[union]

I suspect bad gas. Youre probably better off with a lower octane gas. With gas prices being what they are now the higher octane doesnt sell as well as the lower stuff and tends to sit around longer. It can go bad after a while which can cause the problem you are having. If your bike runs fine on the lower octane then go with that. I doubt ethanol is the problem. I havent heard of many problems with it and my bike hasnt had any problems with the blend.