won't start - bad gas?

[mrlmd1]

I'm real happy you got your bike running again, maybe you really did get a load of crap gas, but I just have a question and another comment or two.
Just out of curiosity - did you drain it out through the petcock on prime or did you remove the tank and dump it out from the filler neck? Did the gas smell funny? Usually "bad" gas has a rancid or foul smell to it. And the exhaust didn't smoke or smell funny? And you saw nothing in the gas you drained? No debris or dirt?
You got debris when you drained the carb,

I would be a little hesitant for a while and watchful that you solved your problem and would still carefully check the sidestand cutoff switch and the starter/kill button because you don't want to be riding along 50+ mph and have the engine quit and lock up the rear wheel before you can grab the clutch and prevent a skid.
Start up the bike, have someone hold it upright and jiggle around the sidestand and play with the switch to hit it or try and move it and see if the engine cuts off. Just to be safe.

What bothers me about this is that if the gas was bad, it's bad all the time it's in the tank, not intermittently, and the engine won't run right ALL the time with that gas. It won't run well for a mile or so then suddenly quit without warning, start up again after a few attempts and run fine for another 5 miles and then again suddenly quit like you describe. If the gas was bad it just wouldn't run well from the time you filled it up but it's possible the bike ran for a mile on just what was in the carb until the "bad" gas got in there, but then you went another 5 miles before it quit the second time. If the gas was bad enough to make it quit the first time, it should have stayed like that and not let it run again - the gas didn't get "good" all of a sudden and let you get home.
By draining out the gas you may have dislodged something obstructing your fuel line in the tank. Did you get a look into the tank (with a flashlight) after you drained it, and there's no rust or sediment or water in there?
And when you fill the tank each time, use REGULAR gas, not premium. That's what this engine is designed for and will perform to it's specs on that, being a low compression engine.

It's possible the carb is dirty and intermittently clogs, and you said you drained it "and got a few specks of debris, nothing major". That is major - there shouldn't be anything other than gas in the carb. If one of the jets is clogged with debris, that will shut the engine off real quick. Then llso, like I said, a dose of Berryman's might clean it out and wouldn't hurt either.
Anyway, I hope you solved your problem but be aware that this might not be the end of it.

[i2kdave]

did you drain it out through the petcock on prime or did you remove the tank and dump it out from the filler neck?

I drained it through the petcock on prime

Did the gas smell funny?

Not that I noticed, but I didn't compare the smell with the new gas.

the exhaust didn't smoke or smell funny?

I don't believe so.

you saw nothing in the gas you drained? No debris or dirt?

I didn't notice anything last night, but I checked the bucket again this morning after everything had settled, and I did see very small black particles in the bottom of the bucket, but it really wasn't a lot.

It won't run well for a mile or so then suddenly quit without warning, start up again after a few attempts and run fine for another 5 miles and then again suddenly quit like you describe.

I wonder if it could be because the tank wasn't totally empty when I filled up and some of the good gas was still in there?

Did you get a look into the tank (with a flashlight) after you drained it, and there's no rust or sediment or water in there?

Yes, I didn't see anything.

still carefully check the sidestand cutoff switch and the starter/kill button

I'll be sure to check those out! One question though - Wouldn't the sidestand cutoff only make it cut off while in gear?

[New GZ250]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Stick to top tier gas with techron. That will keep the fuel system cleaner longer. I did try a cheaper gas here but the Vstrom developed a Fuel Injection code that would show up everytime it sat for more than 2 days. Switched back to the good stuff and no more codes to worry about.

There is little if no difference in gasoline sold at various gas stations! I buy by price! I know this post will generate a bunch of ...! Go waste your $ Just my opinion
based of scientific evidence!
:neener:


Don’t pay for what you don’t need: All major brands, from Shell to Chevron to Mobil, have catchy slogans and marketing tactics to get you to choose their gas. They all claim to have fuel that’s better for your car. According to AAA national spokesperson, Geoff Sundstrom, it’s mostly bunk. Sundstrom told Smartmoney.com: “There’s little difference between brand name gas and any others.” That’s because since 1994, the government has required that detergents be added to gasoline to prevent fuel injections from clogging. It’s monitored by state and local agencies, and even the generic stations are held to the same standards. If anything, they may have slightly less detergent, but not enough to make much of a difference.

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Alan, send me the Strat and I'll keep putting fresh top tier gas in it for you.

Water,

We'll see how my appetite for long distance riding develops. Might be interesting to head up the West Coast to Alaska next summer. Or maybe just a (literal) pain in the ass. I did have some "Why exactly am I doing this" moments when I did my trip to Monterey in the fall. Perhaps with time I will learn to enjoy the trips more and reaching the destinations less.

In the meantime, The Strat has no carb and overall seems to have a more sophisticated approach to combustion than the GZ. It always starts right up, idles perfectly, runs perfectly and accelerates like a bat out of hell. No choke to mess with... even has a gas gauge and a tach! But it's still not a good idea to let it sit. And it prefers the higher octane stuff.

[Sarris]

Alan, my HD is the same. Fire it up cold, and drive it away. No muss, no fuss, all for the price of premium gas.

I like it!

:rawk:

[mrlmd1]

"I'll be sure to check those out! One question though - Wouldn't the sidestand cutoff only make it cut off while in gear?"

That's how it's supposed to work. All I'm suggesting is to fiddle with it while the bike is running, in gear and in neutral, and see if it cuts off. Maybe you have a glitch somewhere, or a short someplace in the wiring from the switch to ground, etc. If not, maybe all's well, just be careful for a while.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

One more argument against having two bikes.

No, you have that wrong.

Nothing wrong with having 2 bikes; it's all those OTHER responsibilities that are the bad things !! :poke2: :crackup

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by mrlmd1

What bothers me about this is that if the gas was bad, it's bad all the time it's in the tank, not intermittently, and the engine won't run right ALL the time with that gas.

Good post. Can I comment on this part? :cool:

It may not be the gas in the tank that is bad but something else.......like water....that tends to settle to the bottom......and then "splash" over the pickup tube sometimes but not others.

If the petcock has a tiny little "sediment bowl" under it, it doesn't take much water to have that affect. (I don't remember if the GZ has that or not; many do).

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by i2kdave

Wouldn't the sidestand cutoff only make it cut off while in gear?

Yes......unless more than one electrical gremlin was at work.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by New GZ250

According to AAA national spokesperson, Geoff Sundstrom, it’s mostly bunk.

The key phrase there is "mostly". The fact IS that you both may be right......depending on exactly where you live.

Typically, in the really BIG metro areas, there is more than one gas wholesaler and the gas from one station to another might actually be different.

Is more sparcely populated areas, the likelyhood of there being any difference is really low. I live very near to a gas wholesale storage plant. Trucks from EVERY type of local station fill there; it is indeed all the same.....maybe with the exception of a few extra additives.

NOW........that all says NOTHING about how well the stations maintain their tanks and filters. I would hope that the major brands do a better job of than than the independents.......but in a given area, it might be exactly the opposite.

Bottom line: Do whatever works best for you and don't worry about it...........and don't preach to the other guy that his way is "wrong". :poke2: