• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

  • Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.

    The Election forum is here: Election Forum

Non-Ethanol Gas 2020 1250 RT

ramble

ramble

ohbeemer
We now have 90 octane non-ethanol fuel, for pennies more than 10% (labeled) ethanol 93 octane available and recommended in the OM. Any thoughts on the use of it in our engines? Are the German built engines better or worse without the ethanol? Are the motors and emission systems the same in the US as in Europe ?
 
I don't know specifics but will use non-ethanol whenever I can. Even the exhaust smell takes me back in time.
OM
 
My sense of manufacturers attitudes is you CAN use ethanol in this engine...I never got the feeling that you MUST use ethanol. Whenever possible I will not use ethanol in any engine.Part for P-word (political) reasons and part for the health of several older and/or smaller engines
 
ramble said:
We now have 90 octane non-ethanol fuel, for pennies more than 10% (labeled) ethanol 93 octane available and recommended in the OM. Any thoughts on the use of it in our engines? Are the German built engines better or worse without the ethanol? Are the motors and emission systems the same in the US as in Europe ?
Click to expand...

All of BMW's current models are designed to handle up to E15 gas. Paying extra to have ethanol free gas for the newest bikes is a waste in my opinion. I ran a tank of 90 or 91 octane a few years back on the '19 R1250 RT and found there was no different in MPG on in how it ran. Gas around here in N. Texas is mostly E10. I can get ethanol free at Buc-ee's but it's crazy expensive. This was not the case on my old 2005 R1200RT. It ran noticeably better and got 3 to 5 more MPG on similar octane ethanol free gas. It was not designed to deal with the ethanol. In fact, back in 2005 when I got that RT, gas in the south did not have any ethanol in it. It was very rare.

In order to meet Euro 5 emissions standards, all motorcycles have to be designed to run up to E15 gas. Will they do better on E-free? Most likely, but the difference is minor and not worth paying a premium for. That is my experience.
 
It's not all about performance. If you don't ride much and the fuel sits the ethanol free fuel will last longer. Ethanol is hygroscopic (wants to absorb water), which is bad for fuel.
 
I'll typically burn the 93 octane during the riding season and the fuel isn't sitting very long in the bike. For the winter, I'll run most of the ethanol fuel out and fill it with non-ethanol for winter storage.
 
taran1900 said:
All of BMW's current models are designed to handle up to E15 gas. Paying extra to have ethanol free gas for the newest bikes is a waste in my opinion. I ran a tank of 90 or 91 octane a few years back on the '19 R1250 RT and found there was no different in MPG on in how it ran. Gas around here in N. Texas is mostly E10. I can get ethanol free at Buc-ee's but it's crazy expensive. This was not the case on my old 2005 R1200RT. It ran noticeably better and got 3 to 5 more MPG on similar octane ethanol free gas. It was not designed to deal with the ethanol. In fact, back in 2005 when I got that RT, gas in the south did not have any ethanol in it. It was very rare.

In order to meet Euro 5 emissions standards, all motorcycles have to be designed to run up to E15 gas. Will they do better on E-free? Most likely, but the difference is minor and not worth paying a premium for. That is my experience.
Click to expand...





I would like to see your source for E15 in all motorcycles (new). My 2018 specifically states only E10 not E15 and AMA is all over the banning off E-15 as it is harmful to motorcycles.
 
orforester said:
I would like to see your source for E15 in all motorcycles (new). My 2018 specifically states only E10 not E15 and AMA is all over the banning off E-15 as it is harmful to motorcycles.
Click to expand...

......from my 2019 R 1250 RT owner's manual......
Screenshot 2021-10-11 184502.png


Keep in mind about comparing prices between the two fuels: Non-ethanol gas is 100% gasoline and with the E-10, 90% is gasoline and 10% is the ethanol, so do the math for for the gasoline only, not the ethanol, which is basically free.
 
WWeldin said:
Keep in mind about comparing prices between the two fuels: Non-ethanol gas is 100% gasoline and with the E-10, 90% is gasoline and 10% is the ethanol, so do the math for for the gasoline only, not the ethanol, which is basically free.
Click to expand...

That analysis doesn’t fly in the real world.

Ethanol used in fuel is far from “basically free” as it’s very heavily subsidized, which constitutes a hidden cost rolled into the gallon you’re buying at the pump. When you start analyzing gasohol under the two most appropriate measures—$$ per BTU or $$ per mile traveled (fuel mileage) gasohol comes up short due to the inescapable fact that alcohol has far less BTU per unit than gasoline. With fuel pricing moving more to pricing by BTU content (remember when diesel, which requires less processing than gasoline but has more BTU/lb, was cheaper than gasoline?) ethanol blends should get progressively cheaper with increasing blends up to E85, but that’s not what I’ve seen at the blender pumps. Pity that, as E85 would then be…”basically free”. 😊

Best,
DeVern
 
GTRider said:
That analysis doesn’t fly in the real world.

Ethanol used in fuel is far from “basically free” as it’s very heavily subsidized, which constitutes a hidden cost rolled into the gallon you’re buying at the pump. When you start analyzing gasohol under the two most appropriate measures—$$ per BTU or $$ per mile traveled (fuel mileage) gasohol comes up short due to the inescapable fact that alcohol has far less BTU per unit than gasoline. With fuel pricing moving more to pricing by BTU content (remember when diesel, which requires less processing than gasoline but has more BTU/lb, was cheaper than gasoline?) ethanol blends should get progressively cheaper with increasing blends up to E85, but that’s not what I’ve seen at the blender pumps. Pity that, as E85 would then be…”basically free”. ��

Best,
DeVern
Click to expand...

As with many mandated "solutions", there are often unintended consequences which negate the original intention. In broader context, the case for ethanol just doesn't add up. NOTHING is "basically free".
https://e360.yale.edu/features/the_case_against_ethanol_bad_for_environment
Yale article describing ethanol cost re: water and food cost.
 
Last edited:
orforester said:
I would like to see your source for E15 in all motorcycles (new). My 2018 specifically states only E10 not E15 and AMA is all over the banning off E-15 as it is harmful to motorcycles.
Click to expand...

2018 is not current. 2021/2022 is. My 2019 R1250RT is fine with E15 as per the owners manual.

E15.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
2013 RT oil in aribox
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
Omega Man
Omega Man
H
Non ethanol fuel fumes?
Replies
13
Views
3K
hadabadachada
H
pauls1150
Adding Parallel Battery Cables
Replies
7
Views
2K
mikegalbicka
mikegalbicka
bigjohnsd
118th Congress - H.R. 906 - Motor Vehicle - Right to Repair!
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
fbt80
fbt80
senseamidmadness
1997 R850R Solving Vibration and Cat Code Plug Change
2
Replies
38
Views
7K
senseamidmadness
senseamidmadness
Back
Top