Be careful when getting fuel
 

Today I stopped by the suzuki dealership for some advice on my gz250 issue (see trouble shooting bike fell=stalling, if you want to give some advice...) and he gave me a good bit of info in reguards to gasolines and some stuff gas companies were trying to get away with, so I felt I should share this info just in case it could help anyone.
He mentioned to me that since gas now has ethanol in it all kinds of weird issues are coming up in bikes of all kinds. 10% ethanol isn't horrible on a bike, but he said to be careful since some states/gas stations don't display the content (even though they legally have to...) and some gas companies are sneaking more ethanol into their product. and more ethanol means bad news for bikes and small engines...so be careful out there when ya get gas these days.

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

careful for what - this is one part of information that most of the drivers know that 10% ethonal is mixed but which companies are sneaking more is the real question so that we should be careful not to visist those gas pumps and i think no one can tell or be sure about that so be happy and keep your bikes tuned up. i use 87 and 93 in rotations to keep happy both left and right groups :).

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

I found that my GZ doesn't run very well on even 10% ethanol, neither do my lawn mowers or weed eaters for that matter. Much harder to start and my gas mileage drops off by about 10% with the ethanol. I've found three stations in my immediate area that sell only NO ethanol gasoline, and I patronize them! I would advise everybody to do the same if they have a choice.

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

There is basically NO gas stations in Hot Springs with no ethanol, I don't know of any right now, so i am stuck using that shit.

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

i dont know of any stations that have streight gasoline.. i do notice some places i fill up the bike will run better than others.

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

Ethanol? Never heard about it being added to petrol. Is it just an American thing, or is it worldwide, & they just haven't got round to telling us about it?

You've probably heard about "the mushroom method" of informing people - keep you in the dark for six months, then shit on you!

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

i believe they do this because it saves the oil company money to make the gasoline that way.. it is crap but they say it's safe.. i hear gas with the ethanol will reduce how many miles pergallon your vehicle gets. not sure if that statement is correct but some one once told me that.

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

It's supposed to lower the exhaust emissions - less nitric oxides, more clean air, stuff like that. The problem is that ethanol has less energy (BTU's) than gasoline, so your mileage and power suffer from the blend. It is also a big problem for boats in the marine world, it absorbs water and can seriously damage some fuel lines and fiberglass tanks in boats. But the gov't. makes the rules so, right or wrong, who you gonna complain to? It had been used mostly as a winter blend up in the northeast over here, now is pretty common all over. Is not very economical considering the lower mpg cost, but there are powerful lobbyists all over this country trying to promote more ethanol use.

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

It's mostly political. Theoretically, ethanol is a "renewable" (and therefore "greener") choice, but I think it's really more about the fact that we grow corn in the good old USA and we import oil from the bad old Middle East. There are questionable economics - quite a few economists believe the push for more ethanol raised the prices for everyone on food. Worse yet, some of the less choice grains that might have fed the starving now go to produce ethanol. So more of the starving, well... starve. Plus there is the cost of fertilizers and water and runoff and a lot of other not-so-green stuff that must take place to grow the "crude" for the ethanol. I think most cars run on it okay, but there's warnings right in the Suzuki manual about staying away from it.

I don't think we have it in CA.

Re: Be careful when getting fuel
 

im gonna look for a gas station that does not contain ethonal.. there is this littel meat market by my house they have only 2 gas pumps out front and there gas is more expensive than everywhere else.. i think next time i got out for a ride i will stop in and ask them if they have that crapola in their gas or not.

if they don't i might run my car and my bike to empty (well amost empty) fill up there and see if i really notice a difference in how they drive.
maybe ill be lucky and find pure gasoline there. you know i got a little scared the first time i notice the gas i put in my car was a blue or green looking. i thought i had just filled up with diesel. but no it was just the ethanol and i had no idea they were putting that in the gasoline.