Gas Treatments, Use Em ??

    • 3006 posts
    March 21, 2011 4:26 AM PDT
    Just a question for for those who have used gas treatments,what product? and what did you use it for?

    I know a lot of folks who use  certain treatments back east & out here in area's where it snows in winter,yet I am also curious about riders in more balmy climates where typically you do not put the bike down for a 4-6 month stretch? Do you use any?

    TIA

    Stay Safe n Enjoy the Ride !!!
    • Moderator
    • 16795 posts
    March 21, 2011 6:00 AM PDT
    With ethanol being introduced into the nation's fuel supply we all will be adding something to counter act it's damaging effects.
    Seeing I have worked primarily on leaded gas era Harleys I've gotten used to having to change valves, and valve guides and seats, but I'm not sure that will be enough now with ethanol.

    Here is a link worth reading. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25936782/
    • 130 posts
    March 21, 2011 7:01 AM PDT
    I use Texaco or Chevron gas. The additive "Techron" is reputed to be effective in keeping the carbs clean. Other than that, Seafoam is pretty popular as a fuel system cleaner; I use it once in a great while but our bikes are ridden year-round so I don't know how much we actually benefit from it.

    The guys on the Valkyrie owners message board aren't reporting adverse effects from ethanol, other than a very slight drop in mpg, about what would be expected from running 92 octane, rather than 87. There seems to be some disagreement whether ethanol attracts water or if it dries out rubber parts. Hopefully that scam has seen its best days.
    • 0 posts
    March 21, 2011 12:09 PM PDT
    Seafoam periodically to clean the carbon off the valves. That is all.
    • 5417 posts
    March 21, 2011 12:19 PM PDT
    Not normally, but when I travel to states where the ethanol is high and/or the octane level is low I do add octane booster. Otherwise I have had no problems running 92 octane gas in my bikes and I ride over 25,000 miles a year.
  • March 21, 2011 12:36 PM PDT
    I used to use Stabil in everything over the winter. I always had trouble starting the string trimmer and leaf blower until an old boat guy showed me the problem. He showed me several boat tanks that had what looked like a layer of sand in the bottom of the tank then told me to look for the same in my tanks. Sure enough after letting then sit for a few days there was what looked like sand in them all. The old guy had several bottles of gas from different gas stations in our area and if shaken the gas became cloudy, he claims that gas had paint thinner added (cheaper than gas) and the sand stuff is a reaction between the stabilizer and the thinner. I stopped using Stabil and started using premium gas and those small engines start first or second pull now. The old guy also claims with all the additives in gas today we don't need to do anything but try to find gas that is not cut with paint thinner. His advice worked for me.
  • March 21, 2011 1:21 PM PDT
    I use "Iso-Heet" after my last ride in the fall. Does it work? I hope. It suppose to absorbe water, cleans the fuel injector and avoids rust and corrusion. My bike starts right away and runs great after a long break.
    • Moderator
    • 16795 posts
    March 21, 2011 3:20 PM PDT
    fiddlemike wrote...

    The guys on the Valkyrie owners message board aren't reporting adverse effects from ethanol, other than a very slight drop in mpg, about what would be expected from running 92 octane, rather than 87. There seems to be some disagreement whether ethanol attracts water or if it dries out rubber parts. Hopefully that scam has seen its best days.



    Valkyries are water cooled right?
    Being air cooled makes a big difference seeing ethanol burns hotter.

  • March 21, 2011 8:31 PM PDT
    A few months back we were discussing a very similiar topic about the additive Seafoam. I ran some in the bike and did notice that it seemed to idle a little smoother but really didn't notice a performance difference. I did however notice a huge performance change in my lawnmower and weedeater. Highly recommend it for lawn equipment. and its cheap pc of mind when your storing gas engines over the winter months.
  • March 22, 2011 1:27 AM PDT
    Sea Foam periodicaly here also.
    • 846 posts
    March 22, 2011 2:00 AM PDT
    I too followed the Seafoam discussion and have used it in my truck over the winter and it did help. Since my bike is still in storage (Stabil was used) i haven't tried it there yet.
    But for all the other lawn and house gas powered equipment I've started to use Stabil in the gas can once it's filled. The reason is after two cab rebuilts I asked the local repair shop what the issue was. The answer was gas now a days Su--s was the answer and it breaks down within a week or so because of the ethenol seperates from the gas and draws in water. For that reason any gas that mite sit over a week gets some form of stabilizer in it. When I'm riding a tank will at best last me two days other wish it does sit in the tank that long to worry about.
    • 3006 posts
    March 22, 2011 4:48 AM PDT
    Thanks for the good replies, I posted this after reading my owners manual from Honda which states any fuel additives are not recommended,which I figure was including carb cleaners & seafoam stabil etc,
    It sounds like, based on the ethanol content I should be concerned to some degree,yet it is a water cooled engine.
    No real problems with the carb yet,its overdue for a teardown & rebuild according to the manual.Not sure if I want to mess with something that aint broke or acting broke??..
    Thanks Again!!!
    • 0 posts
    March 22, 2011 9:58 AM PDT
    If you use the Seafoam periodically, it will help clean and lube the carbs (Seafoam is petroleum) It will have no effect on the rubber lines and such. It is safe to use if used as directed.

    If you add a little to the engine oil and then run for 5 minutes or so and then change the oil, you will be surprised on how much cleaner your motor will be. I would not leave it in all the time if you have a wet clutch.

    I swear by the stuff after seeing repeatedly (here in the shop) how well it does on cleaning engines and removing carbon on valves.
    • 58 posts
    March 22, 2011 11:28 AM PDT
    Based on the earlier discussion, I now use seafoam also. At least every other tank. My bike gets ridden for 2-3 days then sits for 2-3 weeks till I'm home again to ride.  My wife runs it up for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 days (gets good and warm) when temps go below freezing.
    • 130 posts
    March 22, 2011 1:41 PM PDT
    RevBigJohn wrote...
    fiddlemike wrote...

    The guys on the Valkyrie owners message board aren't reporting adverse effects from ethanol, other than a very slight drop in mpg, about what would be expected from running 92 octane, rather than 87. There seems to be some disagreement whether ethanol attracts water or if it dries out rubber parts. Hopefully that scam has seen its best days.



    Valkyries are water cooled right?
    Being air cooled makes a big difference seeing ethanol burns hotter.
    Yes, Valks are water cooled.  I hadn't read anything about ethanol burning hotter. Have you had any problem with pinging due to higher operating temerature?


    • Moderator
    • 16795 posts
    March 23, 2011 8:41 PM PDT
    fiddlemike wrote...
    RevBigJohn wrote...
    fiddlemike wrote...

    The guys on the Valkyrie owners message board aren't reporting adverse effects from ethanol, other than a very slight drop in mpg, about what would be expected from running 92 octane, rather than 87. There seems to be some disagreement whether ethanol attracts water or if it dries out rubber parts. Hopefully that scam has seen its best days.



    Valkyries are water cooled right?
    Being air cooled makes a big difference seeing ethanol burns hotter.
    Yes, Valks are water cooled.  I hadn't read anything about ethanol burning hotter. Have you had any problem with pinging due to higher operating temerature?



    We can still avoid it around here so I haven't had to run it.
    Folks that have run it have come to me about heat issues.
    Harleys fire both plugs at the same time, reguardless of where the piston is in the stroke cycle, with the extra heat in the combustion chamber
    this could cause the cylinder to fire in the non-compression stroke in non-fuel injected engines.
    I'll admit, it worries me due to the fact that I have friends involved in drag racing some in the alcohol (ethanol) classes, after racing they  must clean out all the fuel system parts due to corrosion issues reguardless of percentage.
    And if you were to run straight alcohol in a Harley engine you would have to convert to a single-fire ignition.

    • 2072 posts
    March 25, 2011 2:38 PM PDT
    I'm a firm believer in Seafoam. Did a 4095 mile cross country a couple of years ago on my Boulevard C-90. Experimented running with and with out it across I-40 as did my Brother. We both saw better performance AND mileage WITH Seafoam. I use it in everything from my boat to my lawnmower.