Here Comes E15. Maybe. Probably.

[Drjones]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/epa-holds-off-on-greater-use-of-ethanol-in-gas-2009-12-01

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that it'll make a formal decision next year on whether to allow a15% blend of ethanol in domestic gasoline, after initial tests showed that cars can run on the fuel.

We know how E10 hasn't adversely affected any motorcycle fuel tanks or affected low rpm performance causing stalls at stoplights, so why not up the blend percentage! 

[He Man]

In tallahassee fl they had a gas station that had E15. I ran it in a M900 fine. But i had an aluminum tank.

[cduarte]

that is really stupid... 

[Drjones]

In tallahassee fl they had a gas station that had E15. I ran it in a M900 fine. But i had an aluminum tank.

The stalling is with the latest crop of Euro 3 emissions standard bikes.

[Popeye the Sailor]

This just in: No one cares about motorcycles. More at 11.

[He Man]

The stalling is with the latest crop of Euro 3 emissions standard bikes.

havent tried E15 with my S2R1k. so i cant tell. But E15 will raise gas prices up. ethanol is not cheap.

[MotoCreations]

In tallahassee fl they had a gas station that had E15. I ran it in a M900 fine. But i had an aluminum tank.

It will eventually eat your aluminum fuel tank away -- I'm personally seeing it happen in the vintage racecar market with cars with aluminum fuel tanks.  All now are needing coated (POR-15 or similiar) or replaced.  All aluminum motorcycle gastanks will have the same problem as well until internally coated.

As for the new fuels?  Anyone else noticed that as these "new and improved" fuels appear, the gas mileage actually goes down due to the molecular composition and additives formulated.  I've been talking with a lot of the old time racecar engine builders and they are amazed at how horrible the stuff we now call "gasoline" is.  At this rate, maybe @15 more years and none of our old cars / motorcycles will even run on it anymore...

[LowThudd]

Ethanol is a poor fuel for another reason not mentioned above. All ethanol is currently made from corn. This has raised the cost of corn to such a point that people in Mexico were near rioting because they couldn't afford it. Mexico has been dependent on US corn for a very lond time. Bad idea to make the problem worse, especially since it is harmfull to the vehicles the fuel is intended for.

[accrocker]

The only reason this is happening is the shocking overabundance of commodity corn being grown due to farm subsidies keeping the prices artificially low. It is a vicious cycle where the farmers must grow more corn to break even due to the deflating price, which is then deflated further due to the farmers growing more of the same crop. In nature if there is an available biomass, it must be consumed. E15 is just one more way to consume the surplus of commodity corn. Also see grain fed beef, and soon to come, grain fed fish!!!

[derby]

The only reason this is happening...

so it has nothing to do with corn being cheaper than oil?

[junior varsity]

thank your politicians and lobbyists. science is put on the back burner for $$$.

[He Man]

so it has nothing to do with corn being cheaper than oil?

Isnt a gallon of E100 is MORE expensive than a gallon of gasoline. But Crude oil makes more then just gasoline so its worth a lot more too.

I say this because straight gasoline is cheaper than e10 gasoline but im not sure if its due to taxes and eco laws.

[junior varsity]

i'd be fine if we just switched all consumer road-going 4-wheel vehicles to diesel. motorcycles are getting marginilized in the fuel equation when there are millions of toyotas and chevrolets per motorcycle; and the moto community is not equally effected - harley riders have steel tanks and such, which will likely be less effected, without that large segment of potential complainers, we are quite a small voice.

[Randimus Maximus]

This article states that the decision has been delayed until mid-June of next year.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/01/feds-punt-on-e15-waiver-decision/

I'll refrain from any comments on the issue.

[LowThudd]

The only reason this is happening is the shocking overabundance of commodity corn being grown due to farm subsidies keeping the prices artificially low. It is a vicious cycle where the farmers must grow more corn to break even due to the deflating price, which is then deflated further due to the farmers growing more of the same crop. In nature if there is an available biomass, it must be consumed. E15 is just one more way to consume the surplus of commodity corn. Also see grain fed beef, and soon to come, grain fed fish!!!

I disagree. Farmers have been subsidized for many years TO NOT grow crops, especially corn. When Bush mandated that all Ethanol fuel be made from corn, the price of corn quadrupled, thus causing problems in Mexico. Possibly your sugestion was the idea behind it, but ethanol doesn't even break even of the manfactoring cost at the previously low price. Which is why ethanol fuel produducers have been government subsidized to get the e85 price lower than RUG. Bad plan IMHO. Especially when there are crops such as switch grass, and even sugar cane leftovers which produce more ethanol per acre than corn. Also, corn is not environmentally friendly. It takes more pesticides, fertilizer and water to produce than MOST other crops as well as the fact that it takes more diesel per acre than the ethanol the corn produces. E10/E15/E85 is all bogus until they are no longer using a wastefull food crop to make it.