Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

E10 fuel

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    E10 fuel

    The uk is turning to E10 petrol September time it's not suitable for the Gs's fortunately the premium fuels are remaining E5 for how long who knows. Just cost more per tank.
    E10 = 10% ethanol.
    The big guy up there rides a Suzuki (this I know)
    1981 gs850gx

    1999 RF900
    past bikes. RF900
    TL1000s
    Hayabusa
    gsx 750f x2
    197cc Francis Barnett
    various British nails

    #2
    Originally posted by fastbysuzuki View Post
    The uk is turning to E10 petrol September time it's not suitable for the Gs's fortunately the premium fuels are remaining E5 for how long who knows. Just cost more per tank.
    E10 = 10% ethanol.
    Are your GSes different than our US spec GSes? Been running E10 in mine since I got it.
    Bob T. ~~ Play the GSR weekly photo game: Pic of Week Game
    '83 GS1100E ~ '24 Triumph Speed 400 ~ '01 TRIUMPH TT600 ~ '67 HONDA CUB

    Comment


      #3
      If you ride your GS often, E10 is barely an issue.
      Here in the States, we've had E 10 for decades
      If your bike sits a lot, switch to a non ethanol fuel.
      It's the sitting that causes problems.
      1978 GS 1000 (since new)
      1979 GS 1000 (The Fridge, superbike replica project)
      1978 GS 1000 (parts)
      1981 GS 850 (anyone want a project?)
      1981 GPZ 550 (backroad screamer)
      1970 450 Mk IIID (THUMP!)
      2007 DRz 400S
      1999 ATK 490ES
      1994 DR 350SES

      Comment


        #4
        If you don't ride (and put in fresh gas) for over a month, it's no problem if you treat the gas. Not sure what you have available over there, but we use Sta-Bil, SeaFoam and other 'preservative' treatments. I use a double dose of Sta-Bil when I store the bikes, and have no problem starting them up in the Spring, several months later.
        If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.

        Comment


          #5
          In the US we have had ethanol in our fuel for more than 10 years. I hate to run it, on a trip you don't have much choice. It does lower the combustion temperature just a bit, and it leans the fuel mixture about 5%, if you have 10% ethanol. The mixture change is so small that you wont know it.

          If you take E10 and put it in a gas can, and add about 15% water. Then shake it for 2 or three minutes, and wait about 30 minutes and shake it again all of the ethanol will migrate into the water. The pure gas will float on top. Then you have to separate the water from the gas on top. It can be a lot of work, still it is a way to get rid of the ethanol if you desire to. I use a cylindrical metal tank with a funnel shaped bottom, there is a valve on the bottom. I just open the valve until gas comes out and I am done. I originally used the tank to make bio diesel. It was used to separate the glycerin that migrated to the bottom from the veg oil after treatment.
          1981 GS1100E
          1982 GS1100E



          "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle

          Comment


            #6
            Around here non ethanol gas is very easy to find, just costs a few cents more than E10. I never thought it wouldn't be that way everywhere. Well, maybe California, but they are kind'f different than most anywhere else on many different things. Hey metalfab, just wondering, if you have a 10 gal tank, then put in 15% water, that's 1 1/2 gal. water + the 10% ethanol that the water absorbs from the gas, that's 2 1/2 gal. of waste per 10 gal of gas. Is there a use for the waste water & ethanol mixture you drain from your tank? Is there a good way to dispose of it??
            1983 GS1100E, 1983 CB1100F, 1991 GSX1100G, 1996 Kaw. ZL600 Eliminator, 1999 Bandit 1200S, 2005 Bandit 1200S, 2000 Kaw. ZRX 1100

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by rphillips View Post
              Around here non ethanol gas is very easy to find, just costs a few cents more than E10. I never thought it wouldn't be that way everywhere. Well, maybe California, but they are kind'f different than most anywhere else on many different things. Hey metalfab, just wondering, if you have a 10 gal tank, then put in 15% water, that's 1 1/2 gal. water + the 10% ethanol that the water absorbs from the gas, that's 2 1/2 gal. of waste per 10 gal of gas. Is there a use for the waste water & ethanol mixture you drain from your tank? Is there a good way to dispose of it??
              I think it varies by state about 7 of them require some ethanol. Then there is a federal mandate for 2% minimum for motor vehicle fuel. For off road use there is no minimum amount, you can get straight petroleum. Then there are rules for some counties that have high populations. It's maze of rules and regulations typical government stuff.

              As far as the goodies left over from removing the ethanol. Remember ethanol is booze so it is pretty inert. You can use a little less water, if you use too little the ethanol doesn't like to break from the petroleum. It happens that a lot of people who use water injection in boosted applications love the Ethanol laced water. I use it on my truck, it starts spraying water at about 18 pounds of boost. You can expose it to air and the ethanol will evaporate, then you pretty much have water left. There is some compound in the ethanol that gets left behind. It is placed in the ethanol at the distillery to make you barf if you drink it. I guess that keeps employees from sneaking ethanol out the back door. It almost smells like menthol or eucalyptus. After being exposed to the gas, it makes it a lot harder to try to tell what it is by smell.

              The minimum amount of water should be equal to the % of ethanol.
              1981 GS1100E
              1982 GS1100E



              "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle

              Comment


                #8
                I've never had an issue running E10 fuel. I bought my 850 4 years ago and it ran OK for the most part but had some rough spots through the throttle range. Didn't want to clean the carbs so I put half a can of seafoam in the tank and filled it with fresh fuel and ran it hard. When it's time to store it, I run it low on gas, fill with non-ethanol, run that tank low, treat with Stabil, top off with non-ethanol again, then run it long enough to get the treated fuel into the carbs. Then I park it. Come spring time, I run through that tank then do my half can of seafoam treatment through two tanks and run it hard. Every year it has ran better and better and so far this year it's been great. I may be doing overkill, but we have long winters in MI so it's not uncommon for the bike to sit nearly 6 months without being started so I want to ensure I don't have any issues come spring. So far so good.

                I should give the carbs a good cleaning someday though. It's on the list...
                - 1983 GS850L ~ 30,000 miles and going up - Finally ready for a proper road trip!
                - 1977 GS750B - Sold but not forgotten

                Comment


                  #9
                  Gosh it's amazing what can be learned around here. Thanks metalfab, very interesting about getting the ethanol out & perfect way to get rid of waste. And 93Bandit, we're on about the same page except I just use the Seafoam for stabilizer instead of the Stabil. Just don't like the idea of the ethanol sitting in the carbs for an extended period.
                  1983 GS1100E, 1983 CB1100F, 1991 GSX1100G, 1996 Kaw. ZL600 Eliminator, 1999 Bandit 1200S, 2005 Bandit 1200S, 2000 Kaw. ZRX 1100

                  Comment


                    #10
                    When I know my bike will be sitting a long time, I just drain the float bowls. Been working well for me for several years.

                    That and the fact I seek out the non ethanol gas for the Suzuki. If riding it a lot, the e10 doesn't bother it.
                    Larry

                    '79 GS 1000E
                    '93 Honda ST 1100 SOLD-- now residing in Arizona.
                    '18 Triumph Tiger 800 (gone too soon)
                    '19 Triumph Tiger 800 Christmas 2018 to me from me.
                    '01 BMW R1100RL project purchased from a friend.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      My full ethanol thing

                      There is a lot more to ethanol if you go into the fine details. Lots of gaskets and seals don't do good long term with ethanol, that said many do. The worse thing about ethanol is it allows the fuel to take on moisture. It does that until a huge volume of water is absorbed then it breaks away from the petroleum. The moisture laden fuel causes problems when it allows fuel system parts to corrode. That is the main problem with E10 and similar blends.

                      The next thing is 1 gallon of ethanol only has the energy of 1/2 a gallon of gasoline. A gallon of E10 wont take you as far as a gallon of gasoline the difference is small, about 5%. That difference in energy density of E10 means E10 leans your jetting about 5%, that small difference is hard to tell. The catch 22 is if you are measuring EGT (exhaust gas temperature) to check your jetting ethanol burns at a lower temperature offsetting the higher temperature that the slightly leaner mixture creates. You can see it on a dyno though.

                      All in all 5% leaner isn't much, the moisture E10 can hold is the biggest culprit. If you run E10 your bike will run good. But if you run straight gasoline the birds will sing, the flowers will bloom, and the angels will sing too. With E10 same thing they just wont sing as loud, LOL. If I run E10 when I store my bike for the winter I drain the tank and carbs, and put 2 gallons of diesel in my tank and be sure to prime the carbs. The diesel doesn't evaporate like gas, it is an oil and it protects. The carb gaskets wont dry out, shrink or loose their seal. You wont get corrosion in your tank or carbs in the winter. You do have to deal with flushing it out in the spring, that is a lot better than rebuilding the carbs.
                      1981 GS1100E
                      1982 GS1100E



                      "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X