ETHANOL FREE GAS (US & Canada)

Ethanol-free gasoline is becoming more available by the day, at least here in Michigan.

Locally, Marathon, Sunoco and Shell seem to be the most common. It's sold as "Recreational fuel" "Rec Gas" "REC90" or "REC89" and generally runs around 10-20 cents/gal more than regular.

Unfortunately, doesn't seem to be available in every State yet, see: https://www.pure-gas.org/

Enjoy.

 

We have ethanol free chevron 94 in Canada

 

Proper winter maintanance and updated rubber bits make ehthanol blends a non-issue. Do what you think best though.

 

I agree @k-moe that properly maintained bikes will not have a problem.
It’s not just the rubber bits it’s the ethanol absorbs water and turns gas into a gelled mess.
Or if any gas is left anywhere in the fuel system unless you use stabilizers or empty the fuel system.
Or like out here there are days through the winter that are nice enough to ride the odd day. So I use chevron 94 and I can leave the bike for a month or two and just riiiiide.
Unlike the other 95% of Canada that is a frozen mess, greater Vancouver is a treat in comparison. Much like Seattle lots of rain but not enough snow to ever invest in a snow blower.

 

And Shell 91 ( in Canada)has no ethanol as well.

 

DESPITE using Sta-Bil as I have for over 30 years, and doing everything I have always done to put my bikes into winter storage, it has been gas-related issues due to layover just over the past couple of years that made me look into it. The other concern I have is that these motors were simply not designed for ethanol-laced gas, so if I can run real gasoline, I will. It just hasn't been a viable option until recently.

 

there is a thread on removing ethanol from fuel by mixing it with water. that causes the ethanol to seperate from gasoline

 

Right. Which is why "dry gas" used to get water out of gas, is primarily ethanol. So this seems to be a circular firing squad.

the easiest way is to buy it with no ethanol in it, at a regular gas station, no screwing around required. Something that until recently has been difficult, but no longer is in a lot of locales. Personally, I'm very relieved and the bike feels happier too.

 

For its whole life, I have used nothing but real gas in my xj550. The dealer warned me never to use 'gas-ahol' when I drove it off the showroom. All these years later, my "rubber bits" are still basically ok!

Straight gas has remained available in SD, although a few times I have had to use premium to get it.

 

Using 94 from chevron. Had it every where last night from setting the floats

 

I assume that you did throttle shaft seals?

 

Just got the bike and I'm going through everything and found the fuel height was way to high. Fuel was coming out of the air compensators half way up the carbs

And No I didn't do the seal

 

I readily available in Georgia, but $.70-$.90 higher

 

I REST MY CASE. It was $3.02 the other day when I filled up. The beauty of it is, even more stations are popping up that carry it. One of our reasonably local Marathon stations now has (4) pumps with it available.

 

Since just about every station in my area sells regular gas, I select the gas stations that have separate hoses for each selection. That way the first quart or so of gas isn't what the last person used.

The price is a bit more than ethanol laced gas, but not significantly that it is an issue. I do run gasahol in my car, cheaper, but less mileage, so it is really not a savings.

That warning from the dealer not to use alcohol laced gas was literally his "last words" to me as I drove away...gasahol was just coming on the scene at the time.

 

I use only 94 octane ethanol-free gasoline in both my '82 Seca 550 and my '87Ninja 750R. I try to fill up on Thursdays, when the Ultramar stations sell it at the same price as 91 octane. I go as far as scanning each pump for both the dollar value and the volume of gas pumped by the last user, so I can tell if the last user pumped regular or the premium, then I only use a pump where the last user used premium - and there is usually one to be found on a Thursday due to the promo. That way, I avoid the quart of ethanol laced gas I might otherwise get. Too anal?

 

All summer I'll run 87 octane with up ethanol. But, I switch to non-oxygenated in October so that, when the snow lands, I can quickly just top up the tank and drain the carbs as part of my winterization routine.

 

In South Georgia we ride year round. I have always used regular gas with ethanol and have never had any issues. I think that if you ride on a regular basis it's not a problem.

 

Curious if your original carb "rubber bits" were replaced along the way. Perhaps modern replacement parts are more alcohol resistive?

My carbs still have all the original "rubber" bits...and no, there are no leaks, etc. I am almost embarrassed to say everything in the carbs are original because someone will tell me it can't be true the carbs have never been off the bike nor rebuilt and how can it possible run properly...but indeed it is true, and the bike runs great....no leaks, no seal problems, no leaking carb boots, etc. Colortune plugs shows mix is all in order at different revs...and it has never seen alcohol in the gas....

My name is Carl, and my carbs are still all original...
Boy does that feel good to say.

 

The original carb parts were ethanol safe. That transition happened for most manufacturers of U.S bound equipment in '79 (and some wayyyy before then; like Ford and the Model T).

 

sometimes i think the ethan, non ethanolol is as overblown as synthetic vs dino oil. someone swears support to each side of the coin.

I run ethanol blended gas through the summer then switch over to non ethanol just before winter and use seafoam in the fuel for the winter sleep
I run the tank to reserve and run it lower to maximize the refill try for2 or 3 tanks to minimize the amount of ethanol in the mix.

on another note it is not legal in my state to pump ethanol free into car truck or motorcycle. No one stops you but is only to be used in "farm and landscape equipment.
mostly for the 2 stroke equipment.

 

so my lawn mower gets left out in the rain more often than it should, but always starts right up.
is this because of ethanol gas, or am i just lucky?

 

My Seca runs like shit on 10% etoh fuel; difficult starting, hardly torque and must be riding fairly high in revs to perform.
With 5% or no etoh all is just fine.

 

Either something is wrong with the fuel aside from the ethanol content, or something is wrong with the bike.

 

Yeah with the 10% etoh IN the gasoline..lol
We have LOTS of problems overhere with that green stuff in old cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers etc.
Sludge buildup, gummed carbs/fuellines, corrosion in the carbs and/or alu-parts, seals start leaking etc.
95/98 octane only with max 5% etoh is recommended by the mechanics.

 

Interesting. I have never had issue with running E10 in the U.S. I wonder if there is a difference in the blend of the base fuel, or the additive package.

 

i guess E85 is out of the question then

 

E85 is just a rejet away..unless you're after a power increase. Then you'll need to raise compression and alter valve timing.

 

Could be dependable on the region you live in.
I mean.. in Cal. where temps are up and humidity is low you probably have less problems of the hygroscopic etoh.
As so for the very cold regions. Cold air contains less moisture.
In a seaclimate region, where I live, is a lot of moisture in the air and in the gasoline when stored over a longer period.
My XJ doesn't run well on 10% etoh gasoline as I noticed in Spain last summer.

 

I've used E10 in a number of climates, from the Pacific Northwest, to the the semi-arid High Plains, and to a lesser extent in the humid part of the Midwest. Going on 40 years now and no real problems that regular maintainace can't prevent (same as with all fuels). Use what you want, but I hesitate to blame problems on blending ethanol with gasoline. It's not a new type of fuel; it's been around since the late 1920's.

 

I'm with @kmoe on this, I have a book by a college professor, it lists loads of comparisons and tests he did with Leeds (if I recal) university on straight petrol and E85. Guess what - the 1950's cast iron Mgtb loved E85. It didn't eat the carburretors or the steel/copper fuel lines. No power loss, less pinking, they even increased the (admittedly low) compression ratio by two points.
So, if something doesn't like E85, my suggestion is that it was right on the edge to begin with. In the UK, leaded petrol went out 10 yrs ago, fe2 places now sell straight petrol....

 

sticker on pumps says 10% which indicates maximum amount of ethanol blended. could be less.
I do find that some gas stations fuel runs better than others. when the fuel trucks come to town there is the generic truck and a name brand truck.
generic delivers to all the mm and pop stations, name brand only to its branded stations, that can make a differance

 

Ok. Glad to hear it's not universal..lol.
It's quite an issue overhere but if you don't have those problems count yourselfs lucky.
Sales of 10% gas has went way down in favor of the 98/5%
In Germany they even sell 95/5% nowadays because they can't get rid of the 95/10% due to.. etc.

 

during the 70s and 80s the familys of newyork were hauling toxic waste and mixing it with gasoline to dispose of it.
paid to haul away toxic waste then mixing it into gasoline to make more money on less fuel.
maybe that has circled across the ocean

 

As the governments did with the tetraethyllead in the years before that?

 

not quitethere was some benifit to
Tetraethyllead (commonly styled tetraethyl lead), abbreviated TEL, is an organolead compound with the formula (CH3CH2)4Pb. It is a petro-fuel additive, first being mixed with gasoline beginning in the 1920s as a patented octane rating booster that allowed engine compression to be raised substantially.