tbartley

For those with applicable knowledge (not me). Just heard on the news that this is going to be a fed standard eventually. The reporter advised that vehicles and many small engines prior to '01 could have difficulty with this new gas mixture. Will this have an adverse effect on our twins and, if so, how? tyronne

mikstr

You may have to re-jet slightly richer to compensate for the oxygenation properties of the ethanol. Other than that, get used to replacing the diaphragms in the petcock as, in my experience, the rubber gets attacked by the alcohol, causig them to tear (have had to replace two so I no longer use ethanol fuel).

On another note, this initiative is downright nonsensical. In the process of writing a few articles about emissions and the like (for bike and sled magazines), I uncovered studies from reputable universities that indicate that ethanol production is anet-loss proposition as the production process requires 40% more energy than the final product contains, with teh added energy coming from fossil fuels. In other words, the more ethanol you produce, the more oil you have to import. I guess the ethanol industry must have a powerful lobby in Washington......

Stevebis1

I hate ethanol as much as the next guy (unless it is in my glass...) Lots of good reasons to bash it, but I doubt we import more oil to make it (and if we did most of that would come from Canada!). Very little petroleum (in the US) is used to create electricity. From what I can tell, ethanol distilleries use natural gas and electricity. In the US about 50% of electricity is fueled by coal and another 20% by natural gas. These are fossil fuels that are domestically sourced. Petroleum only accounts for less than 2% of electricity production and I couldn't find any information on a petroleum fired distillery.
In the mean time when you ride, do your best to avoid putting in you or your bike.

Gregw

Hi Steve,
Where the fossil fuels come in is for farming and transportation of the raw materials (corn and others).

mikstr

Bingo!

zmaniv

Conagra is being backed by the Fed to produce corn to feed the ethanol production they are another large corporation that has yet found a way to get the Govt to pay for their production and then lock the US into buying their product so they are profitable on both sides.

Hawkagain

"Scientific American" had a good article a year or two ago. They said it takes more fossil fuel to produce the alcohol than the energy than comes out of it. The most optimistic estimates come out even.

Of course with gasohol we are not getting equal energy. It's diluted and costs more even if the corn is free. Even the emissions benefits are questionable. Politics at work.

SW

killer5280

Yep. And that means We The People get to pay for it in more ways than one. Another scam with the people holding the bag.

nuhawk

Yup, my 97 Interceptor may be just a victim. About the same time the labels came up on the pumps it's not been the same. Once it warms a bit everything is cool but it's not like it was before. The Superhawk has had some cold-weather moments too.

When it's this ******* cold it's not about the fuel - it's about the tires. Even if you can get it started the roads are not a welcoming committee. In Texas that means that everybody who's rad's froze last night will be laying down a stream of every kind of **** in the world. This would be a good weekend to work on the barn not leave it.

Randman

Cold? LOL...I got your cold...Roll Tide Roll Baby!!!

Tweety

I have been running my hawk on 5% eth in the fuel here since it's birth... Not had any tearing membranes to date... But I guess it's a possibility they used different materials as 5% has been standard here since the stone age... (I forget when, but I think it was the "first" oil crisis...) I doubt it though...

Nuhawk... You have cold... In Texas? where? The icebox?!

nuhawk

You know I knew you would be up to this. I dropped a cuke slice on the floor this evening and I thought Naw just leave it for the Hogs to clean up. Then I realized they would be back serving Crow! So I picked it up.

VTRsurfer

Two words....North Slope. Drill baby drill.

Making fuel out of food products, like corn, is insane. Drives the price of food up, and not compatible with many current vehicles.

Plus, the "carbon footprint" of producing the ethanol negates the ecological advantage, so why bother.

shayne

Its crap.

C.R.A.P!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better for the environment?? Bullshit!!!!

What annoys me is that we know this stuff, but the law makers seems not to, or are two influenced by lobby groups or organisations with vested interests in its production, and large cheque books built from government subsidised profits!


AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

inderocker

Yup... it's all about the green. The government is telling farmers to overproduce corn so it can be sold to the big food companies below production cost's. So how can the farmers afford to do it? Government subsidaries.... from our tax dollars of course. Hmmm, I wonder why our Government wants the big food companies to be able to buy corn so cheap?