QuestionThis week, I rushed to work, running late and ran my cycle at 70 mph on the 40 mile commute, up and down hills. Just as I crested the last hill, the engine quit and I coasted down the final hill and into the parking lot.
Fortunately, the janitor had a can of gas left over from summer mowing and topped off my 3 gallon gas tank. He said it was the cheapest, low octane gas he could find at the time.
Now, I find my cycle misses occasionally, especially when just starting out, or not warmed up. Could this be due to the low octane, or "bad gas" that sat for several months?
Please advise. I miss my nice smooth running cycle. Should I buy a tank of medium (89) octane to run through the cycle this weekend when I go riding and check out the fall colors?
AnswerHi Kirk...
In a nutshell... yes. If the gas sat for a few months, it is very possible that it went bad. There may have been moisture in the can. The octane rating is not as important for older bikes as it is for newer ones, especially fuel injected bikes. You didn't mention any info as to what bike you ride, so it's kinda hard to be accurate. If I were you, I would drain the gas tank and the float bowls and then fill up with fresh gas. And yes, 89 octane would be good for this scenario. It may take a few miles of driving to rid the system of all traces of the "bad" gas, but this should get ya back to seeing the fall colors!!
Jack
