Seafoam equivalent for UK?

[rf9rider]

Think i`ll stick with a shot of redex once a month  :lol:

[MIMbox]

Thanks for the input guys, I'll join rf9 and Redex her regularly.. Be interesting to see what else is out there, Limey wise..

[BruKen]

My original query Bruken, was for an alternative, if Seafoam is not available easily over here. As rf9 says, Redex is probably the alternative. Im not sure I agree that squirting injector cleaner in the airbox is the best way to go, and if a highly regarded option is available, I wanted to look into it. I do not get to use my bike much, so fuel additive seems worth investigating.

In the US the fuel has a much higher ethanol content than ours and this leads to it going "stale" much quicker mainly due to the hygroscopic properties of ethanol drawing in atmospheric humidity. Effectively this leads to an octane or calorific drop in the fuel. And as Ethanol is aggressively hygroscopic this decay can be measured in weeks. In the UK we do not suffer the same issues anywhere near the same extent. Your fuel should remain fresh for at least a season. As such American market products may give you a jolly of false complacence and a dented wallet but precious little else. What you are more likely to suffer from is the capillary action of the fuel up the emulsion tube and needle evaporating to leave a metal sulphide salt that will affect performance. Hence the injecter cleaner which is safe to use through the airbox, while carb cleaner and brake cleaner not so much. In fact not at all.

Some people drain their floatbowls during a layups. I don't subscribe to this as the rubber and plastic orings and diaphragms should remain wet to prevent their early demise.

[BruKen]

BTW, when I say airbox I don't mean through the airfilter. Come in via the crank case breather port, it should by rights be inside of the paper filter and spray while the engine turns over.

[MIMbox]

Thanks for that BruKen. Its nice to get a bit of background on something. I wonder if we will start to see similar issues to the US when the Ethanol content of UK fuel is increased, which I think is imminent. As you say the best thing is to get out and ride the bike..

[BruKen]

I'd be more worried about the rubber components. If the ethanol or alcohol content increases these might need replacing altogether. In Zimbabwe we had to replace all black neoprene rubber for alcohol resistant "red" rubber replacements after the transition in the early eighties. The question is, if that becomes necessary, will they be available? Think early petrol , lead, valves etc and the PITA it is now to get additives to add to lead free petrol for vintage bikes.

The yanks as it is bemoan float orings going, it could be a lot worse.

[John Stenhouse]

The increase in ethanol content in UK petrol has been, err delayed. It seems that there are 4 million cars in the UK that would never be able to be converted to "ethanol spec" and the powers that be decided that putting off the introduction date might keep them a few votes at next election time..........some hope  :lol: