Starting?

[BSA_54A10]

I think its a bit of a myth that the new petrol degrades as quickly as some seem to think these days. Its the first thing thats blaimed when the bikes won't start. I never have any trouble starting any of my bikes when stood far longer than a couple of months. Even the old mower fires up after being left all winter.Is there any hard proof that ethonol laden petrol degrades so quickly or is it just one of those stories that get put about.
I like being controversial

Stick some into a shallow container and leave it in the sunshine for an afternoon after an hour or two  you won't be contraversial any more.
It is quite random as is the composition of the stuff they call fuel.

[Rgs-Bill]

  All of the above mentioned methods.  My 62 BSA RGS, had a 389-81 carb on it from the factory.  Here is a little known thing that happened to me.  For many years I could not get my bike to run on the pilot circuit at all.  Well then did not know anything about carbys.  Come to find out the pilot circuit which is drilled through to the pilot jet orfice in the back of the carby, was never drilled through to the pilot jet opening for the jet.  So how the hell are you supposed to get a good idle without an idle circuit.  For years I was running my idle on the slide height, never the idle pilot circuit ! ! ! !  I could never get a decent Idle under 1200 RPM, then it always wet fouled the plugs, way too rich.  I finally said this is ridiculous, I can not count the times I cleaned the pilot circuit, to no avail.  So removed the carby, completely dismantled every thing , and started to Investigate, and realized if the hole did not go through to the pilot jet hole, you can not get fuel there, then you can not have a pilot circuit, ( it was never drilled through from Amals manufacture in May of 1962 ).  Drilled it through, polished everything  smooth that I  drilled ,   and WELLA, brand new motorcycle.  It had never run that good ! ! ! !

    I hated that carb for so many years, can not count the times I could have put a torch to the whole bike ! ! ! !  Now however, when Amal Monobloc`s are set up properly, they are the simplest, easiest, low maintenance carb to have.  Concentrics and Mikunis be damned, at least for me, keep it original. At least for me you guys can still do it your way.

[Rgs-Bill]

Hi All,
Yes I have come across the problem of petrol "going off"
Sometimes if you can start the engine it will behave as if starved of fuel until it warms up the engine where it may just about power the bike along
othertimes just no start at all

It seems to be a random happening ???? other times the bikes will run fine 
The lawnmower doesnt seem to care whats in the tank ??
I add the gone off stuff to the tank of our 18year old Civic 

John

    Hey guys, in the U S of A, the gas we get really sucks ! ! ! !   92 octane is the highest, and it is mixed with 10% ethanol .  STABIL here is JUNK JUNK JUNK  Even says on the label now, 2 year shelf life.  So if you have a vehicle you only use once a month and do not use all of the fuel up, the stabil goes bad in the tank, after being mixed with gas.  Marvel Mystery Oil, even say keeps gas from going sour on the label.  At 20 bucks per gallon, as compared to 20 Bucks per QT (32 oz quart) for stabil, it is a no brainer to buy the MMO.  The mix is 1 oz of MMO to every 2.5 US gallons.  (Now if you do a lot of sitting and Idling as in traffic lights you may not want to go this way it could cause upper cylinder glazing to become worse)  As far as I know the marine variety of Stabil  is OK, but if the other is not, you take your chances.  I have had same gas  (92 octane ethyl) in my RGS for two years now, only rode once in 2 seasons, and it is still fine with just the MMO.  The MMO also has Wintergreen, and small amount of machinists oil in it, Wintergreen is what U S  military specs for all jobbers supplying penetrating oil to the Gov.  So your rings will not get gummed up, and stuck.  (AGAIN be mindful of 2 much idling) .... I mix a little stiffer 1 U S oz to 2 gallons in the Ford V-8 van which sits for all but maybe 2 drives per year.  If you do the math Stabil  is now  $80.00 Bucks (U S D ) for one gallon.  Another no brainer, for something that works, and a piece of JUNK for 4 times the cost. " JUST AN OLD MAN RANTING AND RAVING "  76 NOW, AND STILL KICK STARTING MY   RGS 9 to 1.

    PS:  mix MMO and  90 % Isopropyl alcohol / 50x50, is a military style penetrating oil, really works.  Has to get inside though to work.

[coater87]

 Bill,

 I am pretty lucky here in WI, I have a gas station about 20 miles away that still sells aviation gas and race fuels. I believe I can get 112 octane there, no ethanol. The low grade is 102 and used by the street racer types and tractor pull guys.

 I believe the 112 is $16.00 a gallon.

 I like MMO also for all kind of things. Filled stuck ford engines with it a few times, and it does free them up.

 Lee

[edboy]

now you have a normal president, perhaps if you ask for it, he will reintroduce the round wheel and put petrol on sale again.

[RichardL]

now you have a normal president, perhaps if you ask for it, he will reintroduce the round wheel and put petrol on sale again.

[worntorn]

Quote from Bill-

    "Hey guys, in the U S of A, the gas we get really sucks ! ! ! !   92 octane is the highest, and it is mixed with 10% ethanol .  STABIL here is JUNK JUNK JUNK  Even says on the label now, 2 year shelf life.  So if you have a vehicle you only use once a month and do not use all of the fuel up, the stabil goes bad in the tank, after being mixed with gas.  Marvel Mystery Oil, even say keeps gas from going sour on the label.  At 20 bucks per gallon, as compared to 20 Bucks per QT (32 oz quart) for stabil, it is a no brainer to buy the MMO.  The mix is 1 oz of MMO to every 2.5 US gallons.  (Now if you do a lot of sitting and Idling as in traffic lights you may not want to go this way it could cause upper cylinder glazing to become worse)  As far as I know the marine variety of Stabil  is OK, but if the other is not, you take your chances.  I have had same gas  (92 octane ethyl) in my RGS for two years now, only rode once in 2 seasons, and it is still fine with just the MMO.  The MMO also has Wintergreen, and small amount of machinists oil in it, Wintergreen is what U S  military specs for all jobbers supplying penetrating oil to the Gov.  So your rings will not get gummed up, and stuck.  (AGAIN be mindful of 2 much idling) .... I mix a little stiffer 1 U S oz to 2 gallons in the Ford V-8 van which sits for all but maybe 2 drives per year.  If you do the math Stabil  is now  $80.00 Bucks (U S D ) for one gallon.  Another no brainer, for something that works, and a piece of JUNK for 4 times the cost. " JUST AN OLD MAN RANTING AND RAVING "  76 NOW, AND STILL KICK STARTING MY   RGS 9 to 1.

    PS:  mix MMO and  90 % Isopropyl alcohol / 50x50, is a military style penetrating oil, really works.  Has to get inside though to work."

End Quote from Bill

Last summer I rode 2800 miles  thru BC, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Wyoming.  Only had to use gas with ethanol once, and that was in a remote location with no other fuel for about 100 miles. Other than that, there was fuel marked "ethanol free" at a great many fuel stations. If a station did not have ethanol free, I continued on to the next station which invariably did have at least one pump labelled ethanol free.
 Generally it was the higher octane stuff, which I wanted anyway, but some stations offered E.F. in regular or high octane.
There was a slight extra charge for the ethanol free, might have added $10 or $20  cost to the entire trip. Well worth it.


Btw, to those of you buying expensive race gas- -did you know that the lower the octane the higher the contained energy in the fuel?
So there is more power to be had from regular 86 octane fuel than in 112 octane. One only needs enough octane to prevent pinging (pinking)
After that, you are detuning by adding octane. Extra octane slows the burn to prevent pinging, cuts power output.





Glen

[RichardL]

JUST AN OLD MAN RANTING AND RAVING "  76 NOW, AND STILL KICK STARTING MY   RGS 9 to 1.

Glen,

Since my Road Rocket (kinda) is also 9:1, you are a role model for the my next decade.

Richard L.

[worntorn]

Hi Richard

That was Bill who at age 74  is still starting his 9 to 1 RGS, I screwed up the quote somehow.

I'm 61 and still kick starting a 10.5 to one 1360 Vincent, squish heads and all. Not sure for how much longer though, did some damage to the right knee with that one. It really needs an e-start, but it will have to be home engineered, there is nothing out there suitable.

The 9 to one SR is like kicking over a Honda 50 in comparison. Or was before the knee damage!

Glen

[RichardL]

Got it. I was wondering why you were saying, "...in the U.S.A..."

Richard L.

[orabanda]

I have a SR with new Amal,  357 cam, and 10:1 pistons.
Timed to 32 degrees BTDC.nc cylinders.
A difficult (unpredictable) starter unlike my other bikes (first kickers)
Problem solved after I stoned the cam ring so that the timing was the same for both cylinder (point gap identical); there had been 3 degrees difference (< 0.002"difference in point gap).

I have gone to this trouble with all my bikes; they are all reliable starters.

Richard