Ethanol Concerns

[B06Tang]

Alright fellas.....

21 years since living in the states and my first Bonnie concern is the ethanol fuel. I did find two stations that have pure gas but they are 10 minutes up the road. I imagine that I can use them 90% of the time but frankly there will be times when I do not have a choice especially with these mini-epic journeys that I am known to take. I am in the show me state....there is corn attacking you from all directions here!!!!! So I don't think avoiding this is a viable option.

No bullshit....has the ethanol messed your carbs? Is the additive I am seeing in the stores any good or are they just some new snake oil? Or is this simply a rant fest that they days of old are gone and we are forced to change and at the end of the day, ethanol works fine?

 

[Baltobonneville]

Parts of the country, including where I live, have had nothing but 10% ethanol for years. It seems to be alright, I've not had any fuel-related problems since I bought the bike in 2005.

 

[tooblekain]

Here in California, there are only 2 gas stations that have ethanol free gas.

I have been running ethanol gas for quite a while. So far no problems. I do however ride my Bonnie nearly every day since it is my daily commuter for work.

There was a time it sat for 7 months because of a leg injury. It took a while for it to fire up but once I did, going forward it fired up right away.

 

[B06Tang]

What has the bowls on your carbs been looking like after using ethanol? I am anticipating that water build up could happen quicker but would also explain that a well ridden bike might not have that many problems

 

[Texas94fs]

Mine sat for a year with gas in the carbs, drained em looked at em. Even with a new motor it started right up. You got no need to worry.

 

[tooblekain]

What has the bowls on your carbs been looking like after using ethanol? I am anticipating that water build up could happen quicker but would also explain that a well ridden bike might not have that many problems

Bowls look fine. I recently checked (like 3 weeks ago) because in my stupid and unnecessary step took off the bowls thinking access to the air/fuel mixture screw is where the jets would be. Turns out I didn't have to drain and remove the bowls.

 

[B06Tang]

Thanks for the input. Seems to me is that the best solution is to ride the bike....YEAH!!! :banana::motorbike2:

 

[coinchop]

It seems like a lot of people get by using ethanol on newer bikes trouble free, at least for a while, only loosing a lot of mileage. Had a Harley 1200 Sportster that dropped mileage by 33%, highway riding, and have a 2013 Bonneville that had ethanol in it when new, and gained 11 MPG by the 4th tank on pure gas. I have talked to two dealers, one Yamaha, and one independent, who both said the same thing. They hate ethanol, but it's been like a gold mine in shop repair work income.
Even if you do get by using ethanol in a motorcycle it makes the combustion chamber run hotter, and you have less power, as ethanol has a third less BTUs, which makes your engine work harder.
I would put ethanol in my newer bikes, short term if I had to, but have some older bikes that I would store for the rest of my life if I couldn't buy pure gas. Not worth the risk, and I have seen some of it.. Just Me...

 

[fender]

If I have the choice: pure gas no blend. But since I don't have a choice...

Seems to me is that the best solution is to ride the bike....YEAH!!! :banana::motorbike2:

 

[Texas94fs]

Be happy you don't live in a large city, for instance where I am. Every county that touches Harris County has to have ethanol. That means from the closest ethanol free station, I'd run out of fuel before getting home. Yay EPA. Also strange to me that in the Oil/gas capital of the world I can't get the damn stuff.

 

[coinchop]

Where I live some of the gas stations sell both pure gas and ethanol gas. Some of these stations warn their clerks not to knock ethanol and in some cases will fire them if they are caught doing it, because it sells so much more gas.

 

[normandy]

If you can't avoid it, be sure and drain the carbs over winter.

 

[Kirkus51]

I haven't had any problems with 10% ethanol in my bike. Runs good all the time. But if you're concerned there's an additive that works on the water molecules in the ethanol. I haven't used it but it comes in a blue bottle and is available in any automotive store.

 

[Flaco]

On the other hand, don't worry…
Unless you have a Big Bore w/ HC pistons…
High compression demands higher octane!
If it starts knocking go up to the next higher octane…

Corn oil fuel, what is it? Fuel for modern internal combustion motors…

Now. If you were riding a "pre ethenal vintage bike" find a high test gas station….

 

[B06Tang]

From what I was reading on this before coming back stateside, it wasn't so much the breakdown in the chamber on compression but rather everything gumming up all to hell in the carbs. There is a "gas" station less than ten minutes from the house so I will keep her filled up with that stuff for the most part but it will be inevitable I will use ethanol especially on the rides I head out on. If anything, it might turn out to be an excuse to take off my carbs more often to clean them

 

[drlapo]

the new bikes run on 10% just fine
it will gum things up if left for awhile so it helps to drain the carbs if the bike is going to sit: the bowls have drain screws

 

[Flaco]

Hello Superman,
Yes, Houston is POL (Petroleum Oils Lubricants) capital. I trucked many gallons out of Texas City all the way to Montana! You might check fuel distributers. Here in Tucson we can get eth-free and race fuel 4 miles from my home… Fleet service oil and gas research is your best bet in finding the fuel eth-free… google it and I hope you find a supplier close by…
Also talk to racers… Plenty in Houston…
EPA sucks for us, but we all are getting "Californicated." :gas:

Be happy you don't live in a large city, for instance where I am. Every county that touches Harris County has to have ethanol. That means from the closest ethanol free station, I'd run out of fuel before getting home. Yay EPA. Also strange to me that in the Oil/gas capital of the world I can't get the damn stuff.

 

[Roger]

I don't give this much thought. Ya, it's a pain but eventually there will be no way around the ethanol or whatever they might add to fuel in the future. I will just have to learn to deal with it. I use Shell 87 octane fuel and it contains 10% ethanol. My engine doesn't complain and I only get the occasional knock if I happen to lug the engine usually caused by a mis-shift. Here's a small blurb on the effect of ethanol.

http://triumphbonneville.org/my-mikuni-carbs-dont-like-ethanol/

 

[drlapo]

realy, 89+ has no ethanol???
I did not know that

that would explain a lot though, like why the chain saw does not like 87
but I don't think its true
in "polluted" areas like the northeast all grades will have 10% alcohol