Fuel with ethanol (10%)

[Poprock]

I use Sea Foam routinely in my bike. It seems to run a little better. I know it's keeping it's new carbs clean. We're all E10 out here. Mileage is down, power too, I suppose. Oh, and it costs more too, but other than that...
Acetone is hard on rubber parts. I used it every tank. The bike loved it, but it cracked out the gasket on my fuel filler lid. Gotta replace that soon. No other damage noted, and it does improve throttle response and fuel economy. I haven't used acetone since installing the fresh carbs.

[cheezy]

around here, e10 is heck on boat motors and pwc's. when i pulled the carbs off my bike, they were filled with a green goo that i've never seen before. i use premium or no e10 in all my small engines, but it seems fine in my hemi powered truck and the wifes van.

[Welsh1100]

Ethenol

I typically use Shell (91 octane) exclusively. While a tag on the pump says something about ethenol...a larger advert boasts "Nitrogen enriched fuels".
I don't know that ethenol would be harmful per se. I have had no problems with any fuel I have used. I also run a full can of Seafoam in a full tank (5.3 gallon/Standard tank) every 3000 miles or so.

[jmnjrpa]

Cowboybob,

Just my take on that website.

Gasoline is a super strong solvent/cleanser and drying agent that compels water to form concentrations that eat holes in your tank.

Gas can cause engine damage, wear-down parts and lower mpg with carbon buildup.

Many places have been running E10 for years and do NOT label gas pump when ethanol is added.

Gasoline is mixed for location and season and should be used when pumped.

Alcohol has 90% of the energy of gasoline. E10 is 10% alcohol so has 1% less power than pure gas.


What they don't say—
They are trying to sell you something and will tell you what will promote their product
Alcohol burns cooler - heat kills engines
Alcohol produces less pollution
Alcohol increases octane rating and helps remove carbon buildup.

The biggest strike against alcohol?--Big Oil owns it.

[cowboybob998]

Just my take on that website.

Gasoline is a super strong solvent/cleanser and drying agent that compels water to form concentrations that eat holes in your tank.

Gas can cause engine damage, wear-down parts and lower mpg with carbon buildup.

Many places have been running E10 for years and do NOT label gas pump when ethanol is added.

Gasoline is mixed for location and season and should be used when pumped.

Alcohol has 90% of the energy of gasoline. E10 is 10% alcohol so has 1% less power than pure gas.


What they don't say—
They are trying to sell you something and will tell you what will promote their product
Alcohol burns cooler - heat kills engines
Alcohol produces less pollution
Alcohol increases octane rating and helps remove carbon buildup.

The biggest strike against alcohol?--Big Oil owns it.

The way I understand it there is a better allternative to the alcohol and that is acetone, and have you read the reports on what alcohol has done in some outher countrys that use more % alcohol than 10%, I think the facks are out on alcohol and from what have I have read it is not good on the older motors that are not designed to run on it, so I think if we want to protect these old bikes then we should watch what we use in our gas tanks, I talked to a guy who works on small motors and he said he is getting alot of work bedause of the alcohol, Dont know but it dont look good to me, if nothing elece it cost me 3 miles per gallon then it aint good

[jmnjrpa]

Jat

Alcohol has been used as an automotive fuel for over a hundred years. Funny how when it threatened gasoline sales all kinds of stories popped up. It ain't perfect but neither is any other fuel you can think of. Point is that gasohol has been in use for over 25 years and likely to stay regardless if you and I like it or not. Might as well make whatever adjustments are needed and go with it. Take a trip and you will have to use it so if you have already tuned your bike for it you will be a lot happier.

BTW how does 1% loss in power equate to 3 MPG?

[cowboybob998]

1%

Alcohol has been used as an automotive fuel for over a hundred years. Funny how when it threatened gasoline sales all kinds of stories popped up. It ain't perfect but neither is any other fuel you can think of. Point is that gasohol has been in use for over 25 years and likely to stay regardless if you and I like it or not. Might as well make whatever adjustments are needed and go with it. Take a trip and you will have to use it so if you have already tuned your bike for it you will be a lot happier.

BTW how does 1% loss in power equate to 3 MPG?

All i know if I run straight gas i can get 3 more miles per gallon, I get 42 with the reg gas and 39 with the outher stuff, ( this is in my 86 venture ) thats how I crunch the numbers, the only problem is there is one station that i can find that sells 100% gas and it is over, i trhink if i remember right 3.15 per gallon where alchol gas is 2.59 in these parts right now, I put acetone in my fuel any way, and it seams to make a deference, 1oz per 5 gallons, it helps get rid of the water from what I have read.

[cywelchjr]

All i know if I run straight gas i can get 3 more miles per gallon, I get 42 with the reg gas and 39 with the outher stuff, ( this is in my 86 venture ) thats how I crunch the numbers, the only problem is there is one station that i can find that sells 100% gas and it is over, i trhink if i remember right 3.15 per gallon where alchol gas is 2.59 in these parts right now, I put acetone in my fuel any way, and it seams to make a deference, 1oz per 5 gallons, it helps get rid of the water from what I have read.

Lower mileages does NOT equate to lower power. It means only that it's taking more of the liquid to generate the same amount of energy out, so if your jetting is ok, you will get the same horsepower, it will just take more of the liquid go to make it. It's purely that ethanol is less energy dense than gasoline, so adding it lowers the energy density a bit. It also burns cleaner than gasoline and cooler. It's interesting to watch F1 racing (or Indy cars) which use straight alcohol, and they have to train their rescue crews how to recognize a fire, because it burns without a visible flame, so they have to watch for the heat haze to let them know the car is on fire, that or the driver climbing out and rolling on the ground trying to put the invisible flames out.

Fact is, that the stuff is mostly good, it's cleaner burning and such, and parts are being made that can handle it much better now. It did suck however when I put my 400 back into running condition and filled the tank with the stuff (just the 10% stuff) and the plugs for the idle jets disappeared!