E10 petrol for FJ1200

[Bozo]

Well Perth now has E10 and similar petrols, there might've been a topic on this before but it would be nice to get some input after the Eastern states have been using this stuff for years.
FYI, my scooter has a higher compression so at present it doesn't like anything below 95 octane (using normal fuel).

Basically I need to know if there are any engine issues from using the E fuels.

[FJmonkey]

My 86' is living off of the 10% crap gas they serve in Kalifornia. Almost 15 years and no known issues other than sitting too long and carbs clogging up.

[Rhino]

ethanol doesn't provide as much energy per unit of fuel burned as petrol. You get worse mileage on the ethanol blends.
In the end it costs the same as using regular and your engine ends up producing the same emissions.

I have heard it doesn't play well with the rubber hoses on the fuel system but I haven't had any trouble.

A plus is apparently ethanol absorbs water so might clean any water sitting in the bottom corners of the tank.

[movenon]

As mentioned, it is "crap" fuel. It doesn't like to be "stored" especially in carburetors for a very long time. A lot of us in the states use fuel additives, one which I use and seems to help the problem is a product called "Star Tron Fuel Additive". Here is the link. There is probably an equivalent product in OZ.

http://mystarbrite.com/startron/

I live in a climate where my FJ / lawn mower etc have to stay in storage for about 5 months of the year and this product is the best that I have found. During the riding season I add a few ounces about every fill up.

I will never buy off on why we should use good fertile land to grow corn specifically to shove out car tailpipes.  If it was a byproduct maybe. Not like there are hungry people out there and that the program drives the prices up of all corn based food products up. And the poorest are the most effected.
Just an opinion. 

George

[rktmanfj]

As mentioned, it is "crap" fuel. It doesn't like to be "stored" especially in carburetors for a very long time. A lot of us in the states use fuel additives, one which I use and seems to help the problem is a product called "Star Tron Fuel Additive". Here is the link. There is probably an equivalent product in OZ.

http://mystarbrite.com/startron/

I live in a climate where my FJ / lawn mower etc have to stay in storage for about 5 months of the year and this product is the best that I have found. During the riding season I add a few ounces about every fill up.

I will never buy off on why we should use good fertile land to grow corn specifically to shove out car tailpipes.  If it was a byproduct maybe. Not like there are hungry people out there and that the program drives the prices up of all corn based food products up. And the poorest are the most effected.
Just an opinion. 

George

Especially considering there are plenty of byproducts that could be used instead.

[baldy3853]

Bozo
This crap should be dumped, its crap a waste of time, ITS a greenie revolution

If you use it DO not leave it in the tank if the bike is going to sit for any length of time.  

My bike in the US this year was in a sad state due to fuel sitting in it for to long  , all of the brass fittings in the carbies were GREEN which is a result of water which is one of its components  , also when it dries out and then has fuel flow again the particles which then break off and block all the journals  , pilot jets and make the bike run like crap  !!!
Baldy

[red]

In my opinion, it's worse than you may think.  As for octane, adding ethanol makes high octane fuel, very easy.  Ethanol combines with water, true, but that fact becomes a liability when the sellers add as much water as they can, to have more gallons of fuel to sell.  You are paying gas prices for water, guys!  This excess water can cause rust in your gas tank, among other problems.  I used to store my machines with gas additives in the tanks.  Now, I think it is better to drain those tanks for storage, unless you can buy 100% gasoline somewhere, then add a fuel conditioner for winter storage.

[Arnie]

Bozo,

One other problem for bikes with plastic or nylon fuel tanks is that the ethanol causes the tanks to swell slightly so they don't fit properly anymore.  This is being reported by Cagiva, Ducati, and Aprilia owners.

Arnie

[roverfj1200]

My 88 loves the E10 run it when ever I can.. E10 is really 95 oct. It leans the old girl up and makes her run and start better. 120000km on the clock and no problems.

Cheers

[movenon]

Here in the states the alcohol laced fuel also advertises 95 octane and the truth is, it will run fine. I am not an engineer so I have do dig in and research as best I can for answers. What I have been able to determine that in the end the  E10 is worth about 1/2 step of a jet size.

E 10 biggest draw back for us or any carbrated engine is the damage it causes to the fuel system.. Alcohol seems to have a affinity for water and that causes a lot of the damage in aluminium / pot metal fuel bowls, which leads to crap (corrosion) sucked up into the jets. Then there is the effects of alcohol on old rubber and cork gasket material. E 10 as is doesn't store well, it deteriorates fairly rapidly.

Its funny to listen to political debates on E-10 and recently here they are pushing E15 ( soon coming your way )  . When the subject of older auto's arise in political debates (auto's is all they reffer to) there response centers around "well they are old and you need to get rid of it for one of the newer energy efficient models".

Our laws here are driven by special interest groups/lobbyist buying political votes or trading support. In the end its to force the public to buy certain products or services to benefit an industry or special interest group.

Please forgive any errors in my statements, I am not an engineer I just know when I and others are being screwed. My experience with E 10 is in the real world of repairing and building street rods and motorcycles.    And then there is what do you want, food or gas ?........

George

[daithi]

Well Perth now has E10 and similar petrols, there might've been a topic on this before but it would be nice to get some input after the Eastern states have been using this stuff for years.
FYI, my scooter has a higher compression so at present it doesn't like anything below 95 octane (using normal fuel).

Basically I need to know if there are any engine issues from using the E fuels.

Terrible stuff is E10. Both my FJ and ZRX both clogged up after a relatively short time not being used because of that Gunk !!! Pilot jets clogged big time. There is no ``upside`` to this product. Seems not to affect FI bikes and really gives a hard time to Harleys and the like. My Boston mechanic did an okay job on my Kawa and sorted it, but the FJ still ran horrible until I got it back to Ireland and my local mechanic fixed it straight away. In the USA, the product ``Seafoam`` works well to prevent the Ethanol screwing up the Gas, and would defintely have used the product earlier if I had been aware of it. They claim it can keep Gas/petrol fresh for up to 2 years, buts thats pushing it !!! Always keep some in the tank, or get the equivalent in your market. Its not sold in my region. Would be good for winter storage and for Lawnmowers and things like that. Over here we have E5, which is less destructive, but I use my bikes more here now, and certainly start them at least every two weeks if not in use.

[Bozo]

WOW, thankyou very much to all that replied, I had a feeling there would be a 50% split (for and against) but these answers blew me away. The simple answer is my bike might sit for up to 6 weeks while I'm working away from home and because I have two bikes one might sit longer than the other, so for me this is not the fuel I should be using (by the sounds of it).

It sounds like by stating that "modern" vehicles? means fuel injection type, so our older carby types will suffer from stagnant fuel but the fuel injection being a sealed system does not (apart from any the plastics and rubber bits)

Just curious - Is the US E10 the same octane as in Australia?

[X-Ray]

I remember reading about this a while back John, and it sounds like Richard is having good results with it. Heres a site which recommends NO for most Japanese motorcycles   http://www.fcai.com.au/publications/all/all/all/3/can-my-vehicle-operate-on-ethanol-blend-petrol-

I'll just stick with the normal blend, 

[movenon]

WOW, thankyou very much to all that replied, I had a feeling there would be a 50% split (for and against) but these answers blew me away. The simple answer is my bike might sit for up to 6 weeks while I'm working away from home and because I have two bikes one might sit longer than the other, so for me this is not the fuel I should be using (by the sounds of it).

It sounds like by stating that "modern" vehicles? means fuel injection type, so our older carby types will suffer from stagnant fuel but the fuel injection being a sealed system does not (apart from any the plastics and rubber bits)

Just curious - Is the US E10 the same octane as in Australia?

95 I think.... Usually no choice on the road. Locally we have 2 stations close by that sell straight old fashion gas. I use them when home but on the road there is usually no choice. If it sits that long just get some additive. Find out what is available there. During the winter I have the same problem. I try to start my bike and run it for awhile every few weeks. Just when I am out in the garage or think about it. Read the information on the Star Tron web site to get an idea of what to look for. 'Seafoam"  is also a good product from what I here.
George

[RichBaker]

All we can get in Tucson is E10,in 87/89/91 octane....  No stations that I know of sell non-E gas. I can buy Race gas, but it is prohibitively expensive for street use.
A quick check on pure-gas.com shows 18 stations, most in, or north of, Phoenix. Closest to Tucson is in Benson, ~60 miles away.