OK to recap:smile: ethanol is hydroscopic and slightly corrosive. which from using chainsaws a lot I knew [old ethanol is said to have the ability to scour magnesium crankcases, possibly related to it's leaning down oil ratios over time] and E85 may need a bigger main jet and needle adjustment, or not, depending on what the fuel mix was like in the first place.
I well remember all the panic and misinformation on unleaded: pretty irrelevant since my Series one and sidevalves were pre lead and all my jap stuff is post lead. Which just leaves my old Guzzi single. I leave E10 in that all winter and it starts first kick
The commencement of this thread was about E85, not E10 and the two are not the same thing at all...I think everyone here is aware that E10 doesn't cause any really serious problems and the effects it does have can be avoided or mitigated relatively easily...Draining the tank and carb for example if the bike is not being used for long periods...The most serious effects that come to mind are the destruction of fibre glass petrol tanks and early tank lining materials and it's effects on earlier rubber components...I've had a rubber petrol pipe fail but it was easily sorted by using ethanol resistant pipe...
The use of lead additives, or not, is a completely different subject with it's own set of peculiarites and is pretty much unrelated to the effects of 85% ethenol fuels...I recall in the UK lead was added to fuels during the war initially but was used pre war in the USA...Most misinformation was provided by VMCC and club night hysteria, people incorrectly diagnosing problems and just blaming it on unleaded fuel and the efforts of snake oil sellers offering a cure all....Ian
