Gas Additive

[Havasu Rider]

I have used StarThon for a couple of years to counter the effects of Ethonol. I could not find it here for awhile so a guy at the store recommend Lucas "Octane Booster" as a replacement. Anyone have any experience with this and is it a good replacement for StarThon in the Spyder?:dontknow:

[TexasSpyder]

I too use StarTron. It's now available at the local AutoZone.

J. D.

[happyspyder2039]

I use Startron also. Got a great deal on Amazon in larger bottle then sold local for not much more. When I first started to use it- picked up small bottle at Wally-World boating Dept for $9.00. I kept bottle to refill from the big bottle that I carry with in trunk if or when i need Fuel. Hope this helps some

http://www.amazon.com/Star-brite-Enzyme-Treatment-Additive/dp/B0014419UQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361932116&sr=8-2&keywords=startron+enzyme+fuel+treatment

[Tierhog]

Never used either... I'm a Seafoam guy

[otter28169]

I use lucas oil additives in everything I own, and believe them to be the best out there.

[Sarge707]

I use one ounce of Marine Stabil (Which Treats 10 Gallons) during the winter riding season! Summer I just use 91-93 Octane?

[Wiredux]

Ok so I am clueless on this. Why would you need to add this? I can see stable in the winter months but in the summer months?

[NancysToy]

Startron seems to be the best for ethanol issues, but marine Stabil does reasonably well.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I have used StarThon for a couple of years to counter the effects of Ethonol. I could not find it here for awhile so a guy at the store recommend Lucas "Octane Booster" as a replacement. Anyone have any experience with this and is it a good replacement for StarThon in the Spyder?:dontknow: Octane Booster ..IMHO...is a waste of money for what you want .....The problem as stated is not "LOW OCTANE"......so don't use this stuff, just use the correct gas as stated by BRP for your Spyder...Mike

[boborgera]

I only use gas stabilizer/additive for the gas I'm storing for my Generator.
If your riding all the time i don't think you need any additives.
All vehicle manufacturers including BRP recommend against using them.

[Bob Denman]

The only thing that I add to my fuel; is miles...:thumbup:

[bobnaquin]

Ok so I am clueless on this. Why would you need to add this? I can see stable in the winter months but in the summer months?
Me too. Unless you are storing a gas engine why would you use an additive. How do you know it works? How do you know one is better than the other?

[boborgera]

The only thing that I add to my fuel; is miles...:thumbup:


Exactly, Since last Thursday i ran though 3 tanks of gas, No need to add stuff to the gas,,
Now if you need to store the Spyder for a month or so then a Stabilizer might be a good idea. :dontknow:

[pro10is]

I have used StarThon for a couple of years to counter the effects of Ethonol. I could not find it here for awhile so a guy at the store recommend Lucas "Octane Booster" as a replacement. Anyone have any experience with this and is it a good replacement for StarThon in the Spyder?:dontknow:

You were far better off with StarTron which is one of the best additives currently available. StarTron is not an octane booster but an additive to reduce the water attracting effects of ethanol and as a stabilizer to inhibit varnishing. If you can't find it locally buy it online from Amazon. Buy the diesel version which is twice as concentrated as the gasoline version. It will still work perfectly with gasoline and will last twice as long for much less money.

[pro10is]

Ok so I am clueless on this. Why would you need to add this? I can see stable in the winter months but in the summer months?

E10 gasoline contains 10% ethanol. Ethanol burns well enough but has a marked propensity to attract water. If it attracts enough water phase seperation will occur in which the water separates from the gas and sinks to the bottom of the tank. Ingestion of the water is not at all good for your engine and can cause everything from poor performance to stalling to engine damage. This is a major issue for boaters but not so critical for motorcycles. StarTron use enzymes to break up the water particles into very tiny droplets which stay in suspension with the gas and can be easily ingested by the engine with no harm.

Is it needed for motorcycles? Well that depends on a couple of things. If you don't use your motorcycle often water could conceivably accumulate enough to cause problems. If you use your motorcycle often but the fuel intake is not located at the very bottom of the tank, water can eventually accumulate enough to fill the bottom of the tank if there's enough water to cause phase separation. The water will slosh around when riding but whatever is not ingested by the engine will sink back to the bottom when you stop. This can cause your tank to rust and possibly lead to engine problems. So adding a tiny amount of StarTron when you fuel up is good prevention.

[pro10is]

Me too. Unless you are storing a gas engine why would you use an additive. How do you know it works? How do you know one is better than the other?

To determine which one is better you research the ingredients and then research the problem. I posted this earlier:

Gasoline degrades over time primarily due to:


UV Exposure (this can be easily reduced by not exposing fuel to sunlight and is not a big issue).
Water Absorption (this occurs in many ways and can be reduced by trying to prevent condensation).
Oxidation (fuel will slowly oxidize when exposed to air, this is hard to prevent without chemical treatment) .
Volatile Component Evaporation (again hard to prevent without chemical treatment). This can cause the fuel to form varnish and gum.
Phase Separation (Our E10 fuels contain ethanol which attracts and holds water. If enough water is absorbed the alcohol and water mixture will separate from the fuel and sink to the bottom). As you can imagine this is bad and can cause significant problems.



So the job of any "fuel stabilizer" is to try to prevent, delay, or "cure" any or all of the above. The way to decide on a fuel stabilizer is to know how they work chemically. Here is the breakdown the the most popular three often mentioned:

STA-BIL


Cannot prevent UV exposure
Does not prevent water absorption but attempts to contain phase separation by removing a "fraction of a percent" (STA-BIL's own words) of the water without using any additional alcohol.
STA-BIL demulsifies the water (breaks the water into small droplets) dropping it to the bottom of the fuel tank. Again these are STA-BIL's own words. Small droplets are better than phase separation though.
Effectively reduces and delays oxidation with oxidation inhibitors which delay the degradation of fuel molecules by surrounding and protecting them. This is the primary benefit of using STA-BIL.
Claims to helps prevent Volatile Component Evaporation by delaying fuel degradation but doesn't explain exactly how. I would guess it uses its Naphtha and oils to keep gum and varnish in a suspension.



Star Tron


Cannot prevent UV exposure
Does not prevent water absorption but attempts to contain phase separation by using enzymes to reduce surface tension between fuel and water breaking down the water into sub-micron sized droplets which are then dispersed throughout the fuel and later burned off harmlessly. No alcohol is used.
Claims to effectively reduce and delay oxidation with enzymes which delay the degradation of fuel molecules. However it is not clear precisely how it accomplishes this.
Uses enzymes to break down and disperse microbial spores that feed on hydrocarbon fuels. Untreated the collection of these spores will degrade the fuel and clog filters. This is mostly a diesel fuel issue.
Claims to use enzymes to remove gums and varnish. Again the exact method is not clear but enzyme technology is widely and very effectively used in many areas including our own bodies.
Additionally claims to improve fuel combustion by breaking apart fuel molecule clusters resulting in a more complete burn improving fuel economy and reducing carbon deposits.



Seafoam


Cannot prevent UV exposure
Does not prevent water absorption but attempts to contain phase separation by adding alcohol to the fuel to try to contain more water. Because modern E10 fuels already contain up to 10% alcohol this is an outdated and poor method of resolving water issues. Alcohol attracts water, you don't want to add even more of it. Attracting more water increases the chance of phase separation. Both STA-BIL and Star Tron go out of their way not to add alcohol to their formulas.
Seafoam is primarily an engine cleaner. It is simply "a petroleum blend with no chemical additives" (Seafoam's own words). It's actually mostly Pale Oil, Naphtha, and Isopropyl Alcohol. It claims to help stabilize fuel by preventing ("liquifying") the build up of varnish and gums. It's a great parts cleaner but it's not an effective fuel preservative as I see it because it doesn't appear to prevent oxidation which is a primary function of fuel stabilizers.



After consideration of these facts my opinion is that both STA-BIL and Star Tron can effectively be used as a decent fuel stabilizer. I think STA-BIL has a better oxygen inhibitor and Star Tron has a better water dispersant methodology which will better control phase separation. STA-BIL works by chemically surrounding and protecting the fuel from contaminants whereas Star Tron uses proven enzyme technology to break down and disperse contaminants rendering them more harmless. Star Tron may also help to better prepare fuel for more efficient combustion although perhaps only slightly in my view. Seafoam is not as effective as a fuel stabilizer nor is it even the best fuel system cleaner. The newer PEA based cleaners such as Techtron are much better. And because it uses Isopropyl Alcohol I would never use it. You simply do not want to add even more alcohol to E10 fuel.

Bottom line: I would use Star Tron throughout the riding season as a fuel conditioner (a small bottle lasts a long time) and at the end of the season I would use both Star Tron and STA-BIL to help stabilize my fuel for winter storage. This way you get the benefits of both, and both manufacturers state their products can be used safely with other additives.