Z-Michigan
Veteran Member
I have two motorcycles that have not been ridden or even turned on in about 14 months. They have just been sitting in the garage (insulated but unheated) while I figure out when and how to sell them. I am about 95% sure that I put Sta-Bil and fresh gasoline in each of them right before I stopped riding them. This evening I opened each bike's gas tank and sniffed, and it smelled pretty much like normal gasoline. I've been told that stale gasoline smells awful, but I don't know its smell from personal experience.
So, here's the question - given that the gasoline smelled basically normal, and that I think (but am not 100% positive) that each bike had Sta-Bil, is there any other simple way to tell if the gasoline has gone bad or not? I really want to hear it hasn't, so I can just charge their batteries, replace the oil, and start them up. But... if the gasoline is stale, I wonder if I'm better off not starting them and either taking them to a mechanic (pricey BMW with electronic fuel injection) or selling with the disclaimer that the carb might be gummed (less pricey Kawasaki).
Thanks in advance.
So, here's the question - given that the gasoline smelled basically normal, and that I think (but am not 100% positive) that each bike had Sta-Bil, is there any other simple way to tell if the gasoline has gone bad or not? I really want to hear it hasn't, so I can just charge their batteries, replace the oil, and start them up. But... if the gasoline is stale, I wonder if I'm better off not starting them and either taking them to a mechanic (pricey BMW with electronic fuel injection) or selling with the disclaimer that the carb might be gummed (less pricey Kawasaki).
Thanks in advance.