So my motorcycle started spitting and sputtering on the way home last Tuesday, acting like it was starved. Figured it might be thirsty. Pulled into the garage, popped the cap off the tank. Whoa. Smell hit me like a wall. Something definitely wasn’t right. Not just gas, but something… off. Sticky almost.
Drained what was left into an old jerrycan I keep around for lawn mower duty. Held it up to the light. Looked kinda cloudy? Didn’t look clean, that’s for sure. No weird floaties or anything, just… murky. And that smell lingered. Like old varnish, kinda sharp.
What the Heck Happened?
Got digging online. Turns out, if gas sits too long, especially the cheap stuff, it can turn bad. Like, really bad. All sorts of issues:
- It loses its punch (less oomph for the engine)
- Can gum things up inside the carbs or injectors (like sticky syrup in tiny tubes)
- Maybe even messes with seals and stuff
Made sense. That bike hadn’t stretched its legs properly in weeks. Life got busy. Shame on me.
Time for a Deep Clean
Just pouring fresh gas on top wasn’t gonna cut it. Needed to flush the system.
- Drained the Tank Completely: Got every last drop of that weird-smelling stuff out. Seriously, held it upside down over the can until it stopped dripping.
- Checked the Fuel Filter: Popped off the line, pulled the filter out. Held it up. Looked clean enough? But feeling paranoid, I just yanked a new one out of my toolbox and slapped it in. Easy enough. Why risk it?
- Ran Fresh Gas Through: Filled a squirt bottle with fresh, top-tier name brand gasoline this time. Stuck the nozzle right into the fuel line inlet. Gave it a good few solid squirts. Let it run out the other end into my drain pan. Kept going until what came out looked clean and smelled like… well, like fresh gas. Not that old varnish crap.
- Filled Her Up: Put a couple gallons of the good stuff straight into the tank.
The Moment of Truth
Hooked the fuel line back up. Key in, choke on, hit the starter. Engine cranked… coughed a couple times… then roared to life! Revved it gently. Sounded way smoother, no more hiccuping. Took it for a quick spin around the block. Felt strong, responsive. Like it had its lungs back.
Lesson learned the hard way: Don’t let gas sit. Riding more often is obviously the fun fix. But when life gets nuts? Maybe grab a stabilizer or accept you might need to do a little clean-up job later. Cheaper than fixing gummed-up carbs, that’s for dang sure. Happy she’s running sweet again.
