Ethanol

[xwinds39]

Has anyone had a priblem with fuel containing 10 or 20% ethanol? Increases in the additive is a strong likelyhood

[jcpuckett]

If your motorcycle was manufactured after 1999, you should have no problem with E10 (10% ethanol). E15 is often available in corn belt states like Iowa and Nebraska. That should cause no problem unless you have gunk in the bottom of your gas tank.

E20 is not publically available to my knowledge (although I have not checked in over 1 year). Don't go there. Fuel economy will suffer significantly and any varnishes or resins deposited in your gas tank over the years will end up at the very least clogging your fuel filter. Some gaskets and hoses will likely start to dissolve very slowly even on a 2007 motorcycle.

[FredRydr]

Has anyone had a priblem with fuel containing 10 or 20% ethanol? Increases in the additive is a strong likelyhoodYeah. The damn gasoline gives me heartburn when I try to drink the ethanol beverage. Why are they diluting perfectly good ethanol?

Fred

[rayadams]

Has anyone had a priblem with fuel containing 10 or 20% ethanol? Increases in the additive is a strong likelyhood

check "Campfire" thread "ethanol in gas" for more comments.

[bikerfish1100]

fwiw, my 2001 R11S doesn't run quite as well on the higher ethanol blend (E10). but if that's all they're selling, it runs a hell of a lot better on that than on water or Gatorade. I'll avoid it if i can get real gas with real octane.

[griffin738]

I had a similar question a while ago and lots of folks offered good information here:

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11971

[rambrookian]

I live in Minnesota where the farm lobby has pressured the state legislature into pushing ethanol down consumers throats. As such it is very diificult to find non-ethanol fuel, and the majority of stations carry a 10% ethanol blend. However there remains a small percentage of stations that do carry non-ethanol and I patronize them whenever feasible since my 2000RT runs much better with non-ethanol fuel. I also get increased gas mileage with non-ethanol fuel. In the summer months when it gets really hot, the ethanol promotes greater surging. Also, if you live in the northern U.S. where you have to store your bike for extended periods during the winter months, ethanol blended fuels can cause additional problems. First, the alcohol in ethanol fuel will separate after it sits for a while and it attracts moisture/water in your gas tank. Alcohol also breaks down rubber (and other) components. Fuel stabalizer will not neutralize either problem. Bottonline, if you store your bike over winter, try to find a station that carries non-ethanol fuel... fill-up... and add stabalizer to your tank. Finally, stay away from E-85 and 15% blends... they're trouble. Good luck

[rayadams]

here in connecticut all gas is 10% etho by law, no science here, just a legal decree.
my 04 r-1150 rt gets 40/41 mpg (with etho) and 43/44 when traveling (no etho), this is due to the lowel BTU content.

BTW..i own a small power equipment shop, sales & service, you should see what happens inside those little carburetors. it ain't pretty. there is actually bio-life living in the fuel. also etho is electricly conductive, this causes galvanic cells to set-up between the different metals in the system. etho also attracts water, so any water in the storage/transportation/distribution system is picked up and delivered to you fuel tank. there is also a "dirt" content to the fuel, it is very fine talc powder like dirt in the fuel. this dirt likes to settle out in chain saw carbs which have a fine mesh screen inside the fuel chamber. this problem is so wide spread that i am confident the source of the dirt is the suppliers and not the end user.

well i got to go now, there is a pile of chain saws at my bench in need of carb repair.

[PGlaves]

I dislike ethanol for a whole variety of reasons - some technical and some political.

That said ...

It is increasingly difficult to avoid it. The nit wits (and I use the label advisably) in Kansas just changed the law so that pumps no longer need to even disclose the fact that the fuel does contain ethanol.

It does different things to different bikes:

It is death on the floats and some fuel lines used on Airheads.

It will destroy the fuel pump mounting damper on traditional K bikes - K75, K100, K1100, and will do so quickly. That $60 or so part dissolves and then clogs the $400 or so fuel pump and the $400 to $500 set of injectors.

In several hundred thousand miles on Oilheads we have encountered ethanol adulterated fuel numerous times. I have not been able to identify any specific damage, other than poor fuel economy and other drivability issues.