[PAF1047]

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has anyone ever tried to run e85 in there bike?

it would have a higher octane rataing than what premium would

 

[RA72]

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Higher octane rating, okay. What is the BTU per Pound of fuel??
What effect will the alcohol have on your equipment?

 

[mikef]

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The higher octane isn't going to get you anything. Most wings are meant to run on 87 octane.

Like kb0ou says, I would be worried about what it may do to the rubber and seals in your fuel system.

 

[JBz]

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it made my bike run like crap if that helps. JB

 

[Doc Egor]

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What are you trying to accomplish?
If you can modify the fuel system successfully to use E85....the fuel mileage will drop drastically.

Remember....the octane rating has nothing to do with the energy content of the fuel. It is simply a "anti detonation" rating.

 

[PAF1047]

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my 83 runs like crap on the low octain regular gas so all i can run is premium so you know e85 has the higher octain rating & around here it's about 90 cents cheaper a gallon it was a idea didn't know if it was a good one so run the idea past some people that would know still can't ride scince my surgary looking for things to try seeing i have all the time in the world to exparament

 

[AZgl1800]

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I would really be concerned as to what the alcohol would do to the internal carb soft parts.

For me, not worth the risk. That savings in fuel cost per gallon, will cost you over $400 to fix when the rubber and plastic parts melt.

 

[markgaeth]

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PAF1047 wrote:

my 83 runs like crap on the low octain regular gas so all i can run is premium so you know e85 has the higher octain rating & around here it's about 90 cents cheaper a gallon it was a idea didn't know if it was a good one so run the idea past some people that would know still can't ride scince my surgary looking for things to try seeing i have all the time in the world to exparament

Without knowing the mechcanical condition of your ride, I will go out on a limb here. Your heads, piston topsand valve area are most likely to have a high carbon build up in the combustion area. This does 2 things. 1. This condition can create a higher compression ratio requiring the the higher octane use to prevent knocking. 2. This carbon build up can also cause a preignition condition because the carbon starts to glow or ignite the compressing fuel before the correct timing can fire the spark plug at the correct time in the compression stroke. The higher octane rated fuel has a higher flash point than the lower grade 87 octane. All you are doing is masking the the concern of carbon build up that is the root of your issue. Regarding E85 fuels I would not risk trying it due to the alcohol content that will mess up you rubber parts in the fuel system. The alcohol will cause the fuel needle tip to swell and not allow fuel into the float bowls. It will weaken the other rubber parts as well and cause a failure. Not worth the risk of certain failure. Best to correct the underlying issue of carbon build up. Besides I can bet the head gaskets if have not been replaced yet will fail due to age. Fix it right now and it will not let you down when you least expect it.



Good luck

 

[FenderHead]

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PAF1047 wrote:

has anyone ever tried to run e85 in there bike?

I agree with what these folks are telling you, PAF. markgeath explains it with everything I've been taught or read about it.

In addition to swelling/disintegrating rubber & plastics in the fuel systems that are not designed for "multifuel" use,that alcohol is reputed to cause rusting of any steel components in there, because of alcohol's high affinity for moisture...

You should be able to learn if there is a carbon buildup problem great enough to cause a need for octane boost by performing a compression test. Advanced timing can also create a need for higher octane...:waving:

 

[Dusty]

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Try running a can of seafoam in the bike to clean it out