Can ethanol free gas increase gas milage this much?

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Stopped by my local Guzzi dealer for service and met a customer of theirs with a 2007 1100 Breva. I talking to him, he mentioned that he always gets over 50 mpg but that he uses ethanol free gas and also Sunoco 94 octane. I have a '08 1200 Sport and I generally get 42-43 mpg and never come close to 50 mpg. Other than the gas, he hasn't changed anything. The engines are very similar as well as the bikes. Does ethanol free gas make that much of a difference in increased mpg?

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Very possibly.  It is not only the ethanol but other things they put in the gas to reduce your milage too.

[kingoffleece]

I don't see any difference at all when I use E10 and E0.  Maybe 1mpg at best and I keep close tabs on it.  I wish it was more!
I do travel a few miles to get E0 as ethanol is not my preferred choice for motorcycles for all the usual stated reasons.

[willowstreetguzziguy]

On Saturday, I plan to fill er up with ethanol free gas. I will keep track of the milage (and performance) and report back with my findings.

[Dofin]

Fact, I get 4-5 miles (51mpg) per gallon more on nonethanol 93 oct gas as compared to ethanol 93 octane (46-47mpg).  My '15 V7 is so much happier with the  nonethanol.  I found a station the has pure 93 oct for $2.85  to $2.93 for the last 3 months in Atmore, Al.

I get the same approximate percentage increase in my '96 PC800 and other 2 strokes.

[kingoffleece]

Good deal.  I keep hoping I'll see what others report from E0 vs. E10.
So far,no go.

[oldbike54]

 About a 3 MPG increase is normal for me , although I rarely run any ethanol blend , so I don't have a lot of data .

 Dusty

[Lannis]

Good deal.  I keep hoping I'll see what others report from E0 vs. E10.
So far,no go.

Both my Stelvio and my Triumph turn in about 10% better mileage on ethanol-free than on E10.

At home, I always fill my bikes from a drum of ethanol-free, and I fill it consistently to the same level.    I'll run the tank down as far as I dare, then fill up with E10 (the only thing available) on the road, and check my mileage on that and on the next tank, which is just about all E10.

In every case, both bikes, I get 4 to 5 more miles per gallon on pure gas.   As far as I can tell, having ethanol in your tank is just like having water in your tank.

But we're being so GREEN!

Lannis

[atavar]

on my '08 Norge I get 70-80 miles more range on e0 91 octane compared to E10 92 Octane.  Just sayin..

[Arizona Wayne]

I'm sure non ethanol gas gives you better mpg, but at the same time it would be nice to know how fast/slow riders ride who claim X mpg and if it's uphill or downhill riding. 

On my 750 Breva I get 50 mpg before ethanol was that prevalent.  At the same time I got 55-60 mpg consistently on my CX100 riding faster on 91 octane. 

[cookiemech]

How nice for those of you who can BUY ethanol-free gas! The best I can do within 15 miles of home (SW PA) is 90 octane Marathon gas, which costs about $1 more per gallon than E10. Hardly worth it, even if it did provide better gas mileage. I ran a full tank of it through my 07 Road King and could not detect any difference in performance or gas mileage vs. 93 octane E10 from a Top Tier station. Unscientifically, it seemed to have about the same resistance to knock (could make bike ping when hot by hard acceleration from mid-rpm range).

Wonder how they produce 93 octane ethanol-free gas? How do they boost octane (legally, of course) without the ethanol? MTBE and MMT are both banned . . .

[Kev m]

Over the years I often noted increases in mileage when running on E0, but most times I was out of state on a trip and there were other ambient conditions that I'm sure contributed as well.

The whole combination of fuel, less stop-n-go, sometimes temps and altitudes made for some wild swings in mpg where say my B11 or Jackal that both normally got in the low 40's would spike sometimes as high as low 50's.

But typically I could see at least a couple mpg.

Similar to what I see here seasonally with summer formula fuels as compared with oxygenated winter formulas.

[elvisboy77]

From www.fueleconomy.gov

"Ethanol contains about one-third less energy than gasoline. So, vehicles will typically go 3% to 4% fewer miles per gallon on E10 and 4% to 5% fewer on E15 than on 100% gasoline."

If you REALLY want to get depressed, look at the maintenance intervals on vehicles that run E85.

Wish our government would stop this practice.

[antmanbee]

What kind of a crazy world do we live in?

It used to be if you took a ride to Mexico you would always make sure you filled up state side to avoid the Mexican gas.  Now you go across the border to get the good stuff. Same with soda pop too, real sugar - Mexico, high fructose corn syrup - America.           

Now lets build a wall so we can keep all this "good" stuff to ourselves.

[Gliderjohn]

I track mileage pretty close on my 2wheel and 4 wheel vehicles and I have never been able to detect any consistent difference. My only concern with ethanol is leaving it in small motor stuff over winter. When I have left it in the mower, etc. come spring they started fine most of the time but not always. The two stokes seemed most sensitive to old gas.
GliderJohn

[Rough Edge racing]

 Around Rochester NY non ethanol 91 octane is readily available for 30-80 cents more a gallon than 87 E10...I use the 91 E-0 exclusively in my bikes unless I'm on a road trip...I don't ride for fuel mileage so I have no comparisons between different fuels....My three vehicles are two older Jeeps and a Chevy PU that may see a difference of  one MPG between the different fuel blends..

[rocker59]

Nominal difference, for me, between E0 and E10.

I run 91 or 93 premium in all my bikes.  I usually do a quick fuel mileage calculation at each fillup.

I can't tell a big enough difference to make me go out of the way to find E0, though I do buy it when it's a convenient option.

[PeteS]

I don't see much difference between 87 E10 and 91 EO riding around home. I see a greater difference when I travel indicating to me its more about the total blend. Mileage is about 10% better in Canada than in New York State. Its much better in the rocky mountains. My Goldwing gets 43-44 in New York and on two different trips out west gotten 52-55 mpg. Mileage drops back down going back east.

Pete

[Kev m]

I don't see much difference between 87 E10 and 91 EO riding around home. I see a greater difference when I travel indicating to me its more about the total blend. Mileage is about 10% better in Canada than in New York State. Its much better in the rocky mountains. My Goldwing gets 43-44 in New York and on two different trips out west gotten 52-55 mpg. Mileage drops back down going back east.

Pete

Altitude can make a huge difference.

[rocker59]

Altitude can make a huge difference.

Yes.  My Guzzis return much better fuel economy at elevations above Denver.

My 38 mpg (at 0 to 3000 feet) V11 LeMans returned 50+ mpg when in Colorado (at 5000 to 14000 feet).

My 42 mpg Sport 1100 has returned 50 mpg on the same roads out there.

[Dofin]

Quality, Octane rating, seasonal mixes as well as areas fuels are formulated for makes a huge difference in what we get for mileage.  Not to mention riding style and tuning of your particular engine.  You have to compare apples to apples.  This is why I mentioned the location, price, time frame and octane of the fuel I used for the performance I received from my bikes.  I have always gotten better mileage on my old Ford van the further away from Florida I traveled, 18 mpg in Florida with increases to 22mpg in California and Wisconsin.  Strange??

copied from previous forum input:

Fact, I get 4-5 miles (51mpg) per gallon more on nonethanol 93 oct gas as compared to ethanol 93 octane (46-47mpg).  My '15 V7 is so much happier with the  nonethanol.  I found a station the has pure 93 oct for $2.85  to $2.93 for the last 3 months in Atmore, Al.

I get the same approximate percentage increase in my '96 PC800 and other 2 strokes.

[Wayne Orwig]

I think the position of the right wrist has the most influence.

[Dofin]

Me too, I get better mileage when I hang out by the Dragon, up in the mountains.  I figure it's cause I am usually under 55 and in a gear that keeps my bike around the best torque and I guess maybe best fuel burn???

Does anyone else notice that?

[Dofin]

 :Beating_A_Dead_Hors e_by_liviu          I'm so confused!!!!  I'm gonna go ride in the rain just so I have to spend 2 hours cleaning my V7!

[Gliderjohn]

From Dofin;

I'm gonna go ride in the rain just so I have to spend 2 hours cleaning my V7!

Isn't riding in the rain how one cleans their bike? 
GliderJohn

[Lannis]

How nice for those of you who can BUY ethanol-free gas! The best I can do within 15 miles of home (SW PA) is 90 octane Marathon gas, which costs about $1 more per gallon than E10. Hardly worth it, even if it did provide better gas mileage.

That's exactly how I buy my ethanol free gas.   10 miles from home, there's a Marathon station selling ethanol free 90 octane, so you CAN buy ethanol-free gas.

1) You get 10% better gas mileage with it, although that doesn't make up entirely for the $.80 gallon price difference.

2) I no longer clog up pilot jets and have to take carburetors apart if it's been 4 weeks since I rode, and with 4 bikes on the road, that's a possibility.

3) I no longer have to replace all the plastic fuel lines, carb floats, and internal lines on every single piece of my two-stroke equipment.

4) I no longer get rust in my steel fuel tanks, nor do I have to try to avoid rust by trying to "line" the inside of my tank with some sort of goop that never works and degrades under ethanol anyway.

So, from an overall "trouble" and "benefit" standpoint, the gas mileage improvement is just a bonus, not to mention an indictment of the whole ethanol-production-payola scam being run on us.

Lannis

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

No noticeable difference on any of my bikes - all with carburetors though.

Never had clogged pilot jets on any of them. My brother's Aprilia Pegaso 650 Cube did however, but it had the tiniest idle jets I've ever seen.

I use ethanol compatible fuel hose and float needles, but no issues with floats or anything else. Never any issues with the L&G equipment, 2 stroke or 4. All of the 2 strokes are run on gas with Lawn-Boy oil which has stabilizer in it though.

No rust in any tanks. The one tank that I did seal (on my Gravely tractor, due to pinholes) five years ago with Caswell Epoxy Gas Tank Sealer is still the same as the same day I put it into service. No degradation of the liner whatsoever.

I must be doing something wrong... <shrug>   

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Ive never gotten over 40mph on the B11 ever... 

[bad Chad]

I live in Chicagoland, where their never seems to be any E0.  I always try to fill up with it whenever I get away from the area.  I have found no measurable difference using E0 vs E10, as much as I hoped otherwise.

If I'm understanding the science of it, I don't see how anyone could get 10% better milage, it just doesn't make sense.  Perhaps, 2-3%, but 10%, no way.  Also, as I have noted before, all my bikes have run on 99% on e-10, and I have never had any kind of fuel related issue.   That's just me, I'm not saying others haven't.  Regardless, I will continue to buy E-0 whenever I can!

[Rough Edge racing]

If I'm understanding the science of it, I don't see how anyone could get 10% better milage, it just doesn't make sense.  Perhaps, 2-3%, but 10%, no way.  Also, as I have noted before, all my bikes have run on 99% on e-10, and I have never had any kind of fuel related issue.   That's just me, I'm not saying others haven't.  Regardless, I will continue to buy E-0 whenever I can!

 Ah, two biggest vehicle story exaggerations, how fast does it go and the fuel mileage...