Im sure the European folk here will have seen the news that in September this year, the standard petrol offered will be E10 fuel (currently E5), which as I understand will contain more ethanol than previous in the region of 5.5% - 10% content. Forecourts can still offer E5, but only where they can i.e. if they have the enough pumps. The guidance suggests that newer bikes will be unaffected, however, I am conscious of the plastic tank on the GRiSO. Moto Guzzi/Piaggio have thus far not completed the vehicle check in the link below, therefore I am wondering if this new blend of fuel is going to play havoc with the GRiSO?
That has been the situation in the Netherland for a while now. The solution: get the 'super' grade gas, particularly from brands that use 0% ethanol. The largest and most commonly available of these in the Western EU are BP Euro 98 and Shell V-power, both which currently contain 0% ethanol (these may contain up to 5%, but currently they don't). Don't know about the UK.
In the US we’ve been dealing with this problem for a few years. Try to avoid ethanol fuel as much as possible. When you can’t avoid it, don’t let your bike sit idle for more than a few days, or the plastic will begin to deform/swell. Drain the tank if the bike must sit idle for longer than a week. Some people have reported success with epoxy tank linings like the one linked below. I haven’t found it necessary yet. There are also people who have reported failures of these linings.
This is interesting, because these days my most required petrol station, Esso, is no longer offering E10. The petrol station belongs to Audi/Volkswagen/Porsche and they had so much problems with the cars refering to Ethanol. The best petrol in Germany is ARAL ultimate 102 Oktan, the company belongs to BP and also TOTAL excellium.
My tank swelled in the first year in Texas. Couldn’t find non ethanol anywhere. I am a weekend rider so the bike would sit all week. Ended up coating a new to me, used tank, with the expoxy that LBC posted. Stay away from e10 if you can.
Keeping the fuel level low, evacuating the tank completely if it's going to sit for any length of time, and allowing the tank to sit over the winter empty will greatly mitigate the issue. You'll still have some minor distortion, but shouldn't have issues removing/reinstalling the tank. A properly applied coating would seem to be the best overall option.
Maybe someone are an expert in chemics - the ARAL ultimate 102 has got (data sheet) nearly no Ethanol (0,26 %), but 12,9% Ethyl-Tertiär-Butyl-Ether. What is this?
In most parts of the UK Esso Super/ Supreme has zero ethanol.
Thank you for contacting Esso Customer Care.
In certain regions of the UK, fuel terminals that are owned and operated by third parties may choose to blend ethanol in UL97 or UL99 grades in order to meet their own biofuel obligations.
In those regions it makes sense for us to source fuel from the third party terminals, rather than transport fuel hundreds of miles from our own terminals. Our own special blend of additives is added to the fuel to ensure it performs to Esso’s high standards, but it would not be practical or economic to remove the biofuel content.
Currently, where terminals are wholly owned and operated by Esso, Supreme+ Unleaded grades remain ethanol free.
Maybe someone are an expert in chemics - the ARAL ultimate 102 has got (data sheet) nearly no Ethanol (0,26 %), but 12,9% Ethyl-Tertiär-Butyl-Ether. What is this?
MTBE is what we had before ethanol. It's a know carcinogen and doesn't bring as much oxygen to the party, so it meeting emission requirements is harder.
What I don't understand, is that we've had ethanol in the USA since the mid 1970's. Why did MG bring in bikes with fuel tanks that react to it? Not a good idea IMO.
It’s the same crackerjack team that gave us DLC tappets. I hope they have learned from these mistakes, but I wouldn’t bet on it. To be fair though I’ve heard some of the Ducati tanks are even worse.
Buellbloke Nibbio
Posts : 713 Join date : 2021-07-30 Age : 61
Subject: Re: Ethanol E10 Fuel Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:21 am
So here I am about to buy a 2010 GRiSO 1200, on top of all the other issues the plastic fuel tank is going to distort hideously as we in the Uk are now forced to fill with E10??
kiwi dave GRiSO Capo
Posts : 735 Join date : 2014-04-24 Age : 77
Subject: Re: Ethanol E10 Fuel Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:27 am
Um Nope but thanx anyway, was hoping Pete would step in and alleviate my fears
Pete Roper GRiSO Capo
Posts : 10704 Join date : 2013-05-30 Age : 67
Subject: Re: Ethanol E10 Fuel Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:38 am
Or not.
Anyone who cannot see the climate is changing is either incredibly parochial or wilfully blind.
Enough.
Buellbloke likes this post
Buellbloke Nibbio
Posts : 713 Join date : 2021-07-30 Age : 61
Subject: Re: Ethanol E10 Fuel Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:03 am
Pete Roper wrote:
Or not.
Anyone who cannot see the climate is changing is either incredibly parochial or wilfully blind.
Enough.
Climate! mate it's the end of the world, everything is going to shit Evidently in the Uk they are allowing us to use premium 98 ron at E5 so guess be sticking with that
Last edited by Buellbloke on Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:06 am; edited 1 time in total
Pete Roper GRiSO Capo
Posts : 10704 Join date : 2013-05-30 Age : 67
Subject: Re: Ethanol E10 Fuel Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:05 am
Ethanol is a lousy fuel additive. The arguments against it are strong but shouldn't be confused with environmental concerns.
Charles and Roth like this post
beetle GRiSO Capo
Posts : 10198 Join date : 2013-09-30
Subject: Re: Ethanol E10 Fuel Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:26 am
Even using Premium RON 95+ from a pump in the same vicinity of an E5/E10 pump will cause your fuel pump and lines to rot, your testicles to shrivel, and your tank to swell.
We've had GMO corn for many years. I made quite a bit of money over the past 20 years collecting a premium for non-gmo. GMO has become mostly marketing hype. It bugs me when I see products touting "No GMO" on the label, when the the contents were never developed for gmo in the first place. And worse is the folks who get on a soap box about how GMO wheat in bread is causing cancer. GMO wheat has never been released for production.
Rant over.....
On edit: Just to illustrate how distorted people with an agenda make things, that's a hay baler pulling those wagons.
Subject: Ethanol E10 Fuel 
Wed Apr 07, 2021 2:58 pm
