You guys are using the wrong stuff...
http://www.marvelmysteryoil.com

 

I only asked if you use/believe in stabil because if you didn't use it and thought it was crap, the link I posted would have been useless to you. If, however, you were a diehard stabil believer, the information might be more useful and interesting. Sounds like you're a little more in the middle, leaning towards not believing in it.

I've read about Ethanol being hydrophillic and others say it's hygroscopic. Hydrophilic, my understanding, is that is 'mixes well with water' (I think technically that water absorbs it well "A hydrophile is a molecule or other molecular entity that is attracted to, and tends to be dissolved by, water"). Hygroscopic, my understanding, is that is attracts and holds water, often 'right out of the air'.

I've found lots of info (here's one source: Marine Problems with E10 Ethanol Fuel Blends.) that talks about ethanol being hygroscopic, but haven't really found anything substantial that debunks this. I realize that just because somebody wrote something on the Internet doesn't mean it's true. However, there does appear to be a lot of evidence that supports this. If you have any references/sources that show differently (hopefully with some scientific research to back it up), I'd be interested in reading it.

 

If you're using that huckster site for any kind of info (other than where to buy what they're trying to sell) you're doing yourself a disservice.

 

For those that don't fully grasp the ethanol issue::

It is hygroscopic - This means that while your bike is sitting, the ethanol in the fuel is "sucking" water from the environment any which way it can - certainly through the vent tube.. This water accumulates in the bowl of your carb if you have the petcock on , or in the bottom of your tank if off.. The environment will dictate how long your bike can sit before it won't start instantly. Where I live, that's about 3 days..lol

BTW, even with the petcock off, the ethanol in the carb bowl will draw water into the bowl through the vent hoses..

 

Hygroscopicity is part of the problem. The main thing, I think, is that on warm days the humid air moves into the enclosed spaces due to osmotic pressure. Basically, the humidity wants to equalize. Then the temperate drops through dew point. Water condenses on the cold metal surface and runs down and pools at the bottom of the tank, float bowl and exhaust.

I have stored bikes with conditioner and with it. Basically, I always use it. I think the idea of most fuel conditioners is that they prevent the gas from forming varnishes as it ages. I think that takes a pretty long time, but they don't seem to hurt.

Water getting into the gas in the tank is less concerning that water in the float bowl. This is because there is so much more gas in there a little water will not dilute it much. To that end, when storing a bike fill the tank. This leaves less air to bring in humidity.

Shut off the petcock and drain the carb. The stock carb, if I recall, has a drain screw. You can leave this open over the winter and any condensate will run out by itself.

On the old Hondas, I own with the bail type attachment of the float bowl my preferred method is to simply remove the float bowl. With the TM36-68, I may or may not remove the cap that covers the main jet for the same reason. It prevents the carb from trapping water. I had a Honda CB400F that ruined its carbs due to condensed water build up in the carbs.

One thing I always try and do it take each bike out on a warm day midwinter and start it up and let it run for 15 minutes. This will carry away any water in the intake or exhaust. It's important to run the bike until it's fully warm. Anything less and you're actually introducing more water into the system, especially the exhaust than you're removing. It also flushes anything that may be becoming a varnish in the carb.


The fluctuation back and forth across the dew point is what causes water build up in motorcycles. if you can store your bike in conditioned space you're much better off. It doesn't even really matter if it's warm or cold, just so long is it doesn't pass back and forth through the dew point.

 

 

If I'm not going to fire up a bike for a month I top it off with two stroke gas left from my my YZ 125.

If my KLX sets more than a week[not usual] I drain the carb before starting. Never had a starting problem doing this.

 

I've wondered about putting a few ounces of two stroke oil in the final tank of gas before storage, running it through for a bit. I wonder if it would stop the problem I had the one time I actually did drain the carb for the few serious winter months - the float needle seized up in the body, sticking open. I'm wondering if the light bit of oil might preclude this from happening.

I was prepping to start and was fortunate a neighbor kid noticed the gas pouring out the overflow tube under the bike. If I'd have tried to start it there could have been serious problems. The intake valves were closed and fortunately well sealed at the seats, the intake was full of liquid gas. If that had gotten into the cylinder when turning the engine it could have resulted in a hydraulic lock up - not good.

 

After parking my bike for over 2 weeks with a half tank topped off with non ethanol gasoline the bike started and ran much better than it has under similar conditions with the 10% ethanol gas I typically use. I have no doubt that 10% gas makes for problems. Unfortunately for me, I must drive some distance to locate an ethanol free gas station.

 

You can remove ethanol from fuel. There's some youtube vids showing how. While looking them up I stumbled across this one, which isn't a how-to, but it is enlightening and funny IMO.

CAUTION: STRONG LANGUAGE. NSFW.