Scooterotica

Something is clearly wrong as I often leave fuel in my bikes for well over 8 months and they start perfectly first time.

i recently picked a scooter up from a mates house that hasn`t run since 1986, cleaned the plug and it started after 5/6 kicks.
ive since drained the petrol out and it smells awful .
mixed it with some fresh and used it in the lawn mower.
id look elsewhere for your problem.

To answer the original question-stick it in a container marked "weed killer" and use as such.

So I finally got a chance to swap the remaining old fuel for fresh today. Before I did so I tried starting the scoot. Dead as a do do. New fuel and it started second kick and was fine for about 5 minutes standing on its stand.

I have no idea what causes fuel to degrade so quickly now-a-days rather than in days gone by. I can hardly believe it myself its only because Ive experienced the issue before with my GP refusing to start after I rebuilt the engine over 6 months and trying to get it run for about another 4 before I realised the cause that I spotted it so quick

yamlam your experience would have been using old old old petrol which I assume does not have the same issues as modern fuel????

My girlfiends landlady has a petrol fueled lawnmower so I was thinking it could have the fuel but it also wont start and I now wonder if it has the same issue!

fluff34567 maybe they have not done to swiss fuel what they are doing in the uk?

It's very obvious when fuel goes off - it doesn't smell like petrol and it has a smell you're keen not to experience for too long.

If it still smells like petrol then it hasn't gone off.

Good news on the starting.
What did you do with old fuel?

Just in case you still have it lying around.
Old fuel, when mixed with a fair bit of sugar, will apparently give a twist 'n' go scooter an extra 15mph on the top end.

put it tin turkey roasting tray and set fire to it at night and a far away from people, smokes black smoke like a third world tyre burning operation.