Is it bad to put gas with 10% ethanol in it? I don't like how E85 acts in my husband's truck, and have so far shied away from it in my bike (just doesn't seem like a good idea). Does anyone have any facts/ input/experience/ advice to share?

 

Ethanol has no place in automotive fuel, avoid it if you can.

 

It makes no difference. The hysteria surrounding ethanol has little base in fact, and is the biggest non issue ever.

 

10% ethanol is all we can use here in Minnesota............mandated for the last 15 years.
It's no big deal with a little precaution....
I have to use it in everything including gas weed trimmers, lawn mower, gas blower, snow blower, etc.

If you don't ride often or the bike will sit for more than 1 month throw a little Stabil in the tank when you filll it up.
Otherwise ride and have fun...........been using it for more than 15 years, it's no big deal at all.

Don't let others panic you.

 

You got an "amen" from me on that! LOT's of hyperbole surrounding 10% ethanol, but, minimal-to-no factual data to support it.

 

I don't know...that's a rather strong statement there. Basically because it's nearly impossible to avoid anymore unless you have one source for gasoline, in one place, all the time. If you travel anywhere, you're going to have to use it. That said, I think it would take a careful series of dyno tests for mere humans to tell the difference between such fuels as long as the octane ratings were similar. The KLX isn't a critically picky engine on fuel requirements like some engines. The slight propensity for ethanol to retain moisture may it worst characteristic, but at only a 10% level and with the other additives in most all fuel sources available, it's basically a non-issue. There is a very small combustion efficiency loss alleged from some tests I've read, but it is often offset by ethanol's cooling effect in the combustion chamber. We've had 10% ethanol gasoline in Texas from at least around 1978/79 that I can recall. In all that time I haven't seen any fuel system rust, corrosion, or other breakdown on some vehicles that I've owned for decades. Even some garden equipment engines ranging from weedeaters to twin-cylinder lawn tractors start right up the next season after months of sitting idle with ethanol fuel and no added fuel stabilizers where I live. Seems like one of those cases of much-ado-about-nothing from my experience with it.

 

The ama magazine american motorcyclist article told of a 15% ethanol formulated gasoline that is going to be a problem for engines not designed for that high of percentage in the fuel. Not a good thing it says.

 

Yeah, but isn't that an E85 classified fuel? I think you have to have a fuel/engine/computer setup made to run on that fuel for anything approaching optimum performance. My van is set up for that fuel, but I've only seen one station in my coast-to-coast travels that carried true E85 fuel. I know there are more out there in certain parts of the country, but they don't hang from every tree. Plus, there may be more going on in E85 as far as the ratio and additives go as compared to just a 5% increase in the ethanol as it relates to 10% ethanol gasoline today.

 

I'm not a fuel expert by any means, but, if it were going to cause big problems, we should have seen it, and it should be easy to spot.

 

Lies !!!

Ethanol is directly responsible for thousands of engine failures every day. Stay away from it !

Its a conspiracy to destroy your vehicle so you have to buy a new one, thus keeping the auto industry afloat and in bed with the oil/alcohol companys.

Remember these are the same people who stole the prototype of the water carburetor, sent the inventor to the gulag and burned his house down.