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  1. Judd Dredd

    Judd Dredd Giver of Drugs, Vaccines and Hard Truths

    Jan 13, 2019
    1,376
    743
    here and there
    #1 Judd Dredd, Oct 31, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2021
    .
     
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  2. learningtofly

    learningtofly He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy!
    Subscriber

    Sep 25, 2018
    1,984
    1,000
    Hertfordshire
    This may be a stupid question, but why on earth do we still have metallic fuel tanks?
     
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  3. learningtofly

    learningtofly He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy!
    Subscriber

    Sep 25, 2018
    1,984
    1,000
    Hertfordshire
    #3 learningtofly, Oct 31, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2020
    Yes, aluminium would seem to be the obvious answer, but in more general terms it just seems to me that the situation with regard to tanks is much like that of chains (IMO, anyway). I'd have thought that - after decades and decades of advances - there would be alternatives to the old technologies and materials. I find it all a bit puzzling.
     
  4. JtC

    JtC Elite Member

    Apr 20, 2020
    2,720
    750
    New Mexico
    I watched this too (I like all his videos) and was immediately thankful I've never had to use any stabilizer. It looks like a lose-lose situation and a lot of the problem is in using effing corn to make fuel.
     
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  5. Lou160487

    Lou160487 Senior Member

    Jun 16, 2020
    305
    163
    Florida U.S.A
    I watched it too. For me his final comments were great. If you think you need a stabilizer just put non ethanol gas in it. Ryan is an intelligent young man. I like the fact he doesn't seem to pander to manufacturers.
     
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  6. Rocker

    Rocker Elite Member

    May 1, 2016
    1,662
    800
    Suffolk
    I've never used any fuel stabiliser in the past but having several bikes to store some for more than this winter guess what? I gone and done it used stabil, then watched this video :(
    Just got lucky picking the only one with half a recommendation :)
    And yeah final comments were interesting but where can you buy ethanol free petrol even super unleaded is marked as E5 at the pumps and I was lead to believe it was ethanol free :mad:
     
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  7. Sandi T

    Sandi T It's ride o'clock somewhere!
    Subscriber

    Dec 3, 2018
    21,606
    1,000
    Tucson Arizona
    This guy really produces excellent videos with helpful information. Thanks for posting this one, Judd. :)
     
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  8. Iamtheonlyone

    Iamtheonlyone Senior Member

    Jul 23, 2019
    190
    143
    The North
    Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland).20 Apr 2020
     
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  9. Repooh

    Repooh Rarely Satisfied

    Jan 5, 2018
    1,427
    1,000
    Stabby Town
    Weird some areas have Ethanol, where most don't. Given the areas in question, I can only imagine one effect of Ethanol is you no longer want to sleep with your sister, which would be catastrophic for the population in said areas.
     
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  10. Rocker

    Rocker Elite Member

    May 1, 2016
    1,662
    800
    Suffolk
    That's what I thought but the pump is marked E5
     
  11. Flashp

    Flashp Noble Member

    Dec 6, 2017
    595
    343
    Hants
    I remember working on my Sprint and finding about 300ml of that gloop in the bottom of the tank. I had been using Stabil when I lay a bike up but clearly a full tank of Ethanol free is the way to go.

    As an aside, the quality of the production in their videos is outstanding. Well informed as well. I thought I heard he had a science degree or something, may be wrong on that...
     
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  12. Flashp

    Flashp Noble Member

    Dec 6, 2017
    595
    343
    Hants
    It'd be really handy if they marked them 'E0' using that convention.
     
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  13. bob1

    bob1 Noble Member

    Mar 12, 2018
    410
    313
    Somerset
    does America have worse petrol than us to start with
     
  14. Don the Don

    Don the Don Bigger Than The Average Bear

    Nov 5, 2019
    2,947
    800
    MORAY UK
    I believe they already have E10, saying that it's much cheaper than what we are forced to pay over here, taxed to hell
     
  15. beerkat

    beerkat Senior Member

    Aug 14, 2019
    818
    243
    Cheshire UK
    We've been through this ethanol question before, elsewhere on this forum. If you try the 'search' facility you'll find a ton of info.
    Finding ethanol-free petrol is tricky but it is still available from some locations. However it's no good asking the people at the petrol station as they never have a clue. The government is likely to stop the sale of ethanol-free petrol in the near future.
    If you are going to leave your bike unused for several weeks or even months then obviously filling up with ethanol-free is an option. Personally I wouldn't do that, I prefer to use them. My 3 bikes are MOT'd & taxed all year round and I get them on the road as often as possible, even through winter. We have some glorious winter days. Yes, councils sometimes chuck salt on the roads (but not as often as they used to) but it isn't a big deal to wash it off, so I think that's a poor excuse. Not one of my bikes has ever suffered from occasional winter use.
    However if you do decide to stick your bike into hibernation then I reckon the best thing is to drain the tank, just to be on the safe side.
    Incidently, two of my bikes are 30 & 26 years old. They have carbs not fuel injectors and are even more prone to damage from ethanol (which eats rubber seals if left in contact with them). I have lined their fuel tanks because rust particle were collecting in fuel filters. But that won't protect the carbs, they need to be used.
    Ethanol is only a problem if it's allowed to sit in the tank for weeks. Get your bike out once a fortnight, for 30+ miles and it will be fine.

    learningtofly mentioned bike chains and wondered why they still require maintenance. You'll be glad to hear that a non-maintenance chain has been engineered by, I think, BMW (recently reported in the bike comics). It shouldn't be long before all chain manufacturers suss it out and they are available for most bikes, so a bit of good news.
     
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  16. Gyp

    Gyp Well-Known Member

    May 13, 2020
    384
    63
    United Kingdom
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  17. English Bowman

    English Bowman Well-Known Member

    Dec 31, 2018
    128
    83
    Portsmouth UK
    I don't agree with you there, the Sprint 1050ST and the Tiger both had plastic tanks, they looked fine. then there was a problem with the plastic reacting with the ethanol in the fuel and swelling, so the later Sprints went back to metal tanks, they're better. Also you can use a magnetic tank bag on them. Having had a plastic tank on my ST I'm so pleased that the GT has a metal tank, the two look the same, but the metal is better.
     
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  18. DCS222

    DCS222 Guest

    You can make your own ethanol free fuel by putting some fuel in a pressure cooker and boiling it for an hour... it’s best if you use an open fire though, ‘coz it can smell a bit in the house!!!

    Actually, E-free is tricky to find round our way... it’s all the classic bike owners I feel sorry for, a proper pita!

    ps - don’t do the first thing in my post, it’ll kill you and burn your family... just saying!
     
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  19. bob1

    bob1 Noble Member

    Mar 12, 2018
    410
    313
    Somerset
    I got a 09 tuono with a plastic tank and there prone to swell out of shape with shit ethanol in the fuel someone said plastic tanks are cheap not in aprilia land there not. they start at £2300 depending on colour.
     
    • WTF WTF x 3
  20. DuoMaxwell

    DuoMaxwell New Member

    Oct 31, 2020
    16
    3
    Florida
    most are aluminum nowadays, but composites are worse. If you have ethanol in your fuel they warp and leak.
     

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