To Fuel Stabilzer or not to?

Hi

Its my first winter with a bike and am not sure wether or not to add fuel stabilzer or not. I am planning on ridding my bike as much as possible through the winter, but as soon as the ice and snow comes back I shall be parking it up. Any advice on winter storage would be greatly appricated. I already have paddock stands to lift the tyres off the ground.

Thanks in advance.

Ed

Ride Safe

Just fill the tank and it will be fine.

Loads of threads on the subject of winterising your bike. Do a search. Fuel stabiliser not necessary unless you are talking 6 months or more IMO.

[andrewsmith]

If your putting the bike up for more than about 4 weeks it'll be best to stabilize the fuel as it'll gumm up and have the bike running rough.

and the recent thread on winter prep: http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=159059

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

If your putting the bike up for more than about 4 weeks it'll be best to stabilize the fuel as it'll gumm up and have the bike running rough

Can you post some science to back that up please? Remembering that all modern fuels now already contain additives at the pump.

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Can you post some science to back that up please? Remembering that all modern fuels now already contain additives at the pump.

Nope but have had the SV run like a bag of S***e after standing for 6 weeks. Also it does seem to vary bike to bike as my mate never has had to just put a dot of reddex in for the first run. Rust in a (unsealed) tank can react with fuel

Modern fuels do contain alot of additives, but on the most part they are for the BS EN 228 and low sulphur rules.

BTW, the Department for Transport will be revising it's advice on fuel storage, for the introduction of 10% bio-ethanol in 2013, and saying you need a separate stabiliser additive for any storage period longer than 6 months.

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

BTW, the Department for Transport will be revising it's advice on fuel storage, for the introduction of 10% bio-ethanol in 2013, and saying you need a separate stabiliser additive for any storage period longer than 6 months.

right! That will be because ethanol rots engine components. Voila what happened when it got in the system http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6405051.stm

But that'll also mean Carby Vehicles may require modifications to run on this std fuel.

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

Nope but have had the SV run like a bag of S***e after standing for 6 weeks. Also it does seem to vary bike to bike as my mate never has had to just put a dot of reddex in for the first run. Rust in a (unsealed) tank can react with fuel

Modern fuels do contain alot of additives, but on the most part they are for the BS EN 228 and low sulphur rules.

It will vary from bike to bike as a some are carbed with a float bowl and some are fuel injected with a pump, but it's not common to be seeing issues after 6 weeks. I usually have two bikes so one or the other can regularly go six weeks without running, also never had problems with my cousins bike when garaging it for him 6 months a time whilst he was abroad. No probs with the lawn mower after winter, or the likes of petrol hedge trimmers, chainsaws, etc.

With rust in the tank, that's why you want to fill the fuel tank to the brim. If there is no oxygen in there the tank can't rust, and the fuel stability will be a lot longer. The DfT say modern fuels should last indefinitely if stored in an airtight container.

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

right! That will be because ethanol rots engine components. Voila what happened when it got in the system http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6405051.stm

But that'll also mean Carby Vehicles may require modifications to run on this std fuel.

Correct, but it's acidity gets worse when you store it for any length of time.