Author Topic: anti ethanol additives?  (Read 6470 times)

Offline Chaos

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anti ethanol additives?
« on: August 31, 2017, 10:56:02 AM »
Any recommendations favoring Lucas, Stabil, or others out there?  Corn gas is the only option around here, never really had a problem because the bike only sits for a month or 2 in the winter and I burn a bottle of Techron and some MMO once in a while.  Wondering if it's a bunch of hype or the stuff might prevent future problems.  My gut feeling is just keep doing what I've been doing and keep my money.
  • sw ohio
1987 K75S    VIN 0231
Original owner, Original litter
200,000 miles (plus or minus) and 5 paint jobs
sold 6/23
2023 Ural 2WD sidecar (BMW's bastard step child)

Offline thecableguy

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2017, 12:03:42 PM »
I use the "Pure Gas" app on my android phone to find stations that sell no-corn fuel.  Sometimes it'll be a pump out back labelled for off-road use only...


Otherwise I've used the Stabil marine and the Star-tron marine ethanol treatment/stabilizers successfully in my boats/small engines.


Jim


  • Madison, WI USA
  • 86 K100RT - Brünhild
...to make a long story short, use duct tape.

Offline Tuco

  • Gone ridin' !
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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2017, 12:52:15 PM »
In my area there is a chain saw shop that has non ethanol fuel. Might be an option.
  • Waldport, Oregon
  • '87 K100LT, '87 K100RS, '97 DR350

Offline The Mighty Gryphon

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2017, 02:04:22 PM »
That ethanol crap is okay if you run it through in less than a month.  In the winter I used to drain my seasonal equipment so it wouldn't sit with that nasty stuff in it for 4-5 months.

Now that I have access to no corn fuel(ridiculously priced so I don't use it all year) I run it in my bricks beginning in November so when they are finally laid up it's with no-corn in the tank.  Then I throw some Stabil and Techron in the tank and run them in the garage until they reach operating temperature every 3-4 weeks during the winter to keep the batteries up and the oil circulated.

Last winter was very mild here and I was able to get about 1500 miles on them during January, February and March.  Can't count on that kind of weather every year.
  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"

Offline johnny

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2017, 03:42:29 PM »
greetings...

used to use the red stabil... never had a problem with it...

butts our local farm store started stocking the blue marine stabil... used it the past 3 years with no problems...


* 7630013_sbl_22239_alt1_pri_larg.jpg (16.69 kB . 450x450 - viewed 504 times)

disclaimer... i use the stabil with no corn... and that 1st tank outta hibernation will be less mpg than prior to hibernation...

ride dangerously...

j o



  • :johnny i parks my 96 eleven hundert rs motobrick in dodge county cheezconsin  :johnny

Offline rbm

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2017, 04:54:32 PM »
Now that I have access to no corn fuel(ridiculously priced so I don't use it all year) I run it in my bricks beginning in November so when they are finally laid up it's with no-corn in the tank. 
Jim,


Just pop across the border to St. Catherines or Niagara Falls and fill up the bike with Shell V-power.  Shell guarantees 0% ethanol in that grade.  Got to be cheaper than what you're paying at the specialty shop and the Canadian dollar is still weak against the US dollar, which benefits you.
  • Regards, Robert
Toronto, Ontario

1987 K75 - Build Blog @http://k75retro.blogspot.ca/

Offline gone_ape

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  • 94 K75RT (Now Standard)
Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2017, 11:30:35 PM »
I've used StarTron for a few years now.  It works very well as intended...but like others here, I don't use it for long term storage...I can ride most of the year round here.
Non-Corn fuel is not available here in central TX unless you want to by a drum of race gas from a company such as VP, etc. or head to the local airport for AV-Gas...(but IMHO that stuff is not for me)...

  • Austin, TX
  • 94 K75RT (Now Standard)

Offline bmwpyro

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2017, 11:31:44 PM »
has anyone tried k-100 fuel treatment?  https://goo.gl/PUzoBR

its a bit pricey but seems to work... plus you cant ever forget the name...
  • Azusa, CA
  • 1985 K100RS, 1990 K75S
Always Learning...
Always something new to learn about riding and Kbikes...
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Offline The Mighty Gryphon

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2017, 12:08:37 AM »
We used and sold it for many years at the marina where I worked.   The owner of the company was a customer and when the company started they did a lot of testing on boats here.  The stuff seems to do a good job of drying out water in diesel fuel and gasoline systems on the sailboats our customers own.  It also works well to clean out the crap that builds up in the injectors and carburetors on engines that might only see 15 or 20 hours of run time in a six month sailing season followed by a six month storage.  Many of our customers use less than 10 gallons of diesel a year and are running their engines on very stale fuel.

We have almost 100% success in starting an engine on the first try in the Spring when the K100 is used in the Fall.  Owners that do not use it often have engine issues on first start. 

One caveat, about 90%+ of the boats we serviced had small diesel engines.  The problems with diesels are different from those of gasoline engines so it is difficult to extend the success with K100 on diesels to gasoline engines that run on ethanol, especially since most of the gasoline used at our location was non-ethanol.

My suggestion would be to use the K100MG which is the marine gasoline formula.  Think of it as a cocktail of drygas, stabilizer and system cleaner in one bottle.  My understanding is that the regular K100G for gasoline engines does not have the stabilizer. 
  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"

Offline kris

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2017, 03:04:40 PM »
Gryph,  the Esso refinery at Nanticoke (on Lake Erie this side of Port Dover) ships pure gas only. The plant was never set up for ethanol. I talked to a tanker driver dropping his load in Ancaster and he explained this and the geographical distribution of their product. Everything basically west of Highway 6 (in Burlington) gets the good stuff. The reason I'm telling you this is that this guy runs fuel to Niagara and I think he even said into western New York (not sure where your closest refinery is but this may  be true).  Big oil runs in mysterious ways and the chiefs seem to be very happy to keep us in the dark on things so you might have to do some digging.  Some Ultramar stations run a grade of no-corn, as does Petro Canada (maybe the 91? check that). There certainly is no premium on the good stuff at Esso. I encourage my wife to fill there to get 100 per cent gasoline, when possible. I do my best to get non-ethanol in my K100 and will always store her that way.


Puregas.org does a pretty good job of listing the stations we would prefer to fill at.



Good luck!
  • In The Hammer!! Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  • 1986 K100RT (Heinz) 2004 Kawasaki Concours (Eddy) 2007 Moto Guzzi Breva 1100 (Linda) Previous: 1968 Honda CD175 1973 Kawasaki S2350 1975 Honda CB550K
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Offline F14CRAZY

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2017, 08:31:12 PM »
Startron or Sta Bil. I've used both with good results
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • '87 K75C
'87 K75C w/ Pichler V1 fairing. LED's, CATZ driving lights, Audiovox cruise, LT top case, tons of other mods by Drake...


Offline bizzaro

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Re: anti ethanol additives?
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2017, 08:29:11 PM »
Yep, Marine STA-BIL for me.  But that is mostly for my yard and saw gas.  I am lucky to have non-ethyl close by and almost never have to use ethyl gas.  I also use this site pretty religiously on the the road, away from home, when practical. https://www.pure-gas.org/
  • Vermont
  • Current:1994 BMW K1100LT Previous: 1982 Yamaha virago 920,1973 Honda CB550,1976 Yamaha 650 Special
See Ya in the Twisties,
 Bizz

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