Gas or Gasohol?
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 236
Likes: 2
From: Hawaii
Gas or Gasohol?
I was talking to my brother who is a well trained GM Technician, yesterday. In our conversation, he mentioned that the Gasohol made a rather large drop in fuel mileage in cars. Out here in Hawaii we have no choice. You get alcohol with your gas. My question is this, when doing long distance riding do you all see the difference in mileage buy using these different fuels? Is is worth it to have alcohol in your gas?
Ok, by definition, any gasoline blended with ethanol is technically Gasohol.
It does lower your MPG, but it's not that noticable. Is it a neewded thing? No, but someone thought so and now pretty much everywhere you will find E10 ethanol/gas.
It does lower your MPG, but it's not that noticable. Is it a neewded thing? No, but someone thought so and now pretty much everywhere you will find E10 ethanol/gas.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 236
Likes: 2
From: Hawaii
Thanks for the input guys. I think we have E-10 out here, though it might be E-85 and I have a hard time breaking 38 MPG. Now I need to do some more research on the fuel we have. My brother was telling me that the E-85 does make a HUGE difference. Wow 33%! That would put me close to 50 MPG. Do you notice a difference in engine / oil temperature between the two types of fuel? Thanks for the input.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 8
From: Detroit, the asshole of America
You can currently get up to 10% ethanol at the pump and it doesn't have to be disclosed. You do not want to run E-85 in your bike though. It won't make any more power, your fuel economy will be significantly worse, and it will corrode the fuel system. For a vehicle designed for it, the fuel economy loss isn't as significant, and items like the injectors and fuel lines are made of different materials so the ethanol doesn't corrode them.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,336
Likes: 67
From: SW Minnesota
You need an E-85 engine to run E-85, such as the flex fuel engines offered on some new model vehicles. Harley's will run on 10%, as clearly stated in your owner's manual. Your ethanol out there would probably be the 10% blended. E-85 Pumps would be clearly marked as such.
Yes, you will lose a couple of miles per gallon running 10% ethanol.
http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/new-fuel...torvehicle.pdf
Yes, you will lose a couple of miles per gallon running 10% ethanol.
http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/new-fuel...torvehicle.pdf
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,286
Likes: 17
From: Omaha
What I was trying to say is that E10 and E85 give you 10% and 33% less miles per gallon not better. You do need to have a modified engine to run E85, I was just using it as an example of how alcohol is worse for mileage.
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,109
Likes: 3
From: Chattanooga, TN
E-85...........bad stuff all around, extremely poor mileage, and very bad on engines not designed for it, but some senators cousins brother owns an Ethanol plant so they push it off on us because they can.
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Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 540
Likes: 3
From: Nooga, TN
Gasoline: US gallon = 125,000 Btu/gallon
Ethanol: US gallon = 84,000 Btu/gallon
Less energy per gallon equals less MPG. It does burn cooler and helps with pinging, but I use all gas when I can find it.
Ethanol: US gallon = 84,000 Btu/gallon
Less energy per gallon equals less MPG. It does burn cooler and helps with pinging, but I use all gas when I can find it.
