E15 - Here it comes

I thought we were discussing E-15 gasoline here?

To discuss e15 or anything connected to power, fuel, electricity, the whole ball of wax, starting with global warming, environmentalism, all the crises thereof, has to be discussed. But it's political, ergo, it can't be discussed. E15 is so far past what motorcyclists think. We've been conditioned. When the UN gets lectured by children, you know there's a problem in river city.

We think the weather can be controlled by not putting good gas in motorcycles? Bikes should have been exempted when all this stuff got legislated. The big players still would have got their cash. Bureaucrats could still have had their coffee and doughnuts, politicians would still be at the trough. And the few bikes on we see on the road would be happy. So have it. Try to figger out something that left the barn forty years ago. Without discussing the politics.

Ethanol in fuel damages and/or destroys some parts in some BMW motorcycles. E15 will be worse than E10. That is not political. It is simply a physically observable fact. I don't like that fact. I don't like destroyed K75 fuel systems or dissolved carb diaphrams and fuel lines. That is not political. That is a fact. This is a technology issue. Not a political issue. The fact that politicians are responsible does not make this a political issue. Or, we have no business discussing toll roads, speed limits, highway construction, road maintenance, wildlife warning signs, and a whole plethora of other motorcycle related topics under the direct or indirect control of politicians.

Gas

Yes Paul. We are talking about ethanol to my motorcycle ,boat if I had one ,chainsaw and lawn equipment and what this E-15 will do to them. I agree with you.

Google 'history of ethanol mandates and politics.'

ncpbmw1953 said:

Check out ZapGo the UK company developing carbon-based batteries. The article I read said their current models charge ONE HUNDRED times faster than Li ion, cannot catch fire, are recyclable, and I believe I read would give electric cars (presumably of some average type) 350m range with a full charge in UNDER FIVE MINUTES. This is exactly what is needed to move EV's to become uber practical. You simply install charging stations at existing fossil fuel filling stations for the long transition period and you're good to go. This is exactly what the EV sector needs to really take off.

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If it sounds too good to be true ... it's probably just a way to separate gullible people from their money.

So my auto is a 2010 says no E-15. Will stations be selling E-10 too?

That is a good question. Lately, I have seen the posted octanes for E0 going down. That suggests that the fuel blenders are anticipating E15 as a way to maintain the current octane values we are getting from E10.

The new law allows retailers (gas stations, convenience stores) to store either E10 or E15 gas in the same tank. What will be available will be determined by the economic choice of the retailer. if he can sell the E15, makes more profit than on sales of E10 and he only has one tank, that's what you'll get. The secondary issue, raised by some, is the possibly of alcohol accumulation within the tanks, leading to higher blend ratios.

This concept has been promoted for years by the ethanol industry and, up to 2016, vigorous opposed by the AMA. Today, AMA is curiously quiet on the issue. Yep, it's a political issue for both the national government and the AMA. While the MC community has minimal political clout relative to industrial agriculture, we should have some power to demand consistency and coherence in the policies of the AMA.

On my last trip through the Dakotas I noticed—and avoided—more “blender” pumps than I’ve seen in years past. These allow the station operator to store one tank of alcohol and blend it at the pump, E10 through E85. That means depending upon the pump and the maintenance attentiveness of the station owner to deliver an accurately-metered blend. And on a single-hose dispenser it adds the question of what de facto blend ends up in your tank when you add in the .2 gallons of E85 left in the hose by the previous customer.

All of the blender pumps I saw had only low-octane pure gasoline available, so that plus the increased presence of the blenders looks to me like an industry gearing up for more alcohol use and less availability of higher-octane unadulterated gasoline, at least in the corn-crazy midsection of the country.

Best,
DeVern

GTRider said:

the corn-dependent midsection of the country.

Best,
DeVern

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It's the same issue as talking about coal in WV, Kentucky, WY or SW PA. If you eliminate the ethanol requirement, about 50% of the US corn market disappears. That's a big hit to the plains states.

Here in the East, we're struggling with the death of the dairy industry. With regionalization (cross-state sales) and fewer independent grocers (only large chains), producer milk and butter fat prices are too low to sustain mid-size and smaller dairies. Do local communities try to keep these farms in business, plan for development of the acreage or specify expanded "green space" requirements to enhance existing neighborhoods. Lots of hopes and dreams trying to balance the stark economic reality.

36654 said:

If you eliminate the ethanol requirement, about 50% of the US corn market disappears.

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Grow hemp. Save trees. Make plastic. Make building materials. Make paper.

PGlaves said:

Grow hemp. Save trees. Make plastic. Make building materials. Make paper.

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Mr. Glaves,

You know we're in agreement on the global topic. Trying to get all involved to understand that we don't need all these farms is the real issue. The current amount and type of agricultural production is basically a Soviet-era 5-yr plan masquerading as Protection of American Individualism.