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the ethynal (ethynol)?mixture at most gas staions now
Posted: 10:24 am May 24 2008
by treelimb
is or can be up to 10% according to the info as declared at the gas stations that are selling it.They are a huge percentage here in georgia.The local Kaw shop head guy stated that Kawasaki is sending statements that declare it is not good for "especially 2 strokes" if I understood him correctly.
Has anyone noticed a problem/had a problem with the ethynal mixture that is even in the 93 octane?
just asking.thanks.
treelimb
Posted: 10:28 pm May 25 2008
by Rob
THE Added Ethanol simply makes your mixture leaner. I'd do a plug check and see if it looks ok. If the plug is too white -way down near the base of the insulator then go up one notch on the needle and on the main jet. [you run on the needle 90% of the time]
Posted: 11:42 pm May 25 2008
by Jeb
A few things about ethanol in gasoline . . .
. . . the energy per unit volume of ethanol is about 30% less than gasoline, so if the highest concentration of ethanol in your gasoline is 10% that equates to a 3% change (decrease). Comparatively, decreasing your main jet size is about a 4% change (for jet sizes typical of our bikes wide open throttle). So unless your jetting is precariously close to being too lean you should be fine. (the plug chop that Rob suggested is a good thing to do to understand how your bike is jetted in the first place - have you ever done one?)
. . . interestingly enough, the octane rating of pure ethanol is about 100.
. . . water will mix reasonably well with ethanol. What this means is that water can be drawn into the fuel (because of the presence of ethanol). That's not the end of the world, but with enough water the ethanol/water will start to separate. Not a huge concern for our bikes given the smaller tanks and quick turnover of their contents and thus probably not enough time for this to occur, but something to keep in mind for fuel storage considerations (especially for your boat if you have one).
Posted: 10:02 pm May 26 2008
by kicknrocks
BTW, this ehanol is at fault for the recent "staple crop" crisis and the recent spike in fuel prices. While our Commander In Grief goes to Saudi on his knees asking for cheaper fuel, it is in fact his congress that mandated that a percentage of petroleum taxes be slated for ethanol development. This simultaneosly created a spike in the price of staple crops and fuel.