TRF Forums

Is modern petrol less user friendly than it used to be?I recently took my carb apart and cleaned it out after I discovered it was letting out past the overflow.When I took it apart I did find quite a bit of debris but also a discolouration/waxing coating on the bowl internals.
Are there any tips regarding storage when the bike might be laid up for more than a few days,I have read here and there that people run their carb out of fuel prior to leaving it is that an accepted "norm" now...thanks..

Never had any issues leaving it in, I tend to use 'super' when possible and don't fill up at supermarkets..much... Carbs do get crap in, but you cleaned it out now...sleep well.

~>%}%^*>< ethanol.
The scourge of modern motoring and a nightmare for classic or low use vehicles.

Try Frosts Ethomix in every tank full if it's going to sit for more than a week-ish.

Super unleaded should have less than ordinary but it's still in there.
I had to have my 950 carbs double ultrasonically cleaned before all the gunge was cleaned out.

As far as is known, there are now no petrol suppliers without the damn stuff.

It contains different additives to years ago. Most obvious being ethanol which degrades rubber parts in the system. It also destroys paint ! Ethanol in so unstable that it is blended with the petrol just before or as it goes into the petrol station tanks.
Supermarket fuels are apparently worse though they must surely meet the same standards. I used to work for an oil company and all the stations within a large radius got their fuel from us no matter Esso, Shell, Tesco or whatever, so I am not convined. They may have taken it to another blending station of course.
Classic vehicles suffer worse for reasons I cannot fathom as being cruder and able to run on less refined fuel you'd think they wouldnt be affected at all.

I think the classics suffer because they are used much less often rather than any engineering reasons so they sit with fuel in the tanks for longer.

Ethanol also destroys fibreglass tanks.

My KTM 950 carb innards:

Super unleaded and if your gonna leave it for a while drain the tank, carb etc.

If I have the opportunity I always use Super Unleaded, it gives more power than cheaper fuel, even on my old design air cooled engine. How much do some people spend trying to ekk out a bit more power from their bike and then run on the cheapest fuel they can find

I have stopped using supermarket fuel with both my diesel lancer and motorbikes running stronger and cleaner with an improved fuel consumption on anything not from a supermarket ,while the cbx 750 I am restoring has the option of an additive to strip out the ethanol from the petrol
Leo

I have a 1969 VW camper as well, it ran like a lumpy tank until a cleaned it all out and only use super unleaded now, much much better.