Ethanol in fuel

[boxwrench]

I have no choice in Florida It is E10
Whole gasoline is very few and far between.
There is only ONE place in the whole Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach area ( about 10 miles from my house) and that place is a LP fuel/gas grill store!
The next is over 30 miles away at the Deland airport.

I hope they don't go E15 all over. The MOM'S for my bikes say not to use it.
I know fer sure I lose about 12 miles of range on my C50 from E10 before my idiot fuel light (no guage) come on

 

[osbornk]

The only thing I have noticed is a drop in mileage. My car drops 2 MPG and my bikes lose 3 or 4. Neither the airhead or oilhead seems to care.

 

[vtbob]

I'll stay away from the political argument of ethanol for fuel is a good idea or not.

Ethanol increases the octane rating a bit. it is anti knock inherently.
it also has less energy per liter than gas so it will hurt fuel economy a bit.

I live in VT and now most stations only sell E10. Since they have done this I have not had to buy dry gas (absorbs water in tank condesation in winter) to avoid fuel line freeze ups as ethanol takes care of that.

Most new vehicle have materials that are immune to ethanol as a solvent so that should not be a problem for us riders of newer bikes.

FWIW The Corvette, Austin Martin and BMW are racing on E85 this year in the American Lemans Series. maybe Porsche too??

So I don't see E10 or E15 as a problem

 

[drw2ge]

Sorry, if I did venture into the political realm at all, as I have seen that become a FORUM nightmare, positively a train-wreck.... and one better left totally alone.

Here in SNJ, I don't think I've even seen E10... we just aren't using it...??? (Let alone E15!)

 

[pglaves]

Sorry, if I did venture into the political realm at all, as I have seen that become a FORUM nightmare, positively a train-wreck.... and one better left totally alone.

Here in SNJ, I don't think I've even seen E10... we just aren't using it...??? (Let alone E15!)

It is hard to be sure about this. Some states require that the pumps be labeled if ethanol is in the gas. Other states, at the urging of lobbyists, have eliminated the requirement that the pumps be labeled. If you are in a state that does not require ethanol warning labels at the pump you won't know.

 

[ch2ous]

Strange.... nearly every pump in the Hudson Valley of NY is e10 and labled. Only a handful of stations far north of NYYC donÔÇÖt. I would imagine most if not all our fuel comes from Jersey refineries?

 

[drw2ge]

I just looked it up and NJ DOES require it to be labeled... (But not how big the label has to be! <smirk>) I'll have to pay close attention next time I fill up.

 

[AZ-J]

Well if Ethanol has less energy, that why it affects my bike, it likes 91 RTM and loves 93 or better, fuel. 91 with ethanol is joke, here.

 

[boxwrench]

Down here is 87, 89, and 93 E10. Unless it is the rare pure or offer "racing" fuel

http://pure-gas.org/

 

[AZ-J]

I sometimes go to local airport, and put in 1 or 2 gallons of what would be considered racing fuel, now and then. The bike loves that stuff!

 

[CTellman]

Fuel Availabilty

We have straight gasoline available. Super Unleaded w/o ethanol is about $.20 more than the other fuel. I use it in my airhead and my 1999 Pontiac Montana. I get better mileage and notice better performance. I guess it is a wash for the higher price.
Campbell Tellman II
'93 R100RT
'11 S1000RR

 

[boxwrench]

I sometimes go to local airport, and put in 1 or 2 gallons of what would be considered racing fuel, now and then. The bike loves that stuff!

if you mean Avgas 100LL. bad move!
that stuff has ALOT of lead! LL= low lead.....for avgas ( WAY high for mogas)
That stuff is harder to ignite and burns hotter.
Use the wrong amont and you will need new piston and valves.
Eventually the lead will foul your plugs and valves.

I know the fuel as I am a licenced aircraft mechanic.

 

[Mike_Philippens]

My 850RT runs on anything that will burn without protest. Even the stuff they call gas in Morrocco (weird color, mixed with Camelpiss?) worked fine. It barfed once but after that it was fine. It still runs ok. I do clean my fuel system once a year with injector cleaner (which is kerosine).

 

[ANDYVH]

I agree with this statement totally, "Look at the evidence and think for yourselves. When you use a product that costs more to produce and lowers your gas mileage it is destined to fail."

Corn based ethanol is proven to cost more to produce than it provides in energy, so why use it? Using it simply enforces those that feel its the way of the future, who are by the way, mostly those persons involved in the production and distribution of ethanol. Hmmm,..slanted perhaps?

I find this interesting:
"Ethanol from corn costs about $1.74 per gallon to produce, compared with about 95 cents to produce a gallon of gasoline. "That helps explain why fossil fuels-not ethanol-are used to produce ethanol", Pimentel says. "The growers and processors can’t afford to burn ethanol to make ethanol. U.S. drivers couldn’t afford it, either, if it weren’t for government subsidies to artificially lower the price".
This was found here:

 

[ANDYVH]

I agree with this statement totally, "Look at the evidence and think for yourselves. When you use a product that costs more to produce and lowers your gas mileage it is destined to fail."

Corn based ethanol is proven to cost more to produce than it provides in energy, so why use it? Using it simply enforces those that feel its the way of the future, who are by the way, mostly those persons involved in the production and distribution of ethanol. Hmmm,..slanted perhaps?
http://healthandenergy.com/ethanol.htm

 

[pglaves]

I agree with this statement totally, "Look at the evidence and think for yourselves. When you use a product that costs more to produce and lowers your gas mileage it is destined to fail."

Corn based ethanol is proven to cost more to produce than it provides in energy, so why use it? Using it simply enforces those that feel its the way of the future, who are by the way, mostly those persons involved in the production and distribution of ethanol. Hmmm,..slanted perhaps?

I find this interesting:
"Ethanol from corn costs about $1.74 per gallon to produce, compared with about 95 cents to produce a gallon of gasoline. "That helps explain why fossil fuels-not ethanol-are used to produce ethanol", Pimentel says. "The growers and processors canÔÇÖt afford to burn ethanol to make ethanol. U.S. drivers couldnÔÇÖt afford it, either, if it werenÔÇÖt for government subsidies to artificially lower the price".
This was found here:

But with your tax dollars at work the refiners get a 45 cents per gallon subsidy for ethanol blended fuel. If I understand correctly this is 45 cents for each blended gallon so at 10% ethanol a gallon of corn will blend 10 gallons of fuel or a subsidy of $4.50 per gallon of ethanol. So now I see how this works. Real efficient allocation of tax dollars if you grow corn or distill ethanol.

 

[AZ-J]

The gas I get at my local airport is not Avgas 100LL. It is Premium Hi-Octane gas 106 RTM, like racing fuel. Last time I got it I got behind one of those $300,000 sports cars to get it.

 

[Ken F]

I would offer that unless you are running about a 14/1 compression ratio, you are probably hurting yourself in the HP department.
In a lower compression engine, the 106 octane will burn slower (read incomplete burn) so you will not have as much power as you would running a lower octane.

460

 

[boxwrench]

The gas I get at my local airport is not Avgas 100LL. It is Premium Hi-Octane gas 106 RTM, like racing fuel. Last time I got it I got behind one of those $300,000 sports cars to get it.

Good! My RT prolly would LOVE that stuff.

 

[AZ-J]

I mix the 106 with 91, about 1-2 of 106 and 2-3 of 91. My bike can certainly handle that every one of five or six tank fulls. And it likes it.

Being the second highest HP R engine BMW produced, the R1200S can use that mix, with no issue.