Just noticed an article in todays Metro paper confirming what i've read elsewhere that ordinary unleaded which now contains 5% biofuel will be increased to 10% next year as per yet another ill thought out EU directive.

It says that a million motorists that own pre 1993 cars will not be able to use it and be forced to use super unleaded at approx 8p per litre more (i already do anyway) ,it also fails to mention that a lot of these are classic owners or owning older cars out of choice ,just referring to them as 'less well off motorists'

There is a lot of info about ethanol on the FBHVC website ,and it has been causing trouble in the motorcycle world particularly classic bikes and scooters where it can cause metal tanks to rust inside ,fibre glass to disolve (some tanks are fibre glass) and damage aluminium carburettors and fuel line , causing damaged engines as a result . I have read a couple of reports of peoples scooters seizing up (older type 2 strokes) just up the road from a fill up with no apparent explanation,(very dangerous) and have had some strange goings on with mine here and there recently,after a fill up in France after a long trip this summer my Lambretta started getting very hot and the head started leaking on the A3 , i found a load of crap in the carb. Though i could not prove the cause i had been using a lot of cheap unleaded in Ireland on the same trip through no choice and do read and hear similar reports across forums and at rallies.


I wonder if people with 2cv's know or care much about it and what they think ,plus is anybody particularly worried about it or have noticed any ill effects so far on the 5% ethanol ordinary unleaded

I use super in mine because i run some classic scooters so have read quite a bit about it and my van has a metal tank so i got a bit concerned about it rusting up inside when standing around half empty as the ethanol apparently causes condensation quite badly. Even if you don't i would say be aware when they up it to 10% because i bet it doesn't get widely reported or any warnings given out other than 'consult manufacturer' at the pump.

All this aside ,it can't be that ethical giving over thousands of acres of fields to grow fuel instead of food to feed the world, man ..

yup on 2cvgb too

and my thoughts...

and


from Robert Saunders a Yank living in France making bits of aeroplane.

Yeh i just noticed that as i was putting mine there

I like your thoughts as they aren't as depressing as mine ,certainly on the 2cv side
I am still very dubious of it in 2 strokes not that that affects many here .Apparently it can wash the lubricating oil away before it's done its job too, which could explain a few peoples engine seizures anyway.

I ran my mobylette of 85% bio-ethanol and castrol R for a couple of months, it didn't mind in the least. Other than fuel lines etc. I can't really see 10% making much difference...

think it may be due to the fact that it burns leaner and hotter so the engine being hotter the oil wont be as effective?

are there better synthetic oils for 2 stroke now? its been a while since i had one.

Yeh there are plenty of top notch synth oils about ,and the leaner,hotter burning of the E fuels is why i use super unl in my scooters instead.

Plus it's probably true that a lot of the problems are on tuned engines as opposed to bog standard, that can do 70 ,80 mph and are ridden across the country and beyond under load ,but the stories i mentioned of the sudden seizures were on relatively standard bikes after fill up, one a new LML built vespa 150 cc model .Could be something to do with the owner i suppose but he seemed adamant that the only change was the fill up.

The thing is these things don't get that widely heard as there are only a relatively small amount of people doing that sort of thing with 2 strokes.

I did do a bit of internet research and found stuff about owners in the USA of small 2 strokes such as outboards and strimmers having a lot of grief.

As you say though , there is probably a lot we can do with set up, adjusting timing and compression, using viton seals instead of nitrile etc. According to the stuff on fbhvc nitrile isn't compatible with it

So is this fuel going to be any cheaper or is it a con?
I love the way we don't have a choose

No it won't be cheaper it will just replace what is already there and for those that don't want to or can't use it the only choice will be to use the more expensive super unleadeds (which as i said i do anyway for reasons above)

"take it or leave it " that's your choose

Dictation asusyal from government