The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 176
"The ethanol turned to a gummy gel, clogged the injectors, and ruined my
engine."
I own a 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic. Yesterday, April 23, 2017, I went
into the garage to start my motorcycle and take it for a ride. The last time I
started and rode the motorcycle was about 5 months ago, at the end of October
2016. I hadn't planned to let the bike sit for that long, things just happened to
get in the way. Normally, living where I do there are usually unusually warm
spring-like days even in the dead of the winter months, and this gives me the
chance to take the bike out to charge up the battery and get some "fresh" fuel.
We did have a few nice days in January and February, but this year we also
had lots and lots of rain. So, on those really nice days instead of taking my
motorcycle for a ride, I took my very large German Shepherd to the dog park
instead (and he's way too big to ride as a motorcycle passenger).
From past experiences with a lawn mower
in the 1990s, as well as other vehicles I've
owned, I know that you are not supposed to
let an internal combustion engine sit with
fuel in it for an extended period of time without having put something like Sta-Bill in the
tank; and 5 months is an extended period
of time.
When I first tried to start the bike, nothing
happened...nothing. There was no electric
power to start the bike. The battery was
dead. I swapped it for a fully charged battery. I turned the key, the electric light
indicators and headlight illuminated. I flipped the ignition switch on and then
pushed the starter. It immediately started. I let it run for a few minutes to see
what happens. Nothing happened, it continued to run normally.
I turned the bike off, went to get my riding gear and boots, and came back out
to the garage. The bike roared to life instantly, again. I took the bike out for a
half-hour ride. It was fine. I then filled the tank with fresh E10, drove a short
while longer, and then headed home.
Before I left the garage, I made certain that there was no pool of ethanol-gasoline lying beneath my bike; there wasn't. There was no "dried" spot from where
any fuel might have leaked. When I arrived back home and drove the bike into
