Forum

[Adam]

Hi Jenks, it seems that laying your bike up is fraught with potential problems no matter how careful you are, problems that you don’t really need to be worrying about during your recuperation from very invasive surgery. As an alternative, have you considered leaving your bike(s?) with someone who will keep it clean and give it a blast round the lanes every week to keep it in top fettle? There are some cracking lanes down here in the Isle of Purbeck… And I do have a fair bit of time on my hands at the moment….. Adam 

[Presto]

Laying up his bike would be no problem for our friend if folk wouldn't go off at every tangent and talk about things that have no relation to what he asked us about! Laying up the bike is a 30 min job at most. All the best chum!

[Beezabryan]

"Ethanol is VERY poisonous"
Is it?
http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipe ... yl+Alcohol
BTW was Scaly really being serious?

[Scalyback]

Methanol (wood alcohol, what speedway bikes used is very poisonous.


Ethanol which you get in beer is very nice!



it is only the addition of one molecule that turns poison into pleasure!

[Scalyback]

No I wasn't being serious. there could be a few additives in the fuel that would bleach into the water, so possibly not good to drink.



However... Somebody out there has or will come up with a way.

[Scalyback]

Actually, they never did sort 'lead into gold'. Bugger!

[PeteF]

OK Papa, I see your distinction between mothballed and layed up but I still can't agree. If any engine is started it should always (ideally) be run until it is up to working temperature. I can't see why on earth you should start an engine if it's not to be used, it's just asking for problems with condensation. Even if you do run it till it's hot, what's the point?
OK, so you haven't had any problems doing this but that doesn't make it a desirable practice.

[Presto]

This is becoming fun! Emissions from cold engines are usually very high. Fuel does not vaporize completely, creating higher emissions of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. These gases are harmful, degrading oil and accelerating engine wear. That’s the theory. Just how much this produces noticeable damage and how much this will shorten the life of an engine, given the host of variables that will need to be taken into account, are questions no one has an answer to.

[Scalyback]

[center]



jenks, if you are going to be laid up for a while, try to arrange to have those that you care about close at hand.






problem sorted!

[John M]

Still not convinced about draining the fuel, I think that there is a greater risk of the jets gumming up on a drained carb as there will always be a little fuel remaining and plenty of air to aid evaporation. If the float chamber remains full then there should be no evaporation and everything remains clear.
I have one bike (not a Bullet) that has been off the road for 8 years, some of the petrol in that must be 8 years old. The tank is more or less full and the bike gets started every six months or so without any problems.
I think fuel deterioration is more likely to take place if the fuel is able to evaporate, however the ethanol issue is worth bearing in mind, I am considering switching to super-unleaded to reduce the amount ingested by my bikes.