Hello guys 

I stuff up and filledup with an ethanol blend fuel 

If I syphon out as much fuel as i can and replace with the good stuff will this be ok ? 
Do i need to get rid off every bit ? 

Dont think the wife will let me go for another 300km ride to get rid of it

It wont hurt. I often put 50/50 E10 and 98 in for the first tank of a long ride it gets rid of any condensation out the exhaust.

Riding E5 and E10 95 in my K1100 here in Netherlands, still no problem.
Sure rund better with the pure 102, best I noticed that with my R1100RS.

As they said - it won't be a problem as long as you don't let it stand too long. 

These bio fuel blends aren't bad for the engine but they do have a cleaning effect and that displace dirt and can cause filters to clog. Unless your fuel system was particularly dirty, you are unlikely to have an issue with that. However, where you can get problems on older systems is with the rubber components which can breakdown with certain esters in the bio fuel. This is not an instant effect, so riding, diluting and using up will not have any serious consequences. Leaving the bike to stand for weeks on end...then you are headed into goo territory!

If the wife won't let you do a 300km ride to get rid of it, do some shorter rides and top up the tank with your normal gas when it gets to about half full. Ride, fill repeat.

Go for the 300Km ride and sod it!

Matthew-Brisbane wrote:Hello guys 

I stuff up and filledup with an enathnol blend fuel 

If I syphon out as much fuel as i can and replace with the good stuff will this be ok ? 
Do i need to get rid off every bit ? 

Dont think the wife will let me go for another 300km ride to get rid of it

Sorry Mathew, it is absolutely essential that you go for a 300 km (+) ride asap to avoid a total destruction of your bike's fuel system. It might be good for you too.

Any reasonable partner would understand.

I run E10 most of the time during the riding season when it can't lay in the tank for more than a week or so.  For the winter I switch to non-ethanol fuel a week or two before going into storage so the bike sits with pure (stabilized) gasoline in the system. 

I have been doing that with all my engines for about 20 years now, and have had no ill effects on fuel systems or operation.  The critical thing is to get the E10 out before storing as it decomposes into some nasty stuff over long term idleness.

However, having said the above, your wife should recognize that a 300km ride at this time of year is critical to preventing near fatal damage to your engine caused by the fuel mixture.

Thanks Guys  

Going for a ride next weekend   800Km  to Rick and Charlies

From worried about 300km to confident in 800 has got me worried about Murphy's law of inverse proportions, number 987, which states that the greater the distance,  the less likely that when you get back, the locks havn't been changed.

Born Again Eccentric wrote:As they said - it won't be a problem as long as you don't let it stand too long. 

These bio fuel blends aren't bad for the engine but they do have a cleaning effect and that displace dirt and can cause filters to clog. Unless your fuel system was particularly dirty, you are unlikely to have an issue with that. However, where you can get problems on older systems is with the rubber components which can breakdown with certain esters in the bio fuel. This is not an instant effect, so riding, diluting and using up will not have any serious consequences. Leaving the bike to stand for weeks on end...then you are headed into goo territory!

If the wife won't let you do a 300km ride to get rid of it, do some shorter rides and top up the tank with your normal gas when it gets to about half full. Ride, fill repeat.

If the wife won't let you do a 300km ride to get rid of it..........

Nuff said but my mammy told me it was rude to refer to people as 'it'

Morning all, not so much a reply as a question. This post is almost two years old. In that time has anyone found any problems from using (ie. riding with and not leaving to fester in the tank) E10 on the 1980s K100 series bikes?
I have (and this is not a motorbike tale) used E5 that had sat in the tank of an outboard for three years. Fired second pull and ran without hesitation. The only component that seemed affected was the pipe from the aftermarket external fuel tank which went rigid. I did change the fuel before heading out to sea though

I see you are getting E10 this year.

E5 is out a long time and Ks run fine on it.

I spend lots of K trips in France and have run the 84 K100RT and K1100LT there and the 83 K100RS in Spain.

Typically E5 all over and no issues using the E5.

In France mostly E10 in the services and they have all run ok on it. E5 is preferable but no longer at all stations.

But, a number of times in France I could only get E85, as in15% ethanol. On the K100RT it did not like it and ran crap as if a plug lead had shorted out. It ran but not particularly nice, so I never put it in if at all possible.

I think that E85 is actually 85% ethanol and requires special tuning to run properly. It's only been the last couple years here in the U.S. where automobiles have been set up to run on it. They are labeled "Flex Fuel" and can run on any amount of blended ethanol.

I run E10 in my bikes most of the year, and they run fine on it. The last couple weeks of the riding season I switch over to ethanol free in preparation for winter storage.

e10 is fine been using it for years , however , i wont let it sit in the tank for long periods 

my schedule is to use it on the longer trips , and fillup with standard unleaded if i know i wont be using the bike much in the coming weeks

I fill with E10 on the first fill of a long run, it gets any water out of the system. Other than that I use 98 octane all the time.

Point-Seven-five wrote:I think that E85 is actually 85% ethanol and requires special tuning to run properly. It's only been the last couple years here in the U.S. where automobiles have been set up to run on it.  They are labeled "Flex Fuel" and can run on any amount of blended ethanol.

I run E10 in my bikes most of the year, and they run fine on it.  The last couple weeks of the riding season I switch over to ethanol free in preparation for winter storage.  

I handn't figured that but yes, 85% ethanol.

Explains my Ks absolutely not liking the stuff. They did run on it but not too good.

I don't see any ethanol free petrol being available here though.

There's a product sold in the States called Star-Tron. It's s'posed to be an ethanol eating enzyme. It costs about five greenbacks a bottle and comes in a blue plastic 12oz container. I dribble two ounces per full tank in and go ride. They claim it settles into the water and goo which has accumulated at the bottom of the petrol tank and literally dissolves the crap you don't want, leaving the crap you do. I've used it for about seven or eight years now. It's also a moderate fuel stabiliser. If I don't ride a bike for a year, tank full, it fires right up and runs a charm, so it either works, or I'm increasing my cost per tankful. I was looking for the certified snake oil sticker on the back but they musta hid it. My eyes aren't as good as they once were.