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02-10-2018, 09:59 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Leics
Bike: M900
Posts: 2,844
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Indeed, if true and if it remains to be the case then I'll try to use it where possible.
I always use super unleaded unless I've run out and only 'cooking' fuel is available and I've not had any ethanol related problems yet but as all my bikes are quite old and 2 are carburettor equipped, I'd rather not risk it. At least they've all got steel tanks though...
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M900, 916, LeMans II. |
02-10-2018, 12:12 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Southampton
Bike: M1100evo
Posts: 2,465
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Having an 1100 Evo with a plastic tank, I've done quite a bit of reading into this subject. I don't want to sound like the voice of doom, DD, but it's not just us plastic tank owners who have to be careful; even steel tanks are not immune although they are at risk in a different way.
Obviously, they're not going to swell, but they can corrode. The corrosion mechanism works like this: • Fuel is left in the tank for some time. • The ethanol in the fuel absorbs water from the atmosphere. • Once the ethanol is saturated and cannot absorb anymore water, it comes out of solution with the fuel and, being heavier, sinks to the bottom of the tank ("phase separation"). • Ethanol is a perfect food source for a particular microbe "acetobacter", which has been found in ethanol underground storage tanks. • Once the bacteria have feasted on the ethanol, they produce acetic acid, which is corrosive to mild steel. • The surface of the tank in contact with the ethanol will suffer from "aqueous corrosion" while any exposed area above the fuel will experience "gaseous corrosion". If you've ever opened your fuel cap after a winter hibernation and detected a faint whiff of vinegar, then that's acetic acid at work. Perhaps potentially more damaging is the effect on any in-tank fuel pumps with their moving parts and critical clearances. As I said earlier, I don't want to be a scare-longer - if you fill up every couple of weeks, then there won't be time for the ethanol to cause problems, (it's safe while it's in suspension with the petrol). But I think, if you're laying up your bike for any length of time, it's good practice to either drain the tank (and carbs if appropriate) or add an ethanol specific fuel stabilizer. Roll on spring! Last edited by Luddite; 02-10-2018 at 12:43 PM.. |
02-10-2018, 12:35 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chatham
Bike: Multiple Monsters
Posts: 714
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I've repaired a few steel tanks that have rotted though and they have all had the most serious corrosion on the side stand side at the lowest point which I took to be from the presence of water either though ingress or from aqueous ethanol coming out of solution.
Quite often what looks like just a small pinhole or two turns out to be the tip of the iceberg with whole areas around the holes left tissue paper thin. I don't know the history of one particular tank that was holed and thin but had no visible rust on the area inside the tank. It may have had the rust removed/treated before it came to me but from the description above I guess it could have been acidic corrosion.
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02-10-2018, 01:28 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Leics
Bike: M900
Posts: 2,844
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M900, 916, LeMans II. |
02-10-2018, 07:36 PM | #5 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Barnsley
Bike: M1100s
Posts: 238
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Quote:
Hope I didn't offend.
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22-07-2019, 03:49 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Southampton
Bike: M1100evo
Posts: 2,465
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The new edition of Bike (no. 558: 24 July-27 Aug) has an interesting article on the problems with modern fuel (i.e. ethanol).
Nothing really new to us but a handy reference and it has some tips on storage, which are always useful. (Not on this subject but in the same issue, there's also an explanation of how DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing) works, which appeals to my inner geek!) |
26-07-2019, 02:54 PM | #7 | ||
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Southampton
Bike: M1100evo
Posts: 2,465
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I've attached this reply from http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...496#post567496 to add the latest information to this thread.
Quote:
Quote:
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28-10-2019, 09:44 PM | #8 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Southampton
Bike: M1100evo
Posts: 2,465
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Quote:
According to an answer given to a question raised in parliament on 30 September: 'The consultation included a call for evidence on whether, and how best, E10 could be introduced in the UK, and the Department is working hard to publish a response as soon as possible this year.' https://www.parliament.uk/business/p...9-09-30/292315 So it looks like it's still a case of 'watch this space'. |
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03-01-2020, 08:37 PM | #9 |
Nothing to see here
Join Date: May 2005
Location: brough
Bike: M1100evo
Posts: 1,546
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This may be a more cost-effective solution than having fuel delivered:
https://www.millersoils-shop.co.uk/e...ction-additive |
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