E-85 for gas?

[N8Strine]

Can you run E-85 in the KDX instead of 93 octane I think E-85 is suppose to be like 105 octane but im not sure.

[Indawoods]

I would say no... you would have to jet for it.... and even at that... it would eat the rubber seals in your petcock and your fuel line eventually. E85 does not have as much energy as gasoline so it would run like crap.

I spend my time looking for gas with no ethanol in it.

[Jeb]

105 octane? Unless the gas - the other 85% - is high octane stuff I don't see how: ethanol is about 100 octane. You would get a little higher octane - assuming 93 for the 85% and 100 for the 15% you'd have like 94 octane. But like Inda mentioned, ethanol has less energy per volume so performance might suffer. I guestimated on an earlier thread you might have to go up a size on your jets due to the leaning effect . . .

BUT if you haven't jetted your bike that actually might not be a bad thing . . .

so . . .

if there's some advantage to this stuff for you - convenience, cost - why not buy $1's worth and try it? Ethanol does attack some of the polymers/rubber compounds that they used to make, but with modern-day materials and at a 15% level of ethanol I'd guess your bike would be OK as far as that goes.

So try it once and tell us what you think!

[radonc73]

I thought that E-85 was 85% ethanol 15% gasoline.

[skythrasher]

On the way to a ride with my brother the fuel stop we hit was 10% ethanol. My fuel mileage went down quite a bit. I would guess probably 10-12 miles less per tank than normal for that ridng area. That area I usually can go 55 easy. So I guess taht would be 20% reduction or so. I can only think that E85 would cut that even more.

[Jeb]

I thought that E-85 was 85% ethanol 15% gasoline.

No . . . the law currently places a cap of 15% ethanol as I understand it. An 85% ethanol mixture would be radical enough that it would make just about anything run more poorly.

. . . My fuel mileage went down quite a bit . . . I can only think that E85 would cut that even more.

That makes sense, a lower energy value would mean it would take more gas.

[Indawoods]

A gallon of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of
gasoline. (Gasoline contains about 115,000 BTUs per
gallon; ethanol contains about 76,000 BTUs per gallon,
or about 2/3 of the energy content of gasoline.) E85 is
an alternative fuel composed of 85 percent renewable
ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

[Jeb]

Well . . . I'm wrong then, my apologies! I've confused this with another group of fuels. I thought that a cap was placed at 15% ethanol.

Wouldn't a fuel with 85% ethanol require an engine tuned or setup for dual fuels? Maybe I'm wrong (again) but I would think an automobile that isn't specifically setup to run this would run very poorly on this stuff.

I did a search on ethanol octane, looked at different sources, and found that alleged octane levels for ethanol range from 100 (which is what I though it was) up to 116!

Sounds like not all "ethanols" are equal!!

I WOULD NOT use a fuel with 85% in my bike. Surely that's not the only fuel available in any given local within the US. Right??

Sorry if I caused any confusion - thanks for setting the record straight Mr. Inda

[fuzzy]

ethanol has less energy per volume so performance might suffer

Performance will in fact suffer running the engine setup for gas as it will be severely lean. E85 needs to flow about 30% more to keep the same mixture. Then performance would be fine....with roughly a 30% richer jet set. With the head cut for it it would make more power (just like having it setup for 100oct gas). Mileage will decrease accordingly. As inda mentioned the alky will wreak havok on the standard needle/seat. They sell them made out of nitrile, or straight up steel for use with alky. A non-rubber fuel line would also be recommended. Plenty of folks run alky in 2-strokes, but generally methanol. Methanol needs 100% more flow...Doubling the richness of your jetting, and halving the milage, but producing 10+% more power. It also tunes very easy, and runs extremely cool. When distance from camp is of no concern it's a fine fuel for a WOT application like the desert. Ethanol is no greater power producing product over 100oct gas. Also alky, whether eth/meth is corrosive to aluminum...Especially when it gets close to pure. Any engine running e85 or methanol should be purged with a gasoline premix after the day is over.

Prolly not worth it in the least.

Jeb, most gas, here in IL, and I know it's spreading like wildfire east of the miss, has 10% ethanol cut these days to 'reduce emmisions.' At this low of a misture nothing needs done to the engine...However the engine will require a bit more fuel to maintain the same mixture(lower MPG).

e85 is a completely different fuel initiative for the US in vechicles designed for 'dual fuel' applications. You'll see the little wavy icon on Fords, and "FlexiFuel" on GM's and Mopars. This means they have alky-proof fuel systems, and the computer/injection understand how to richen the jetting 30%. Basically, they will run 100% pure ethanol. I'm sure the 15% gasoline was just to keep big oil happy.