gregfeeler
Dances With Sheep
This is confusing to me. Regular (89 octane) has 10% ethanol and so does 90+ Premium. Yet, I can buy non-ethanol Premium. How does that work?
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Ethanol Spiked Fuel
- Thread starter globalrider
- Start date
This is confusing to me. Regular (89 octane) has 10% ethanol and so does 90+ Premium. Yet, I can buy non-ethanol Premium. How does that work?
pglaves
#13338
A photo earlier in this thread (post #8) showed 87 AKI with ethanol and 87 AKI with no ethanol at the same pump, and also AKI 91 without ethanol. There are a number of stations which offer 91 or even 93 AKI with just pure gasoline. I am pretty sure that the difference between 91 with ethanol and 91 with no ethanol is purely a matter of the cost of refining. So as usual, corporate costs drive the train, so to speak.
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m_stock10506
Well-known member
When I spoke with the state folks that perform the certification tests of gas samples, they said that the trucks get their gas at the terminals and the ethanol is added to the load after. So, it starts out as non-ethanol until the alcohol and any other additive package is added.
I think you need to be more specific. BMW boxer motors cover 100 years of varying requirements. It varies with compression ratio, spark advance, electronic feedback sensors, state of tune, etc. One size does not fit all, even in a given model year.
What does your manual say?
BrianAMcPhail
Member
Regardless of all the research into the minutia of requirements, design and all that- I choose to use non ethanol whenever possible during rides. Now- I don't obsess about it during the riding season. If I can't get it-then I just get gas where I need to and move on. My gas is in ZERO danger of sitting around for any length of time.
However- I most certainly do obsess about it during the few months of the year that the bike is more likely to sit in the garage. For this area- that is generally December to mid March. You can count on a few warm days randomly scattered throughout winter. My Victory rested with a tank full of real gas, and this BMW will be doing the same.
I have a custom 5 gallon gas can reserved just for the good stuff. (custom= gutted all the environmental bull**** out of the nozzle- thus it actually works)
Real gas is not everywhere here in central VA- but certainly available without too much trouble. Out in the Blue Ridge- where I spend a lot of time- it is widely available. No problem at all.
However- I most certainly do obsess about it during the few months of the year that the bike is more likely to sit in the garage. For this area- that is generally December to mid March. You can count on a few warm days randomly scattered throughout winter. My Victory rested with a tank full of real gas, and this BMW will be doing the same.
I have a custom 5 gallon gas can reserved just for the good stuff. (custom= gutted all the environmental bull**** out of the nozzle- thus it actually works)
Real gas is not everywhere here in central VA- but certainly available without too much trouble. Out in the Blue Ridge- where I spend a lot of time- it is widely available. No problem at all.
lee
Debbie's Servant
88 is 15% ethanol. That may not work for those bikes.
m_stock10506
Well-known member
For the 1995, I would try to use non ethanol gas as much as I can. The tank internal hoses will hold up much longer without exposure to ethanol, which is very caustic. The 2007, I would use whatever octane is specified in the owner manual. The 07 should have been built with parts designed to live in an E-10 environment.
gregfeeler
Dances With Sheep
Startron
I'm typically not one to promote oil or fuel additives, but based on my personal long-term experience, I highly recommend you check out Startron. It is an enzyme-based fuel additive which is a combination fuel stabilizer (up to two years), fuel system cleaner, and counter acts the negative effects of ethanol. That last part is not explicitly claimed on their web site (link below). But, they do say that it emulsifies water and prevents phase separation which can be a problem when ethanol picks up some water.
I know that sounds like a lot of claims, but in both of my K75s adding the recommended dose of Startron (1oz/6gal) to 10% ethanol gas reliably increases my milage by 3 to 5 mpg. Also, these bikes run much better with Startron - smoother running and pepperier. I have a 2000 Jetta that has a hesitation coming off the line in 100+ temps and stop-and-go traffic running 10% ethanol. Adding Startron stops that completely. However, I don't notice much if any difference using Startron in my 2003 K1200RS. So, for me it's been vehicle specific. I've had year+ old gas in a can treated with Startron which smelled "sweet" and burned fine.
This product may, or may not, work for you as it has for me. I've had about a half-dozen friends try it in their bikes and 4-wheel vehicles and half of them now swear by it, but the others didn't seem to see any change. I get mine at any auto parts outlet (NAPA, AutoZone, O'Reilly's, and Walmart).
Startron:
http://www.starbrite.com/item/star-tron-gasoline-additive
Dangers of phase seperation:
https://petroclear.com/resources/dont-be-phased.php
I'm typically not one to promote oil or fuel additives, but based on my personal long-term experience, I highly recommend you check out Startron. It is an enzyme-based fuel additive which is a combination fuel stabilizer (up to two years), fuel system cleaner, and counter acts the negative effects of ethanol. That last part is not explicitly claimed on their web site (link below). But, they do say that it emulsifies water and prevents phase separation which can be a problem when ethanol picks up some water.
I know that sounds like a lot of claims, but in both of my K75s adding the recommended dose of Startron (1oz/6gal) to 10% ethanol gas reliably increases my milage by 3 to 5 mpg. Also, these bikes run much better with Startron - smoother running and pepperier. I have a 2000 Jetta that has a hesitation coming off the line in 100+ temps and stop-and-go traffic running 10% ethanol. Adding Startron stops that completely. However, I don't notice much if any difference using Startron in my 2003 K1200RS. So, for me it's been vehicle specific. I've had year+ old gas in a can treated with Startron which smelled "sweet" and burned fine.
This product may, or may not, work for you as it has for me. I've had about a half-dozen friends try it in their bikes and 4-wheel vehicles and half of them now swear by it, but the others didn't seem to see any change. I get mine at any auto parts outlet (NAPA, AutoZone, O'Reilly's, and Walmart).
Startron:
http://www.starbrite.com/item/star-tron-gasoline-additive
Dangers of phase seperation:
https://petroclear.com/resources/dont-be-phased.php
riderr1150gsadv
Well-known member
While those additives work well for long term storage it is, IMHO, better to find non ethanol gas and use that.
MPG's will go up by 10% and no worries about fuel system issues. Puregas.org is a great app and on my trip to the GF rally, I found a lot of gas stations that had non-ethanol fuel. Even in GF itself there are several gas stations that had 'real' gas.
MPG's will go up by 10% and no worries about fuel system issues. Puregas.org is a great app and on my trip to the GF rally, I found a lot of gas stations that had non-ethanol fuel. Even in GF itself there are several gas stations that had 'real' gas.
Illegal to use MTBE domestically, still produced along Gulf Coast and exported for use as close as Mexico . I too wonder what non-ethanol really means or contains. Marinas and airports use a lot of non- ethanol mix so curious.
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=36614
Have to run ethanol in a lot of places, I just try to avoid if storing a bike for longer periods of time. If on a trip, use what’s there. Yes, will use non ethanol if it’s the correct rating. Some of our bikes do not like 89 and it’s not recommended.
Have replaced folks fuel pump assemblies due to long storage with half full tanks. Last one was on a 2007 K12S (not ours)where pump locked, flexi plastic lines crumbled, and three point rubber pump mounts disentegrated. Smell of stale fuel was awful and bike still has that aroma after tank was removed and aired for months!
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pauls1150
MOA #24991, south of Los Angeles
I stopped in at Valdi's on Saturday for a new battery (gosh, the old Yuasa only lasted a bit over 6½ years, and it gave plenty of warning that it was on its way out) and fuel filter, and he showed me the pump assembly from an F650 with a Texas plate.
It was worse than Steve's picture.
sick
It was worse than Steve's picture.
sick
gregfeeler
Dances With Sheep
Certainly, one would want to use pure gas when possible, but I've never found that possible when riding cross country. Most of the time you take what you can get. That's when adding and ounce of Startron works it's magic.
riderr1150gsadv
Well-known member
Certainly, one would want to use pure gas when possible, but I've never found that possible when riding cross country. Most of the time you take what you can get. That's when adding and ounce of Startron works it's magic.
I had no problems finding REC 90 (non-ethanol) gas for 80% of the time using the Puregas.org app on my phone. I didn't go out of my way to get it but it wasn't hard to do either. Startron additive is a great help for sure when normal gas isn't available..
Having seen and experienced the havoc ethanol has caused in the marine industry, it is no wonder that REC90 is available at all marina gas stations and even regular gas station across the country where boating and off road vehicles are popular.
As an FYI, my own outboard engine was damaged because of ethanol laced gas, as the exhaust gases are far more acidic than the exhaust gases from non-ethanol fuel. I was able to repair the engine by replacing the engine carrier part of the motor but it was still a costly repair even though I did it myself. Outboard engines are all aluminum incl. the exhaust ports. Most of them are now lined with SS inserts or the manufactures have changed the alloy's....
lee
Debbie's Servant
A lot of areas the pumps are not marked well on which grades have ethanol so I don't get hung up on only trying to find non ethanol.
When returning home the next to last tank and last tank get ethanol free because our bikes sit for long periods, even in the summer.
In Iowa it's law for all grades on a pump to be clearly labeled if it has ethanol or not. Standard labels are required and a inspector visits the gas stations to make sure the pumps are correctly labeled.
globalrider
Alps Adventurer
I wonder what they do in Europe where I usually buy Shell V-Power 100 or Aral 102. You would reduce their octane numbers by ~5 to get to our octane numbers. I never thought about it, but do they use ethanol to boost their octane?
