Photo: bioethanol.ru
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally admitted officially that the ethanol in the E15 fuels have serious negative impacts on the engines running it, apparently with these effects being even more severe in smaller engines. That is, motorcycle and ATV engines.
This provides the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) and pretty much all the opponents of E15 fuel with new weapons in banning the use of this fuel type. The E15 is a type of fuel which contains ethanol in proportions of up to 15% by volume. Ethanol is present in multiple fuel blends currently in use, but in less than 10% mixtures.
Touted as being the next big step in the world of renewable, cleaner fuels, ethanol received a strong opposition from multiple motorists who claimed the higher percentage destroys certain engine parts and overheats the exhaust systems. Recent studies have apparently shown the negative impact higher ethanol volumes have on rubber hoses, silicon and plastic parts.
Even more the EPA reports that motorcycles and nonroad products which use E15 and fuels with higher ethanol concentrations have higher exhaust gas temperatures, and may “potentially increase incremental deterioration of emission control hardware and performance over time, possibly causing catalyst failure. Second, ethanol can cause materials compatibility issues, which may lead to other component failures.” Ethanol also mixes with water, allowing alcohol/water mixtures in the fuel tanks of vehicles using it and causing even more problems.
Now that the EPA made is clear that E15 is bad for the current bikes, ATVs and similar vehicles and reported this to the Federal Trade Commission, we might finally see all this madness coming to an end. Or not…
Touted as being the next big step in the world of renewable, cleaner fuels, ethanol received a strong opposition from multiple motorists who claimed the higher percentage destroys certain engine parts and overheats the exhaust systems. Recent studies have apparently shown the negative impact higher ethanol volumes have on rubber hoses, silicon and plastic parts.
Even more the EPA reports that motorcycles and nonroad products which use E15 and fuels with higher ethanol concentrations have higher exhaust gas temperatures, and may “potentially increase incremental deterioration of emission control hardware and performance over time, possibly causing catalyst failure. Second, ethanol can cause materials compatibility issues, which may lead to other component failures.” Ethanol also mixes with water, allowing alcohol/water mixtures in the fuel tanks of vehicles using it and causing even more problems.
Now that the EPA made is clear that E15 is bad for the current bikes, ATVs and similar vehicles and reported this to the Federal Trade Commission, we might finally see all this madness coming to an end. Or not…
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