From AMA Press Release. In response to concerns expressed by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and Power Equipment Makers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new guidelines to help ensure that motorcyclists and others don’t inadvertently use E15 fuel.
E15 is a new fuel blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline that the EPA has approved for use in 2001-and-newer passenger vehicles. The blend isn’t approved for use in motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats, lawn mowers and other engines, and may even damage them and void warranties. E10, which is commonly found at gas stations, contains 10 percent ethanol. E0 fuel has no ethanol. Ethanol is grain alcohol produced from crops such as corn that is mixed with gasoline to produce an ethanol-gasoline blend motor fuel.
Last year, Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations, told the EPA that with E15 now coming into the market, AMA members who make a concerted effort to fuel their motorcycles or ATVs with E10-or-less fuel may unknowingly refuel with residual E15 left in a blender-pump hose. A blender pump dispenses different fuel blends through the same hose, such as E10 and E15. When a customer buys E15, as much as a third of a gallon of residual E15 is left in the hose, which can inadvertently get into the next customer’s vehicle while fueling with E10.
“In an effort to address this potential “misfueling” issue, EPA approved an industry-submitted [approach] that requires a minimum purchase of four gallons from blender pumps that dispense both E10 and E15 from the same hose and nozzle,” the EPA said. “Such an approach would prevent misfueling by diluting any residual E15 left in the hose from the previous sale of E15.
“However, groups representing motorcycle owners and lawn mower manufacturers objected to this [approach] because their products have gas tanks that are normally two gallons or smaller,” the EPA said. So, on Feb. 7, the EPA posted a new option for retailers on its website’s “E15: Misfueling Mitigation Plans” page to try to avoid “misfueling” by consumers.
Under the new option, retailers who use a blender pump to sell E15 and E10 fuel through the same hose must also have a separate E10/E0 fuel pump. Those retailers would be required to have a label on the blender pump that reads: “Passenger Vehicles Only. Use in Other Vehicles, Engines and Equipment May Violate Federal Law.” Retailers would also be required to have signs indicating the location of the dedicated E10-or-lower fuel pump. There would be no minimum-fuel-purchase requirement at that pump.
Retailers who want to sell E15 also have the option of having a dedicated E15 pump or hose, or a pump that dispenses E15 and higher ethanol blends through a single hose. If a blender pump dispenses multiple fuels that include E15 and higher ethanol blends, the EPA may require a minimum purchase requirement.
The AMA has repeatedly expressed concerns to government officials and federal lawmakers about possible damage to motorcycle and ATV engines caused by the inadvertent use of E15 when the new fuel becomes widely available. The AMA also has asked that motorcycles and ATVs be part of any scientific study into the effects of E15 to ensure that the new fuel blend won’t damage those engines.
In October 2010, the EPA approved the use of E15 in model year 2007 and newer light-duty vehicles (cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles). Then, in January 2011, the EPA added model year 2001-06 light-duty vehicles to the approved list.
Submitted by American Motorcycle Association
Ethanol supports the corn farmers in the Midwest. It’s a political scam as ethanol cost more to produce than gasoline. We’re getting screwed and the agribusiness profit.
What a mess…
how bout this, NO E10 or E15 YOU STUPID A$$ Feds!!!! I guess I’m just fed up (no pun intended) with the B.S. comming out of Washington D.C. and the over involvement in our lives. want something messed up? get the government involved…
Dont they realize that putting this crap in your vehicle reduces your fuel economy
Mk
Under and In.
Are we going to have to go back to visible pumps to get around these fools?
That’s a relief, It’s bad enough I already have to go a mile and a half out of my way to get clean gas.
In my area it is a pain to get non-e. I just finished a trip through Arkansas and back where EVERYONE had non-e pumps. WAKE UP ALABAMA. peace
Gasoline with Any amount of ethanol causes air cooled engines, on motorcycles, to run HOT and will VOID the Warranties of most American Made motorcycles, as currently written.
It’s bad enough that we already have to buy expensive ‘High Test’ for our high compression engines, but now we have to worry about Destroying them, in the process ?
Ethanol in gasoline causes a drop in fuel economy, due to a drop in available horse power. So, essentially, we’re getting Less ‘Bang for our Buck’, requiring us to have to purchase More of the commodity, to travel the same number of miles and to have to Pay More, for it, to Boot !
It’s high time that we changed our laws, concerning the use of ethanol, in our gasoline. Causing Biofuel Companies to pay Farmers more for their Grain, and thus causing untold Hunger in the Developing World, as a side effect, isn’t worth the the minute amount of atmosphereic polution saved, while at the same time ruining the expensive engines of our vehicles, in the process.
Ethanol is made from Sugarcane, in South America and used as automobile fuel, as these countries don’t have the petroleum reserves, that we have here in America. With the new technologies, that are now being used to get our oil out of the ground, America has far greater petroleum reserves, than Saudi Arabia! There is No Reason for our continued use of a food substance, as a fuel.
RE:
“…It’s high time that we changed our laws…”
Problem is……. half the country is populated with “Honey Boo Boo voters”…….. 🙁
They don’t care about you or your scooter.
They’re happy as long as they get their free health-care, OhBummer phones, and lots-a “Sketty wiff ketchup & butter sauce.”
WASS (we are so screwed)
-nicker-
Rockyvnvmc,Motors don’t run hotter with ethanol added.Racing aircooled MC motors can be almost icy to the touch after hard runs using alky.Many old racers with bikes like Manx Nortons add 10% alcohol to the gas to make them run cooler in hot racing conditions.I care way more about the planet than my motor and if my motor grenades or wears out I’ll build it up again better using my past experiences.
The idea of getting the frack out of the ground will not happen if global warming is to be stabilized,let alone reversed.Levels of dissolved CO2 in the sea are going up all the time.The next big economic shock will be the realization that fossil fuels under the ground will be staying there.Don’t buy carbon fuel stocks.
Rodent,Many countries around the world give free mental health care and mens counseling.That is not a bad thing.
CafeTC.Government seems to work O.K. in civilized nations.Like France and New Zealand and Australia.