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Just went down to breath some life into my KZ1300, and voila - as always, woke up with the first crank!
Sitting, cold weather - all as always no match.

I have been filling the bike religiously up with labeled as 'ethanol free' gasoline. Never had a problem starting, even in below zero temperatures.

This is by no means a systematic research, but I will document as I go local, that is mostly around Vancouver, BC, gasoline.

First batch here - Chevron marked ethanol free gasoline. First photo water up to the required for testing level - just to show the process.



Now, filled up with gasoline, shaken and left to settle. Verdict - Chevron marked as 'Ethanol free' delivers 100%. Absolutely no H2O to kill your carbs!

Hi Stan

I think I did not fully understand what you did. Were you aiming to mix water and gasoline ?

Holger

Hey Holger.

I use an ethanol in fuel tester bought from Ebay. This one:

>>>>>>> Laser Engraved Fuel Tester for Ethanol and Gasoline

You fill it up to the marked level with water, then top it up to the required level with fuel. Mix it, let it sit. Water and ethanol will attract each other bonding, showing how much ethanol in the tested fuel you have by displacing the water/ethanol-fuel line. If it shows 10, that 10% ethanol. This one tested stayed at 0, meaning there is 0% ethanol in that particular sample from Chevron sold as 95 Octane 'No Ethanol' at the pump here.

Stan

Stan, could you repeat with ethanol gas to show us what that would look like? A side by side would be much more interesting to see.

I will next time going to the pump and filling with regular. We have here 87 Octane marked as 'up to 10% Ethanol'. This I put in my 'modern' bike.
I know people use fuel treatment filling up with regular these and other old bikes, but it is just my personal experience that it didn't work for me. It rendered an old bike literally dead in winter. I started with Ethanol free and over a period of one month it gradually stabilized and started running like a proverbial Swiss watch - for months! And that sitting outside under cover, so I had to first get rid of all the ice.

So, I have never put anything but Ethanol free into the KZ1300. It starts in close to freezing temperatures after sitting for 2 weeks without a slight hesitation. I'm not preaching any 'right way', haha, but that's just my personal chosen path when available.

A short anecdote. I know one old timer in the area who spent his whole life around motorcycles, racing, collecting, fixing and teaching at a college. He has a small collection of old Hondas and others. All one or two cylinder from the 60's and 70's, made original. Some of them used to reside on a loan at motorcycle museums. Anyway. He said the only fuel he uses for them is Ethanol free. He told me about one of his bikes which he forgot to drain the carbs before taking it in storage. Six month later it hit him an he panicked, as these are expensive bikes. SO he removed and opened the carbs and said they looked like new! Shiny as if someone polished them. Put back on the bike and voila - started without problem. So, with all the stories about using fuel stabilizer and such with success, I am also hearing constant complains about bikes not starting and carburetor problems. I leave everybody to draw their own conclusions and solutions. Personally, it is not worth to me being a cheapskate saving a few dollars on fuel for a bike that I spent a fortune and part of my heart and soul on bringing it back to life, if ethanol fee is available.

Gotcha, understood now.
Holger