Can Fuel Stabilizer Kill Your Motorcycle? Comparison Test 

"Like a dog park after the snow melt, there's a lot of shit." Top notch writing right there.

Another fun video from FortNine. I always enjoy Ryan's work. As a chemist that has spent a few years working in the lab of an oil refinery doing product R&D and process control I see a couple of problems with the methodology used in the video. The most glaring is that it is mostly based on the assumption that the addition of ethanol in gasoline is the sole reason that gasoline degrades and causes problems during long-term storage and misses the main point of fuel stabilizers, which is to prevent oxidation of petroleum molecules. None of the stabilizers claim to protect metal fuel tanks. Petroleum hydrocarbons react with oxygen and ozone resulting in the formation of polymers that are typically called "varnish" when they show up in fuel systems. These polymers are not very soluble in gasoline and settle to the bottom of carb bowls and clog filters and injectors. Varnish and foul-smelling old gas are not as much a problem today as they used to be, with or without adding stabilizers. Today's gasolines contain a combination of detergents and anti-oxidants and are much more stable with age than they used to be. One might argue that the need to add a stabilizer to gasoline is no longer needed in much of the world. Ryan and many others believe that filling the tank with non-ethanol gasoline is the solution for long-term storage. With or without ethanol, all gasoline in the developed world is required to contain oxygenators to reduce pollution. So, ethanol free gasoline contains a different oxygenating chemical, you just don't know what it is. There is no safe and quick way to test the performance of fuels stabilizers. Oxidation takes time and if you try to rush it with flammable liquids you’re literally playing with fire. A real test would be a set of vented containers with various fuel stabilizers added to gasoline and let them sit for a year. After the year is up give them a sniff and pour them through a paper filter to see how much, or how little varnish is formed.

My biggest takeaway is a confirmation that yes that Indian still looks pretty nice.

As a small engine mechanic, I always recommend ethanol-free premium with Sta-Bil if a machine will sit for more than a month. Caveats are that it must be filled up when there is very little fuel with ethanol left, and it must be run long enough to get throughout the system. On some bikes, that means quite a few miles if they have a sub-tank where the fuel pump lives. Also, get fuel from a station that has dedicated nozzles for each grade, or the first gallon (in the hose) will be whatever the last guy bought...possibly E10.

Ryan and Aneesh deserve all the 1m subs and more, can't believe 2 guys make all this happen.. Brava gentlemen 👏🏼

Came to stabilize my thoughts Wasn't disappointed. 1 millions out of 10

your "Canada Box" needs some defrosting - excellent presentation as always

Love these types of videos. Much needed, even for experienced riders.

Aneesh’s cinematography & editing is a benchmark on this platform. I’m saying this as a content producer. And Ryan’s hosting is too. Next stop - 2 million lads!

Congratulations on a million!

Congrats on 1 mil! Your videos are always on point! Keep it up!

You two are incredible. Always informative, entertaining, and down right professional. I'll never stop watching your content.

The fact you only just hit a million subs is mind blowing you consistently make incredibly well made interesting videos on great subjects keep up the good work Ryan and f9 team

I learned a lot and was thoroughly entertained throughout - top marks guys, great great work as ever.....you set the benchmark for professional motorcycle content.....bravo!

Love this guy been riding 40 years on and off road and have never heard such consise breakdowns of our every day challenges as riders thanks bud keep it up

I've been riding for years but this channel still teaches me things. Great work and i'm looking forward to the next video

I seriously thought this was a project farm video at first.

I live in Canada. My ride is an '06 BMW K1200R, which I've had since new. My winter storage is an unheated, drafty barn. My storage prep: fill the tank to tippy top with high octane gas; remove the battery and put it on the battery tender. Spring start-up routine: replace the battery; insert the ignition key and press the start button. Result: instant start and smooth idle. This has worked the same every year for 14 winters, which have gotten as low as -30 degrees C. Sometimes for weeks on end. Fuel stabilizer? I don't need no steenking fuel stabilizer! (Hat's off to Mel B.)

So happy to see you two reach 1 million subs. You both deserve it with your quality content.

Your contributions to the motorcycle community are truly meaningful and welcomed. I hope you know that! I always look forward to your videos. Keep up the good work!

Heck Yeah Man!! I don't even know what Fuel Stabilizers are but I'm all for it!!

Great story, but the best solution is live in Australia where we say - What is this winter storage thing you speak of :)

You guys are unique. In addition to being well researched your ideas of presentation are incredible. Always a pleasure to watch FortNine.

A video on adjusting suspension and what preload, damping, etc is would be great! I understand how important proper suspension set up is but have never owned a bike with adjustable suspension to do it myself. Love the channel!!

Still waiting for the review of that Indian FTR...

I'm renaming my freezer to "The Canada Box." P.S. - Congratulations on 1 Million well-earned Subs (you deserve 10x that for the quality, information, and entertainment you put into your videos).

Never watched this channel before and Im blown away by how good this is. I will be back for another!

Can’t believe you guys can make such artistic videos out of those technical, rational, cold topics ! Good job once again 👍🏼👍🏼

Best RU-vid motorcycle channel around, I watch even if I don’t care about the subject, production and writing quality is through the roof.

The production value of these videos never ceases to amaze me. The delivery of quality data while also providing well thought and entertaining screen plays is second to none. Keep up the good work F9.

The quality of your video is improving on each new video ! Congrats on the Team FortNine, please keep up the good work !

This is one of the reason I subscribed...Every Thing that you do has a story to it..Keeps it interesting..

The editing on your videos is unbelievable. Keep up the great work

I felt like I don't deserve this much quality content❤

Nice job once again, and cogratz on the 1M! you deserve way more!

Congratulations on the 1 million plus subscribers! ... Another great video where we actually learn something important. Keep up the wonderful entertainment.

The most underrated motorcycle channel. You guys deserve a lot more subscription.

Un travail remarquable et exhaustif comme d'habitude… merci camarade !

Ryan, huge kudos on the video and the storytelling, you guys rock! I used and abused my bandit for 10 years and 60,0000 miles without even a sniff of anything other than 95 octane. I guess I won’t change my ways but I learnt a thing or two as I do every time I watch one of your videos 👍

This is amazing. It's crazy how little (useful) information there is on this stuff. Love the home-chemistry experiments, but it blows me away that this analysis hasn't been done professionally and published... I'm sure people have and then have lawsuits dropped on them by these stabilizer companies.

Wow that intro!! So grateful we have this beautiful videos in the motorcycling community!!

The channel just keeps getting better. Amazing

Thanks man, I appreciate your work, it's important to know these things and I get a kick out of your sense of humor, keep up the good videos!

I am grateful of this channel. Not product placements, just facts. The content has no rival. Thank you very much.

I came, I saw, I was thoroughly entertained! And hey, I learned something along the way - good stuff!

I love the work that was put into this 💯

Your videos are a real joy to watch!

Cinematography, editing, lightning, script, delivery, sound, ... all benchmark. 100% quality, and yes, then there is the great motorcycle subject we came to see. Cheers!

I absolutely love your dramatisation videos. I go so far as to say you could perfectly fine star in a movie 👍😀 By far the best motorcycle everything channel anywhere!

Good one! Highly entertaining. Thanks for the effort you put in your videos. This one takes the cake. I've used Sta-bil for years. NEVER use Ethanol in bikes. Especially air cooled ones.

Great video and perfect timing! I am starting to think about bike storage and this is one of the things I wasn't certain about 👍

Everything you've discussed happened to me. I hope not the rusting but bike would not start with stabil, if only I shook the tank to mix it prior to. I normally only do it during adding but now will shake the tank to help mix on first start after long storage. Your science explanations are a heaven sent.

The Production level is amazing. Unbelievable. Great work!

*Definitely feels like I should be paying to watch this in Netflix, AWESOME!!* 👏🏼🥇👏🏼

Quality production as always! And good testing.

The best doing it on RU-vid. In any genre. For any interest. Glad you guys chose motorcycles. Bravo.

Congratulations on surpassing 1 million subs! You always great content. I try to end the day riding by refueling with non-ethanol gasoline. Plus store the bike thru the winter with a full tank of the same. I have used StarTron for years with no problems. I guess I’ll at least switch to Stabil as winter approaches here in Middle Tennessee, USA. Ride safe!

I stored my bikes on the 30th with Sta-bil. just made me feel a lot better about my choice.

Your videos are always so brilliantly creative

The editing in your videos is top notch. You create excellent videos, very nice work.

This is the only channel that I watch on normal speed because I want it to last longer and it's the only channel that I re watch videos over and over every couple of months not because I forget the info just because they are a joy to watch. I watch it for the excellent cinematography crazy good stories and Ryan's voice. Also....I don't ride a motorcycle.

Excellent testing. I long ago learned that Stabil worked on my stored equipment better than trying to drain/run the engine dry. When they switched in my area from MTBE to ethanol I started having a lot of problems come springtime. A few years ago I tried ethanol free gasoline and the last couple of storage seasons that is all that I've used. And the last couple of springtimes have been uneventful (at least as far as fuel systems go). I still have a few carbs I need to tear down and rebuild and my ethanol-poisoned gasoline recovery will be complete.

Congrats on 1m subscribers... love your videos

Love the video guys awesome work...im glad I use sta-bul for winter storage lol

"...dog park after a snow-melt..." You kill me, Ryan! Thanks for the objective examination into the world of snake-oil additives. I can at least now make an 'educated' choice when selecting a stabilizer.

Really well made thank you Sir ! Nevertheless let me share my own one time experience and the many times experience of a friend. This fall (mid-november) for the first time I used fuel stabilizer to store our 2 motorcycles. Today, January 30th, I started both bikes which are stored in a non-heated shelter (-5 inside, measured) to verify if any battery would need a charge. Both started the easiest way I have witnessed after a long and cold storage, especially my Tiger 800 which could be rather temperamental on that "first start". The stabilizers I used were Yamaha and KleenFlo. Now for my friend, who was a manager of a motorcycle driving school. For motorcycles they usually encounter rather few problems on the "spring start", somehow for the scooters, the ones that didn't get a fuel stabilizer before storage are usually a burden to start. Unfortunately I don't know which brand of stabilizer they use. That's all I can say, some don't seem so good as demonstarted in this video, but in my experience and my friend's one, some look like they are rather useful. Good luck everybody !

Genius and low budget! Just the best channel on RU-vid by a wide margin

Love your videos. Comical and informative. 💯

Such an entertaining way of going about these actually super useful videos. I would have loved to have seen a secondary control with ethanol free gas just for reference sake as a comparative.

I don't use Seafoam as a stabilizer, as we ride year round here in Florida - but I do run it through my tank every once in a while. When I bought my used, low mileage, but older Shadow 750, the carb was a bit scuzzy - and two tanks of fuel didn't improve it much. But adding 6 ounces of Seafoam to the 3rd tankful did the trick in about 100 miles - no more off the line stumble or hesitation. No, I wouldn't leave it sitting in my tank over a winter, as I've heard of the oxidation issue, but as a fuel injector/carburetor cleaning treatment, I think it's a pretty good product.

The least dry and most entertaining comparison of fuel stabilizers I’ve seen yet, well done thank you for sharing!!

Production quality is top notch.. and so is the research.. kudos guys..

"...keep our hands out of Saudi Arabia's pants" GOLD. This channel is amazing and I dont even have a bike.

I always run ethanol free gas in my bike and lawnmower/snowblower. Then I use Stabil for storage and never have a problem .

Been using Sta-Bil for years... Glad I got lucky with my choice and great video!

Entertaining and informative. Thank you. I need to watch again

I'm impressed with the effort that went into that video. WELL done! Chevron 94 octane has NO alcohol. Also another option is drain the tank and run some synthetic gas into the system which (supposedly??) is VERY stable and should prevent start issues in the spring. The other option is to move to Vancouver where you can ride basically year round - again very clever move Ryan.

The production of your videos Ryan, are almost Hollywood standards. Love it, and long may it continue.

Im impressed with the quality of the content, well done.

As always you are the best great video amazing production value.

Just in Time fot the end of motorcycling-season

Interesting. I've used Sea Foam in every combustion motor I have had and have always considered it one of the reasons I've had so little trouble

You are a great writer. Enjoying your channel

Congrats guys for 1 million subs.....u guys are the best and deserve the best

Selling all my fuel stabilizer stock before this video spreads worldwide causing a huge price drop.

I've used Stabil in my motorcycle that was stored for two years when I lived overseas. The motorcycle still started when I returned. However, I siphoned out as much fuel as I could and put fresh gas to dilute whatever was left.

Very clever, creative, effective way to inform us ... thank you!!

That was an eye opener, THANKS!

5:54 You really need to defrost that freezer man.

U are Amazing, love the way u make vedios

Excellent, as always!

This is the finest no bullshxx explanation of fuel stabilizers I have ever seen. Oustanding work FortNine...subscribed.

Holy shit man, the quality of your content ... I feel guilty watching this for free

I grew up in Northern Minnesota so I know your pain in Canada. We put up our boat outboard engines in the fall and got out the snowmobiles. We didn't have fuel stabilizers then that I knew about. We had carbeurators with a drain plug. When going into storage we filled the tank with ethanol free gas, maybe adding a little motor oil to the gas. Then drain the carbs. When taking out of storage we drained the gas -- dispose of the bad gas by adding a little at a time to the car gas tank. New gas, open the petcock and go. I don't know about fuel injection. I am still riding a 1988 Harley. Actually I don't know about winterizing anymore. I live now in South Texas and ride my Harley all year round.

I've watched every fortnine video more than twice never watching this thinking it wasn't relevant to me as i don't understand chemistry and live in a warmer climate but goddamn if this isn't one of the best ones. Thank you Ryan and Aneesh

Awesome, great job bring us useful information, thank you!

we need more vids lol love them

Reviewed 11 months later...still LOVE it! Great job! Would you consider a future episode of comparing non-ethanol fuels? VP, AV gas, and others? Thank you.

This is incredibly informative! - thanks for making

Great content and information. This is great stuff to know.