Fuel Injector Cleaner — Too Much of a Good Thing?
Before pouring anything into your bike that isn’t gasoline or oil, it’s important to read the label carefully.
For most of us, our Harleys sit far more often than we’d like. Whether your bike is carbureted or fuel injected, deposits can and will build up over time that gradually diminish performance. This gunk can create rough running conditions or even make it so that your bike won’t run at all.
Indianapolis H-D Forums member Kim Harbison, known online by his handle firehawk6, decided to use some Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner in his bike. Seeing as his 2017 Harley-Davidson Sportster Superlow is now two years old with 16,000 miles on the clock, it’s a good idea. Since he lives in a snowy climate, the bike probably sits for months on end over the winter.
Harbison poured three to four ounces of fuel injector cleaner into his tank, which he estimates had between two and two and a half gallons of fuel in it at the time. Then he rode his Sportster to the last bike night of the year at his local dealer.
Everything seemed fine until he started to ride home. Harbison says that his bike seemed to vibrate more than usual and feel “off.” When he re-filled his tank, however, the bike soon began to feel like normal again.
So what happened? Member rwhisen, one of our forum moderators, knew the answer right away: Harbison had used too much fuel injector cleaner. According to the instructions on the bottle, the recommended treatment rate is one ounce per gallon.
Harbison had used about twice as much as recommended. Longplay, another one of our members, went into greater detail explaining what had happened. Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner is a great product, but when you use too much, it’s too effective.
The solvents in the cleaner, designed to eliminate deposits and build up, basically worked too well at the concentration Harbison was unwittingly using. Most of our members agree that Chevron Techron is a good product, but must be used in moderation. It’s a good reminder as many of us prepare to winterize our bikes for a long winter hibernation.
Photos: Harley-Davidson
