What did you do to your bike today?

[jetmechmarty]

1981 XS1100H Venturer
K&N Air Filter
ACCT
Different Paint
Geezer Rectifier/Regulator
Otherwise, Pretty Much Stock

Pretty much stock? If you say so, Mike!

[jjz28]

That's a very nice looking bike. I don't like the cover on the front wheel, but that's just me. Very nice bike though.

[Ken Talbot]

On the road after a long rest

Put the freshly-cleaned carbs back on Black Ice and fired her up for the first time since 2004. Used a small lawnmower tank for the initial start-up, carb sync with mercury sticks, and 'colortune by ear' procedure. Put the real tank back on with a load of fresh gas, picked up some short term insurance, and went for a wee blast.

Sure did feel good!

[GLoweVA]

Nice ride Ken, Where have you been?
You haven't posted in like a year and half!

[jetmechmarty]

Put the freshly-cleaned carbs back on Black Ice and fired her up for the first time since 2004. Used a small lawnmower tank for the initial start-up, carb sync with mercury sticks, and 'colortune by ear' procedure. Put the real tank back on with a load of fresh gas, picked up some short term insurance, and went for a wee blast.

Sure did feel good!

Welcome back!

[jjz28]

bought some stuff to cut the ethanol out of fuel so gonna ride out a tank or two today and see if I notice a difference. I asked several stations about non ethanol gas and every one of them told me that WV has ethanol in all its gas. They said no one is WV can sell gas without ethanol. Said I would have to go to Virginia. I think this is a way to get all the older vehicles off the road. I read an article in a motorcycle magazine that said if you don't use something to cut the ethanol that it will eventually kill your bike. I mean, I guess that's a little drastic but I am going to run the additive for a while.

[natemoen]

As long as you set your carbs up right nothing wrong with ethonol. Won't hurt anything either.

[jjz28]

As long as you set your carbs up right nothing wrong with ethonol. Won't hurt anything either.

Supposedly it will eat up the rubber parts over time and also the water and alcohol will separated and cause a very lean condition and detonated a piston. That would have nothing to do with carbs set up right. I mean, I don't know but they were saying anything under 2000 shouldn't run ethanol and now they are saying 2007 and older. And especially the 15%.

[madmax-im]

ethanol sucks...loss of power and an engine that does not burn as efficiently thus gets lower mpg's as well...

[motoman]

Good to see your still XSessive Ken!..............goes to show 'U can check out, but U can never leave'.

[3Phase]

Welcome back, Ken!

It looks like the those front brakes have a funky wear pattern to 'em. Are the pads bedded in or was everything just dusty from sitting and you took the picture after rolling it out but before you went riding?

.

[natemoen]

Supposedly it will eat up the rubber parts over time and also the water and alcohol will separated and cause a very lean condition and detonated a piston. That would have nothing to do with carbs set up right. I mean, I don't know but they were saying anything under 2000 shouldn't run ethanol and now they are saying 2007 and older. And especially the 15%.

Yes, ethanol will eat some rubber. They do make rubber that will withstand ethanol.

Most here run the E15 almost exclusively, myself included. I have no issues with the rubber. I have even tested many types of o-ring and seal on E85 and never had any deterioration or swelling, but yes some do deteriorate and maybe with longer testing some of the ones I didn't have issue with would eventually start to.

Yes, ethanol will eventually separate, and yes, ethanol is hydroscopic and will absorb water. As long as you use the fuel or store it correctly this is not an issue.

If someone here really wanted to go through the effort they could set their bike up to run exclusively on E85 or even 100% if they wanted. Problem there is that they would ONLY be able to use that from that point on. Only major issue would be figuring out the jetting since you would need to jet it richer to compensate for the lower energy content of ethanol.

Any car with a carb could also easily be converted to run ethanol just like our bike, there are just more seals to consider and most quality fuel system rubber is made to withstand ethanol now days though. The problem with all the vehicles after the carb era is that (aside from the old rubber issue) is that the computers and injectors are not able to compensate the air fuel mixture enough to account for the ethanol.

Embrace the ethanol, it is what we have no days and it will only get worse. If you want to dump extra money in your tank on something that is supposed to "cut the ethanol out" (whatever that really means) then go for it.

[jjz28]

I just had to post this from my phone . I am out camping and I put that Lucas ethanol treatment and my time . after I road for about 10 miles it was a huge difference. the bike is so smooth and so quick

[jetmechmarty]

Seat of the pants, I can't tell the difference. The power feels the same and the mpg is about the same. Embrace it? NEVER! I use ethanol free fuel at every opportunity. We're being duped by the gov't and the corn lobby. As taxpayers, we're subsidizing this crap! I want no part of it.

Same for corn syrup. This is probably the only country in the world where everything is sweetened with corn syrup. If I buy Coca-Cola at the grocery, I buy the Mexican stuff because it's sweetened with sugar. I read labels. If it says corn syrup, I leave it on the shelf. Corn syrup is bad for you!

http://www.ewg.org/agmag/2013/02/cor...nd-environment

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...ealth-ris.html

[DGXSER]

Put the freshly-cleaned carbs back on Black Ice and fired her up for the first time since 2004. Used a small lawnmower tank for the initial start-up, carb sync with mercury sticks, and 'colortune by ear' procedure. Put the real tank back on with a load of fresh gas, picked up some short term insurance, and went for a wee blast.

Sure did feel good!

Welcome Back Ken!!! I am in debt to your float pin removal tool. It saved me on an entire set of carbs. Good to see your back on the road on an XS!!!