Hitchcocks Forum

I recently took my garden machines, chainsaw, strimmer and mower,in for a service. I got them back today all running sweetly and filled by the service shop with Aspen Alkylate fuel. This is apparently a petrol replacement fuel for strokers and also 95 and 98 oct. 4-stroke versions. The leaflets I picked up say it is ideal for vintage vehicles as it's ethanol free. Anybody here heard of this stuff or used it in bikes before? There seems to be little info online apart from the makers sales blurb.

According to their website its £18.49p for 5 litres or £4.98 a litre!!

I don't think that I will be trying it

A friend of mine tried it, didn't notice any difference at all. People do go on about the perils of ethenol and stale fuel but I've never had a problem with any of the 7 small 2and4 stroke engines in the shed ( or the bikes come to that ) Perhaps I'm as lucky as Eddie.

Hi Eddie I tried it for a period of time and found that I had to richen the mixture on my bikes which of course is no problem but in a way forces you to keep to the fuel and a waste of time as soon as you mix it with normal forecourt fuel.
I stopped using it as I found in the end all of the seals and gaskets that has swollen over the years due to the pump fuel started to shrink back due to the Aspen effect and I had to rebuild every carb due to leaks.

It was ok but I really didn't get anything outstanding from it especially at the cost I now only use Shell V plus or the Esso 97 as they are meant to have minimal to no ethanol and I have had no issues since.

You takes your choice???

BTW my Norton Rotary ran like a pig on it at low rpm.

I've used it nearly two tankfuls during winter. Easier starting from cold and steadier tick over. I left it in the tank during hibernation which I usually don't. Haven't started yet, though, as I'm in the process of soldering a new throttle cable. In the house I previously lived our janitor told his constant headaches while mowing the lawn disappeared after he changed to "small engine gasoline" as Neste Oil here in Finland calls it. It can be had from pump being perhaps 25% more expensive.
https://www.neste.com/en/companies/prod ... e-gasoline

I think you're correct regarding carb rebuilds Rocket. The service shop changed all the seals and gaskets on my equipment before filling with Aspen. Although my stuff all runs well, at £18 a gallon I'll give it a miss in future. The local Texaco super green is ethanol free and if I want 100 octane there's always the local airfield.