A very informative article by Nick Ienatsch at Cycle World on the problems ethanol can create in motorcycles and potential solutions.
Source: A Real World Look at Alcohol in Your Tank
The technician in the article recommends Bel Ray Fuel Additive. I’ve been using Lucas Safeguard Fuel Conditioner in my Vespa. Now I feel I should use it in my car too, even though I fill it up every 10 days. How do you know it’s really working, without tearing your motorcycle apart and inspecting it every week?
The article got me thinking again of an electric motorcycle.
I found it particularly interesting that the author recommends filling up only at a busy gas station. Seems that you can’t let that ethanol be sitting around for too long at any location!
Good article. I was hoping that FI bikes would be more resistant to the ravages of ethanol – but guess not. I’m only filling-up at the one local station that pumps corn-free 89 octane gas. A bit of a pain, but don’t want that stuff in my machines.
It’s hard to find ethanol free 89 octane gas here. There was a station here that used to sell it, but they don’t anymore.