My motor bike has been sitting for 12 - 14 months not being used. Charged the battery but won't fire up. Is this due to the petrol being off or could it be something else. How old is old petrol? Thanks.
gammelvind,
May 12, 8:16am
Seen problems with petrol only three or four months old.
jmma,
May 12, 8:17am
Yes it will be, drain and put fresh in, it will fire up start away. Just did mine in the weekend,I charged battery, no go and changed the fuel and I was away (o:
les41,
May 12, 8:20am
Thank you Jmma I will do that tomorrow.
xacoon,
May 12, 8:21am
On a carb as small as a bike carb I have seen it turn in less than a fortnight. Local bike agent told me if I planned on leaving the bike sitting for more than a week to drain the carb.
cabrio1,
May 12, 8:24am
Good advise here, drain the carb aswell. There should be a drain screw at the bottom.
gpg58,
May 12, 8:26am
see if carb bowl is full, float needle may be stuck closed, with fuel evaporation leaving sticky deposit(undo drain screw) a few light taps with a hammer may unstick it if so. I have had fuel in my boat for 7 years, it still fires up sweetly within a couple of cranks twice a year(boat is laid up but maintained) Chinese motors always have this issue, in my experience, i fire those up with start ya bastard, and the vibration and extra suction always gets them going within a few trys
cabrio1,
May 12, 8:32am
Chucking some fresh fuel down the plug hole has been known to help, gets the motor turning and drags some fuel through. If you pull the plug out first and its dry as a bone, no fuel is getting through. No fuel, no fire.
xacoon,
May 12, 8:49am
Wouldn't have been av gas in there would it? drained fuel out of a truck that had been parked up for about seven years, smelled like kerosene, and when I wnt to light a fire with it, it wouldn't even ignite when I held the match right up to it.
les41,
May 12, 9:15am
It's fuel injected so no carb
gpg58,
May 12, 9:22am
It smells like 100 octane i admit, but was told it was definitely 91, but from a boat marina in the sounds, so perhaps not so many additives as road taxed fuel, to evap away.
muzz67,
May 12, 9:30am
Started my XR500 in the weekend,, first time going in almost 2 years. Turn on fuel tap, check oil, 3rd kick,, idled easily. Fuel in tank could have been old last time it was put away too.
purple666,
May 12, 9:43am
My carbed HD sat for 17months, charged battery and it fired right up on the old gas in the tank.
socram,
May 12, 10:01am
Works on my cars that have been left for a while too, on BP98. They get left for 3/4 months at least over winter, and fire OK with a couple of squirts. The 1300 Mini engine would always fire OK just with a squirt of neat petrol, after a couple of years.
tintop,
May 12, 10:17am
hehe - British Seagull with tank cap screwed down and fuel tap turned off, and a half full tank.
Gave it a bit of a shake, primed the carb wound the rope and and gave iit a pull with the choke closed. One single 'pop' as the engine ran down from the first pull. Second pull - a full throated roar! lol. Oh - 7 years since it was last used.
mrfxit,
May 12, 10:22am
Yep Mac pro 700 chainsaw never fails to start after about 3 or 4 pulls & runs well. Same gas I put in it about 8 years ago. Gets started about every 2 or 3 years. Only used it once in 7 years so might give it a tidy up & sell it.
thewomble1,
May 12, 12:32pm
A squirt of 'engine start' into the carb before kicking to start.
les41,
May 12, 2:05pm
Ok we can stop now. I will drain the tank then put new fuel into it then hopefully it will be ok. Thank you all for your great comments. Keep you posted. Your are all legends.
elect70,
May 12, 11:32pm
Funny , i bought a range rover that had bee sitting for 5 years & still had 1/4 tank of 96 petrol . Drained it out , used it in my lawn mower then in my suzuki jimny buggy , from empty , no problem .
howie69,
May 13, 7:40am
I had a similar experience with one of the seagull engines. It was only five years followed the same routine as you and away it went. Bloody great wee boat motors
tintop,
May 13, 7:45am
And a bloody long way from Slipper island to the beach at Pauanui with a dead Merc :)
mardyyy,
Jan 31, 11:15am
no consistency. Had stuff sitting for ages and starts well. Had 2 bikes that sat 4 mths and fuel was reason that no way they were they going to start.
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