax) at great expense from a petrol station the day before, so I can only put that down to it having sat in the petrol stations tank going 'stale' before I bought it ... lower octane ... rogered valves ... big repair bill (had only just had the engine rebuilt!!) and loss of power for the weekend affecting my results .. :cry:
Hence my previous statement about trying to find 'good' (fresh) super ..
The CBR6 had been standing for a year or so before I started it up again. Luckily it fired second press of the button and revs/ticks over cleanly, but I've seen the horrors of what broken down fuel does to a set of 600 Diversion carbs. It took 2 whole days to clean them out.
I'll be filling the tank up with fresh fuel soon to dilute down the stuff that's in there and then adding stabiliser to the mix. If you're thinking of doing the same, don't forget to run the bike for about 10 minutes to get some of the stabilised fuel into the carbs or injectors.
My bike race engine would only run high octane fuel (still pump fuel - but 'super' only) ... I evidently bought a bad batch once and within 1 days use (~20 mins) it had burnt the valves out ... as I had bought the fuel (Optimax) at great expense from a petrol station the day before, so I can only put that down to it having sat in the petrol stations tank going 'stale' before I bought it ... lower octane ... rogered valves ... big repair bill (had only just had the engine rebuilt!!) and loss of power for the weekend affecting my results .. :cry:
..
There are only about 5 or 6 BP stations in the UK that supply extra high octane super unleaded fuel - I can't remember how high the grade is. We always use it in Danny's ZX10R race bike because the rules allow for any freely available pump fuel and also because we have one of the suppliers just down the road in Milton Keynes. It ain't cheap, but Danny notices the difference in power if we have to use normal super-unleaded.
Blue_SV650S
10-12-07, 09:51 AM
There are only about 5 or 6 BP stations in the UK that supply extra high octane super unleaded fuel - I can't remember how high the grade is. We always use it in Danny's ZX10R race bike because the rules allow for any freely available pump fuel and also because we have one of the suppliers just down the road in Milton Keynes. It ain't cheap, but Danny notices the difference in power if we have to use normal super-unleaded.
I guess if there are so few stations doing the super duper duper unleaded, regardless of price, it will have a high turnover as people (mostly chavs and 'bragging rights' idiots, not people with a genuine use like your mate) will travel miles to fill up on it ... supply and demand means it will always have a good turnover ..
Oh and that reminds me, better say at this juncture for those that didn't know, supposedly super unleaded 'goes off' faster than normal unleaded :shock:
However I think most normal super at smaller petrol stations has a slower turnover than normal unleaded as people are not prepared to pay the premium for road use when it is not a necessity ... evidently the petrol station I got mine from has a very low turnover :cry:
That piddled me off ... I paid good money for Optimax, not a supermarket super unleaded and it still blew my engine!! :mad:
I guess if there are so few stations doing the super duper duper unleaded, regardless of price, it will have a high turnover as people (mostly chavs and 'bragging rights' idiots, not people with a genuine use like your mate) will travel miles to fill up on it ... supply and demand means it will always have a good turnover ..
If we have to wait to use the pump, then there's usually a Ferrari or Lamborghini filling up, or some dodgy looking bloke in his twenties with 25 litre jerry cans and a race bike in the back of his Transit.
SVeeedy Gonzales
10-12-07, 12:25 PM
It's meant to start going off after a couple of weeks, yet my petrol lawnmower always starts no probs in the spring after having the petrol sat in there for about 5 months. I wouldn't worry about it unless I was storing the bike up over the winter, and then I'd probably just run the tank low and fill up with a can of fresh stuff in the spring.
If it went off as quickly as they say they'd have to put best before warnings on the pumps to save themselves being sued.
Blue_SV650S
10-12-07, 02:48 PM
It's meant to start going off after a couple of weeks, yet my petrol lawnmower always starts no probs in the spring after having the petrol sat in there for about 5 months. I wouldn't worry about it unless I was storing the bike up over the winter, and then I'd probably just run the tank low and fill up with a can of fresh stuff in the spring.
If it went off as quickly as they say they'd have to put best before warnings on the pumps to save themselves being sued.
Lawnmowers run on any old rubbish!! they are a great way of getting rid of old fuel!! :D
Race engines* need it high octane and 'fresh' ... lawn mowers can run on any old rubbish, the SV is somewhere in-between ...
Oh and Lozzo, "Ferrari or Lamborghini filling up" yeah forgot about that demographic!! :D
*at the far extreme, could you imagine an F1 car being happy with anything other than afresh brew mixed to the exact proportions? ;)
Ceri JC
10-12-07, 04:32 PM
Lawnmowers run on any old rubbish!! they are a great way of getting rid of old fuel!! :D
+1. The ones that use diesel are particularly resiliant. When I used to work as a gardener, the diesel tank was only refilled when it was empty (about once every 18 months). :)
..
Oh and Lozzo, "Ferrari or Lamborghini filling up" yeah forgot about that demographic!!
There's quite a few Ferraris and Lambos around Milton Keynes.
walkaboutandy
10-12-07, 08:40 PM
I had to drain the petrol from my old bug thats been sat around for over two years. I didn't know what to do with it so I put it through my SV. I put 10 litres in and topped it up with BP ultimate. Didn't notice any difference in its running, although I wouldn't make a habit of it.
Blue_SV650S
10-12-07, 08:41 PM
I had to drain the petrol from my old bug thats been sat around for over two years. I didn't know what to do with it so I put it through my SV. I put 10 litres in and topped it up with BP ultimate. Didn't notice any difference in its running, although I wouldn't make a habit of it.
Bearing in mind how agricultural they are, it'd have prolly done the bug less harm than the SV ;)
dizzyblonde
10-12-07, 08:46 PM
hmmm, petrol does ok for a couple of months or two. It apparently can evaporate too. However if your petrol light decides to pack up like mine did last week, your petrol lasts til your bike conks on a hill you have to push it back up on!!!!:-)
SVeeedy Gonzales
11-12-07, 01:11 PM
It's easy to say a mower will run on any old rubbish, yet it's the same basic engine design, spark plug, etc. as any other engine out there. And it's made by Husqvarna, not well-lknown for their manufacture of junk.
I knew a guy who'd only fill up his Subaru on super unleaded (and then only some types) as he was terrified of what might happen if he put regular unleaded in there.
I'd say the SV (and most road bikes) were considerably more at the mower end of the scale than the F1 end of the scale. Sure, if you have a high-compression bike engine (that's less than 1% of road bikes) you can make use of super unleaded, while no other bikes will get any noticeable benefit. F1 engines are tuned to such an exctent it all has to be perfect to make it work.
Take a look at the SV manual and look at some of the junk they advocate putting in there - ethanol based mixtures, etc. and it's obvious the SV engine is a lot more basic than it might seem.
I've stuck a couple of litres of petrol in the SV that'#s been sitting for months (when there's only been a couple of litres lef tin the tank) and it's run fine.
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