Ethanol question
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 150
Likes: 0
From: Elysian Fields Texas
Ethanol question
My 07 Electra Glide started running poorly, it had set for a month with 1/2 tank of gas so may have gotten some water build-up. Replaced with fresh gas and ran better but not great. My tech tells me to replace the fuel filter as they are seeing problems with filters and some fuel pumps do to ethanol use. Can anyone shed some light on why this is/ may happen due to ethanol use? I know the 10% ethanol is not great but does it really cause these type issues?
Thanks
Thanks
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,413
Likes: 17
From: eastern oklahoma
the ethanol isn't really a bad thing. the performance and fuel mileage will be down a little bit, but i really don't notice it. ethanol is quite a lot like using a little bit of heet in your fuel. it gets rid of water in the fuel system. you bike was made to operate with whatever gas is available. how are your plugs and plug wires? it always pays to check the dumb stuff first rather than reading something else into it. don't worry about that 10% ethanol, our bikes are set up to use it.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,479
Likes: 4
From: SoCal
Unless you are using regular unleaded instead of premium, you will see no performance difference using 10% ethanol in your fuel. The fuel contains the same toluene and xylene octane boosters, the alcohol mixture simply offers less mileage since you burn more to achieve the same results. And yes, it's hydroscopic so it removes water from the fuel tank. More than likely bad results from old gas are due to decomposition of the oxygenates, additives, and detergents that can break down after about a month. Always use StaBil when you anticipate not using any gasoline engine for a month or more.
Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 32,562
Likes: 2,577
From: Shit Weather USA
I'am lucky,here our one cheap gas station has 100% gas 93 octane.I use it everytime I can.If I'am out of town,and can't find any gas without an ethanol in it,I keep a bottle of Startron in my saddlebags to combat the ethanol.I would stay away from it if it is possible.
I guess where you live things are different, but it's very hard to find gas with no ethanol here in Florida, my bike runs fine as long as I use premium.
Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 803
Likes: 3
From: Collegeville, PA
I really don't see all the fuss people have been trying to make regarding the use of 10%ethanol fuel in their bikes. We have had 10% ethanol fuel in S.E. Pennsylvania for over 5years now. You can't get anything else. So I have at least 50,000 miles on 4 different HD's running the stuff WITH NO PROBLEMS. I have had two F.I. Road Glides a carbureted FXR and a carbureted sportster 1200 that have seen nothing but 10% Etoh and they run fine. Haven't had to do anything different with any of them. SO if you think your bike suddenly ran like poop because you put some gas with ethanol in it, well, you are either imagining it or there was another problem with the bike of the fuel you got. Let's have some other riders from states where 10% has been used for years to chime in on this.
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Road Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 805
Likes: 4
From: The Live Free or Die State
The problem is that the ethanol absorbs any condensation that may occurr in the tank. That will work it's way into the fuel filter. I would change the filter but you should have no problem running premium with 10% ethanol
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Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 803
Likes: 3
From: Collegeville, PA
Good point Knewt. I guess if JoeTag had some water sitting in the bottom of his tank the ethanol mix could have absorbed it and made him run bad. It just strikes me that any fill up would shake up any water sitting down there and bring it into the mix. Either way, we better get used to it because ethanol blend isn't going away. It sure beats that MTBE garbage they were putting in the gas before they began using ethanol.
