Comments on: E85 Motorcycles – When? http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/05/23/e85-motorcycles-when/ Motorcycle News for Positive People Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:51:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: seth http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/05/23/e85-motorcycles-when/#comment-79135 seth Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:03:23 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=976#comment-79135 Yeah, But the point of Ethanol isn't to save money or to get better mileage, its to not use petroleum. So if I have to buy a more expensive motorcycle and pay more for homegrown (or brazilian) ethanol, and fill up more often (this is sort of moot on a 40mpg+ machine) better the money not go to 'big oil'...that is until the sheiks start irrigating the desert to make farmland :) Yeah,
But the point of Ethanol isn’t to save money or to get better mileage, its to not use petroleum. So if I have to buy a more expensive motorcycle and pay more for homegrown (or brazilian) ethanol, and fill up more often (this is sort of moot on a 40mpg+ machine) better the money not go to ‘big oil’…that is until the sheiks start irrigating the desert to make farmland :)

]]> By: matt http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/05/23/e85-motorcycles-when/#comment-75147 matt Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:05:50 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=976#comment-75147 yeah, this is pretty curious....tell me if my logic is off here but a supercross race is only say 10 miles tops right? supercross racing is extremely popular. so this would be a great place to debut an engine that burned methanol, or ethanol or some mixture that is predominantly alcohol based...there is no controversy that alcohol doesn't provide enough horsepower since F1 engine run methanol only and they go 200 mph...and the mpg issue of alcohol fueled would be glossed over since the actual distance in miles of a supercross race is very short yeah, this is pretty curious….tell me if my logic is off here but a supercross race is only say 10 miles tops right? supercross racing is extremely popular. so this would be a great place to debut an engine that burned methanol, or ethanol or some mixture that is predominantly alcohol based…there is no controversy that alcohol doesn’t provide enough horsepower since F1 engine run methanol only and they go 200 mph…and the mpg issue of alcohol fueled would be glossed over since the actual distance in miles of a supercross race is very short

]]> By: Jay http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/05/23/e85-motorcycles-when/#comment-11698 Jay Fri, 26 May 2006 02:08:39 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=976#comment-11698 Alcohol / methanol fueled engines CAN be made to put out great horsepower, witness the alcohol fueled dragsters. But the catch is, and any Speedway racer can testify, that it takes a LOT of alcohol. Normally the main jet is double the size of a petrol jet. Even with E85, the cars & trucks using it get almost half the miles per gallon. True. Do a search in for E85 articles appearing on line recently. Most have a link to a U.S. Government link citing which E85 vehicles are available in the U.S., and their milage both on straight gas and E85. Would you be happy stopping twice as often to gas up while riding across country? My old 71 BMW with 6 gallon tank would be going on reserve about 125 miles. No thanks. Alcohol / methanol fueled engines CAN be made to put out great horsepower, witness the alcohol fueled dragsters. But the catch is, and any Speedway racer can testify, that it takes a LOT of alcohol. Normally the main jet is double the size of a petrol jet.

Even with E85, the cars & trucks using it get almost half the miles per gallon. True. Do a search in for E85 articles appearing on line recently. Most have a link to a U.S. Government link citing which E85 vehicles are available in the U.S., and their milage both on straight gas and E85.

Would you be happy stopping twice as often to gas up while riding across country? My old 71 BMW with 6 gallon tank would be going on reserve about 125 miles. No thanks.

]]> By: Prester John http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/05/23/e85-motorcycles-when/#comment-11529 Prester John Wed, 24 May 2006 12:41:50 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=976#comment-11529 It's not about energy. Ethanol can be made from corn. They grow lots of corn in Iowa. Iowa has the first presidential caucus. Look for ethanol fuel at a service station near you. Tom It’s not about energy.

Ethanol can be made from corn. They grow lots of corn in Iowa. Iowa has the first presidential caucus.

Look for ethanol fuel at a service station near you.

Tom

]]> By: Viveik http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/05/23/e85-motorcycles-when/#comment-11519 Viveik Wed, 24 May 2006 03:54:10 +0000 http://thekneeslider.com/?p=976#comment-11519 Is there a substantial cost saving involved in doing this ? Several years ago, Honda had introduced a 125cc Eathenol vehicle in Brasil, it was not a sucess because. a. There were some issue in starting in colder weather. b. The cost savings were not worth the bother. Now they are about 20%, but insignificant for a small displacement bike. c. The bike cost was a lot higher that the regular version. d. People (male riders) just didnt want to make the transition. Maybe it wasnt butch enough.. Then the price of petrol reduced below Flex pricing and that lead to all flex products having both a petrol and a flex tank. Also the design aspect of how to safely put a flex cyclinder remains. Is there a substantial cost saving involved in doing this ? Several years ago, Honda had introduced a 125cc Eathenol vehicle in Brasil, it was not a sucess because.

a. There were some issue in starting in colder weather.
b. The cost savings were not worth the bother. Now they are about 20%, but insignificant for a small displacement bike.
c. The bike cost was a lot higher that the regular version.
d. People (male riders) just didnt want to make the transition. Maybe it wasnt butch enough..

Then the price of petrol reduced below Flex pricing and that lead to all flex products having both a petrol and a flex tank. Also the design aspect of how to safely put a flex cyclinder remains.

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