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I had my sportbike in storage for at least 3 years. It is Electronic Fuel Injected. It had a full tank of Premium Gas (Shell or Mobil). I put in STA-BIL to preserve the gasoline.

Is the gas beyond saving?

Would it cause harm if I try to start it up?

STA-BIL has a product called "Start Your Engine" which gives back the combustibility of the gas.

Will this help? Has anyone used this?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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    Great question, and welcome to the site! We have a few motorcycle experts on here (@DucatiKiller) , I'm betting one of them has experience with these types of products. What kind of bike is it? Jun 15, 2016 at 13:05
  • This is what evaporated bad gas looks like. mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/28915/… Jun 15, 2016 at 22:44

1 Answer 1

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STA-BIL advertises gasoline integrity for 24 months

It seems you have exceeded the advertised lifetime of 24 months by 12.

Action Items

  • Drain all fuel from the gas tank, fuel lines and fuel pump

  • Inspect inside of fuel tank for rust and/or varnish from evaporated fuel

  • You may need to clean your fuel injectors, you may not.

  • Clean various components with carburetor cleaner.

  • Reassemble and fill with completely fresh fuel

Answers

You asked

Is the gas beyond saving?

Yes, throw it out

Would it cause harm if I try to start it up?

Probably not but you could clog your fuel injectors if the gas is in bad shape and create more work for yourself than simply draining everything out and starting with completely fresh fuel.

STA-BIL has a product called "Start Your Engine" which gives back the combustibility of the gas.

Will this help?

It might. I wouldn't use it though. I would just drain out the 36 month old gas start fresh. You might have water accumulation in the bottom of the tank as well, as before, I would drain it.

Has anyone used this?

I have not, I typically don't use these types of products. I prefer to completely drain fuel systems for storage and start fresh so I don't have any experience.

Thoughts

You might want to try and simply drain the fuel system, add fresh gas and start the bike. I would also change the oil, filter and coolant as well. You might find that the bike just starts up. I would not use the old fuel or try and save it under any circumstances.

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  • Many thanks for the info DucatiKiller. I'm not mechanically inclined and don't have a garage, so is cleaning all the parts doable? How much does a professional mechanic cost? BTE, 1999 Suzuki Gsxr 750. Thanks again. Jun 16, 2016 at 15:55
  • If you want to ask how to drain the fuel system of 1999 GSXR I'll answer it with directions by end of day.. Jun 16, 2016 at 16:00
  • Many thanks again DucatiKiller. I would appreciate your help on how to drain the fuel system. I am not so familiar with this site, but, I am getting notifications very slow. Looking forward to your directions. I'm unsure if I need to set up another question. Hopefully not. Thank you. Jun 17, 2016 at 17:52
  • go ahead and ask the question, "how do I drain the fuel system for my 1999 Suzuki GSXR750?" I'll answer it by end of day PST. mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/ask Jun 17, 2016 at 17:55

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