We've had E10 in north America for years. The main issue is that ethanol absorbs water. Especially in a carburetor, this means that E10 will turn into goop within weeks to months as it evaporates. Bad news for winter storage

I'm a fan of the channel, but as an engineer I can only shake my head at this video. Using a scale with precision of 1g is ridiculous in this instance, using off the shelf o-rings is absolutely not representative and using a piece of aluminium welding rod (usually 4043 aluminium) is also not representative at all of all the different kinds of aluminium used in an engine. I personally also don't see a reason to distrust manufacturers in rating their own vehicles suitable or unsuitable for the use of e10 since they know the exact type of material used for every single part. This test was honestly incomplete at best and misleading at worst. Also there are so many more things to the discussion of e10. For example: e10 is less energy dense (about 2%) and therefore will lead to less power in vehicles that are designed for e5, but more power in vehicles that are designed for e10. This will also lead to higher consumption when using e10, which is offset by the cheaper price tho. Additionally in some cases e10 will reduce engine knock. As a rule of thumbs for motorcycles: If it's fuel injected, it is probably modern enough to be used with e10, if it's carbed you are probably better off with e5, but looking up the manufacturers recommendation is always a good idea.

I've run a few tanks of E10 in my MT10. I averaged about 105m a tank compared to 127m with E5 so I go with the full fat.

E10 is the Governments way to make you ditch your old vehicles and buy milk floats. The same way Apple turns your older iPhone Into a brick with software updates.

One of things I’ve noticed is poorer fuel economy. I still drive in the same steady economical way but cannot achieve the mpg I was getting on my one and half year old car before.

It definitely does make a difference. E10 was giving my bimmer atrocious mpg, switched over to E5 and the engine is smoother, more mpg and it's only around 6p more/L for E5 so for a full tank it's less than a fiver extra.

I have a 19 year old 1.6. Mini Cooper. According to the gov website, my car was compatible with E10. I used the E10 fuel and my car started running ... rough? Not like a diesel, but it was definitely noticeable and my mpg was ridiculous. My car also started to cough on start up. So decided to try the E5. My car no longer coughs or runs rough and my mpg has increased massively. I’ve gone from filling up twice a week at minimum to once a week/week and a half. I will not go back to E10.

I've had starting issues, power loss and significant mileage drop when e10 is used on both my 2018 v strom 1000 and the brand new 1290 SAS. No issues with e5 at all. I will stick with E5 until its time to sell or exchange. Even when I have to use e10, I always add a fuel stabiliser in the tank.

cracked up at the random shot of the girls at the pump. very informative experiment, appreciate it, often wondered how much of a difference e10 makes to components

Every time I've used e10 in my 4 stroke enduro bike it has flat spots in the rpm and the odd splutter from the carb. Also I've noticed it makes the inside of the carb bowl and jets go green after a few weeks standing,

Having ridden to Scotland and back twice over the last couple months, the difference from E10 to E5 is significant. On E10 there is less power and my bike is sluggish and vibrates a lot more and the engine feels lumpy and lower MPG and over range is less. On E5 within a few mins the engine performance improves significantly, more responsive and more power, no vibrations and the engine runs smoother and better MPG and range

Good effort. If you ever redo this experiment, for precision sake I suggest using a scale that shows 2, 3 or 4 decimal points. Rather than just by the gram. Especially since the experiment timeframe was only 2 months.

Top vid squire! Good luck on the island 👍

Yes, it does make a difference in my Honda CG125. Poor starting in cold weather, poorer mileage. Went back to e5.

Plastic tanks on Ducatis, Aprilias etc have had problems with E5 already… it is well published about the tank swelling problems.

Hi Boothy, do you know what material your ‘O’ ring was made from? There are many types; EPDM, Nitrile, Polychloroprene, Silicone, Butyl, Viton etc. Not all types of rubber would be resistant to gasoline irrespective of whether there is ethanol in the fuel or not and would be subject to swell.

Can you do an MPG experiment too? I swear I get less miles with E10....

Thought there was also issues with higher water content in the fuel due to the bioethanol that can mess up carbs and tanks.

Essso synergy has 0 ethanol (in the south) even though its marked e5 if your bothered

I have notice fuel economy drop when using e10. I always go for branded petrol e10 or supermarket e5.

What material was your rubber oring made from? A material suitable for fuel systems?

Fuel economy on my F Type went from c.14mpg to 12mpg around town with E10. So I really don't believe that E10 is "better for the environment" as you burn more of it.

My first question is ... Was the O-ring being used one of a type that would communally be used in a fuel system or Carb, or was it just a run of the mill O-ring. My next question is what would happen if you re-did the experiment but this time got a new o-ring say a new injector seal from a modem car then a new replacement o-ring from a carb system. Are the new o-rings in new vehicles any better set up to deal with the ethanol or are manufactures just telling us they are. Like your work, really interesting video. :)

dont you have to richen your AFR with E10 to make the most power? eg 12.5 instead of the usual 13.0 for most machines?

On a dyno you drop 5% power on e10 fuel. I’ve tried it on the 3 bikes I own same result each time. The bikes are Triumph 850 sport(2020), triumph t100 (2017) with Tec cam fitted and Enfield 500 Trails (2019) fitted with Hitchcock 615cc conversion.

Bye bye personal transport. That's the plan people time to wake up.

I have an lawnmower dat recommends e10 is it good to use for lawnmowers?

I’ve noticed a 50 mile + pepped up performance when using esso 99 conspared to supermarket e10 And that’s on a bogo standard 2006 mondy 1.8 16v

I have an Aprilia RSV Mille R Gen 1 from 2000 and I have always stuck with the E5 just to be safe.

I left 1/4 tank of E10 in my '06 hornet (carbs) from start of October to start of march as I was suffering with a bad back. When I came to start the bike it would only run on 2 cylinders. After diagnosis of misfire I stripped the carbs to find blocked jets and emulsion tubes. I now only run E5 super from quality forecourts

Remember kids, the difference between science and screwing arround is writing if down - A savage

Everything runs 99 ron in my house, even the bush trimmer

I'm running a 27 year old RF900 on E10, the manual says it can run E10 but is bracketed USA only as nowhere else in the world had it at the time it was printed (1993). Fuel lines were changed recently simply because they were old & I didn't fancy setting fire to the old girl, plus the fuel tap was taken apart to check it's OEM rubber internals condition for cracks or hardening before switching to the E10. I also fitted a 4degree ignition advancer the week after E10 became available, a common RF fix/ cure for known poor low end response which predates the new fuels introduction & it helped massively from tick over to 4k revs. It now runs great, no extra engine temp & a whole lot better than before! That is because the carbs actually needed more than a good clean, a proper setting up & vacuum leaks seen too, from when I bought it and thus it ran awful on E5, so I can't really judge economy before and after fairly. I'm happy to keep using the E10, but it's a 52 week a year ride & never gets put away or stored during the winter, starts hot, cold or freezing, wet or dry 1st time, everytime, so why pay more. Plus where are the horror stories amounting from daily correct use of E10 from the Sates or even main land Europe that have ran this fuel for years!

What oring material were you using !

Thanks for your reassurance on E5. My car is of the age that needs E5, I am told, and it came as a shock to me last year to have to use E10 on many occasions when touring UK as many fuel stations have blithely switched ALL their pumps, except the expensive stuff, to E10 and 'sod the customer'. So where I could not get the old E5 and had to use E10 and worried about its effect on my old car. West Scotland has so far not been affected by the switch and the Highlands and islands still get E5, good on them. and with a tank range of 400+miles, I can be choosy. (a bit like having to arrange uplifts/recharging points were I daft enough to use an EV without the hours wait). Happily I live in a country where our government has banned E10 so most of the year I can operate happily without worry. So if you want to flush out your tanks of the new poison take a trip to the Isle of Man which has more going for it than a certain bike festival.

It sure does. E10 gives my car misfires in multiple cylinders and loads of fault codes and the E10 makes your car lame. E5 is the way to go.

Nice little experiment. Not 100% scientific but more than good enough to prove a point. In my uneducated opinion, I would only use E10 in an old car/bike to get me out of trouble. But only put in as little as possible to get me to the next petrol station, bearing in mind that its not as economical as E5. I wouldn't want to leave E10 in the fuel lines for any length of time, even overnight. I guess E5 and E10 would mix together alright and not separate? Nice vid, thumbs up

we love a 44teeth hoodie!!

Nice one Boothy,ive got 3 gsxrs oilers and had probs recently,these bike were restored with all new seals in the carbs a couple of years ago,ive just done the carbs again,on my 750 as it was running like shyt,new seals ,now runs good again,coincedence................doubt it.will be doing the carbs on my 1100 again as i just dont want to have another spoilt ride.

anyone else getting less milage with vpower right now? me and my work mate seem to be guzzling fuel at a concerning rate compared to what we use to on vpower

Boys are we getting any bike sausage merch? I'd buy a sticker or 3

MCN have stated that Esso has confirmed that their super unleaded had no ethanol in it in many areas on UK. This is despite a pump label to the contrary saying it does have ethanol. This might not be the case in areas where Esso gets its fuel from other oil companies.

Yeees, tried exchanging o-ring for a fuel tap, sealed for two days on the e10. I would never use e10 fuel on any carb bike. At least not let it stand for a while, without topping up with e5 or any other low alc content fuel. Good luck on the island!

I have a 06 triumph sprint and e 10 really fucked it up after only leaving the bike standing for three weeks . The bike will not start and the fuel tank has swollen making difficult to remove . I have replaced the petrol now the runs but very rough.

Look at fuel tank expansion in Ducati 1098s. Mine expanded after standing for a few months UK bike UK fuel well before the days of e10.

Too many variables ie combustion engine serviced by a garage ( are they using OEM parts or cheaper alternatives) In a vented holding receptical what is the atmospheric pressure/water percentage/humidity etc. What additives are added as different retailers have different mixtures.

Interesting experiment monsieur Booth. Try some magnesium if you do a similar experiment again, also you have to burn more ethanol to get the same energy as petrol, not so good for the environment, better for the economy, if you know what I mean.

My bike is 30 years old and I haven't noticed any corrosion or anything like that but it's definitely down on power. I used to be able Clutch up in 2nd gear but not anymore

My SV650 has had no dramas on E10 or E5 (touch wood) as far as I can tell it runs exactly the same on each fuel type.

Here in Thailand where I live ( a Brit) we have had Gasohol E20 which is a blend of 20% Ethanol, fermented from Sugar cane and/or Tapioca, a root carbohydrate crop, and 80% x 95 Octane gasoline. Myself and many Thais run petrol engined cars on this without problem. It is the cheapest equivalent 91 grade fuel, and burns cleanly with low emissions.

It's been e10 here in the us for a real long time. I've stored a carbureted bikes with that e10 without issue. the vacuum petcock has to work tho, cuz normal non ethonal gas will ruin a carb just the same if it dribbles.

My dad runs an old triumph from the 70s and he ran it on e10 for 1 tank and it caused the engin to get very hot then when he changed to e5 it ran a lot colder noticeable it was I do the same on my old Honda

E10 has been the only fuel for decades in California, no problem with that apart from being hygroscopic. Which basically means if you put your bike away for a long time, make sure the tank is completely full so the air gap it can absorb water from is smallest. Even my old (1997) carbed DR650 had no problem with it. The swelling tank problems (Ducati?) were solved in the early 2000's and were mainly caused by the water that was absorbed by the ethanol, which in turn would be absorbed by the tank material. Don't forget that most fuel systems come from the same companies that supply the car industry as well.... Don't worry about E10 too much, we've been the guinea pigs over here in the good old US of A since 1990...

Been running my Honda CB300F on E10 for eight years with zero problems. Book says I can use E20 as well.

Ethnol in the fuel swole the rubbers in the fuel tap of my 97 Cb600f3, it was so bad it would not start.

well my 1.6 turbo Tuscon 2016. Reg Unleaded E5 450 miles a tank, Reg unleaded E10 400 miles a tank slight less power. I use Super Unleaded E5 now 475 miles plus better power delivery. noticed the difference from E10 regular, from e5 Regular not worth it. So i tend to use E5 Super unleaded. I get better milage and power delivery so really the same price as E10 Regular.

A question - Was the ambient temperature at the time of the first and second dimensional measurement the same? All materials will have a temperature co-efficient of expansion.

Anyone any idea when e5 was introduced in UK, as opposed to100% petrol. Can't recall anyone kicking off over it. How can an extra 5% have Soooo much effect. Just asking.

I don't know what's happening with my car's got a 59 plate i10 that doesn't seem to run any different mpg about the same but I also have a T reg Micra that goes better than it ever has in the 15 years of ownership but but mpg always been rubbish at about 40 ish had to replace a rusty fuel pump but that was with E5 and rubber pipes had become hard I just wondered if the extra ethenol was acting as a cleaning agent I don't have much of a choice as only have supermarket fuel round here

In my ford c-max, I used E10 a couple of times and my car made lots of odd noises from my fuel tank and cat. Went back to E5, car was happy again. It didn't cut out or affect the acceleration as such but did make odd noises whilst on the E10. So for now until I understand more. I shall keep to the E5 for now.

We've been stuck with that E10 garbage in the US for a long time now. I had to replace every single rubber fuel hose on my '86 Nissan pickup because of it. The newer hoses work fine with the E10, but the truck runs a lot better on 100% gas. It's just hard to find that reliably, especially in rural areas where I usually am. E10 will also lead to higher corrosion/gumminess/etc. in carbs. I only run 100% gas in my '93 Honda ATV and '76 CB550. Previous owner of the CB had put ethanol fuel in it and let it sit, the carbs were an absolute disaster.

Been using in zx6 for months no issues as yet. I don't let it sit for too long tho

Well done Boothy, I thought that was well presented. I never put that E10 crap in my bikes or cars

Both my car and my bike both ran like shit on E10…idles like shit and took longer to turn over. All the evidence I need.

My 2L engine was SO sluggish and slow with E10. Next fill with E5 or VPower and the response was significantly better. So it is not a "feeling" or "all in your head", you can tell from the torque response on first gear.

Worth noting that the real ethanol content of any given brand is not necessarily 5% or 10% for either of them - they are maximum figures, not minimum. E.g. as some below have mentioned, certain top end E5 labelled ones have none in them at all. Apart from the reduced thermal content, the nasty effect of higher ethanol mixtures is the reduced “shelf life”, as the ethanol tends to be preferential to water, rather than the petroleum part of it, so in the long term it will tend to settle below the petroleum part, so there would be a layer of water/ethanol mix down below that could end up being sucked into the fuel system; not nice. Thus it’s probably a good idea to avoid storing it too long, say over winter. Whether this has any effect on the performance of the Evaporative Emissions Control System (EVAP), which is a feature of modern petrol fueled cars, I don’t know. However, as the watery mix is under the rest of it, it seems unlikely that much of it will evaporate compared with the oily part; over to you!

Good work, my liege.

Although my car is "supposedly" ok for e10 fuel, I started using the 99 octane e5 in my little Street KA (no, I'm not a hairdresser) on recommendation by a friend. And what a difference... The engine smoothed out, it doesn't run as hot and I get way more mpg. It seems to have a bit more power too, I mean I don't have to put my foot down as much to achieve the same results. It's like my engine said thank you, as did my wallet.

I get vapor lock with E10, but not with E5, Carburettor bike. The fuel line does run right by the cylinder head and radiator though, so perhaps that is a factor, you can literally see the fuel bubble with e10, but e5 doesn't do the same.

I run E10 in my daily bike, an '02 Deauville 650. Honda say it's rated for it and despite what the doom-mongers said, it's perfectly happy on it, the bike is for workhorsing and commuting, so the power loss is not a problem. And no my fuel system has not rotted out, everything I've read suggests E10 causes most of the problems when it's left for long periods, so not a problem for me when the bike uses a tank every one to two weeks . What HAS left me rather annoyed is the drop in fuel economy. I ran it on bogo petrol before the introduction of E10, so it's actually a fair comparison. The bike was hitting 55-60mpg per tank, depending on what I've been doing and how fast I'd been doing it, and is now doing 50-55mpg, with it generally towards the low 50's which leads me to question if E10 does actually make a difference. At times my full-to-reserve mileage has been as low as 160 miles, where previously it would comfortably hit 200miles, sometimes a lot more, for the same amount of fuel, and the bike is pretty well maintained, and probably actually in a better state now than before E10 was introduced. I'd genuinely love to see some test measuring if the lower mpg figures E10 gives over old bogo E5 is made up for by the lower emissions of E10, because I'm not convinced it does at this point and it's a bit of fallacy to tick the 'green' box.

E10 fuel in My bike and my MPG has dropped and less miles to a tank. That biking holiday this summer is going to cost a lot more

Some E5 is actually E0 ! You just need to check and it’s what I always leave, if anything, over winter …

I use e5 as e 10 doesn't last as long and I can notice its down on power 🤷‍♂️

I live in the states and ya know what? Fk ALL that ethanol loaded fuel, it's shit.

what about a 2 stroke engine from say.. a chainsaw? would there be any difference apart from of course the extra (little) performance gain which i don't care about at all.

I drive a 22 year old E38 BMW 728i and I'm getting significantly less MPG using the new E10 fuel so I use the more expensive E5. Glad I got rid of my 740 E38 last year or I wouldn't be able to afford the fuel.

E5 made by Shell, Exxon and BP is free of ethanol! Here in the Netherlands anyway. So it sure does make a difference.

I want to know the difference in mileage. I feel that even in my car I get more mileage from e5. And working out the difference in price. It's overall cheaper for me. Anyone else got any research on this?

CBR 900 RRV Owner, regardless of the scientific arguments my gut says use super unleaded on my Carb bike. not for performance but just in case, as bits are old and have been super reliable in the 20 years I had it, winter stored in the UK with all the humidity, always runs after winter. No need to change..

You don’t define what type of fuel hose you are using (there are different types) and what about a control jar of ethanol free fuel?

Can't help but notice you didn't test the fuel, how do you know the E5 was 5% ethanol and the E10 was really 10%?

My Honda 50 seems to be slightly down on power with E10 petrol. To solve this power problem I mix a little E5 into the tank.

That was some strange stock footage at the pumps

Esso 99 Octane is actually 0% ethanol. So I use it in all my classic cars. More expensive but worth it.

I've been running a 2005 alfa romeo on E10 for over a year now, and nothing has changed, not even a splutter.

Just check with the manufacturer, they are all different depending on what materials they used (there are many different types of rubber...). As an example, Triumph say all their bikes manufacturers since 1996 are compatible with E10. Aprillia say using E10 is a safety issue in bikes older than 2011.

Did you know that Esso synergy supreme E5 has ZERO ethanol in it? In most parts of the UK this synergy supreme is E0! I run it in my older carbed bikes with no ill effects when left for a period of time.

I use E5 in my 2013 Ford focus 1.0 ecoboom. And get way better MPG too, so in the long run I save money

We’ve been running up to 10% ethanol in the states for decades across all octane rating fuels (barring ethanol free) and no adverse issues happen unless you are neglecting things. No worry

My 2020 Seat Leon 1,4 ehybrid hates e10.. it hates it... the engine does not run right on the stuff even though its suppose to. So I only run E5 and while it is a bit more expensive I do get that back through improved fuel consumption as it is just bad on the E10 stuff.

But you should do this test in long term..for example, get carburetor bike, ride few months with E10 petrol, then put it in winter deck and keep it like 6 months there, then take it out and drive again so we can see, or you can take carbs out straight after 6 months standing still and see is there anything. I would still not use E10, when it can make older car/bikes run poorly, also when it can raise little your fuel economy

I think we just need to refer to our American cousins who've had E10 for years and report rubber pipes eroded from the inside out turning them mushy, also older American cars running on carbs getting gummed up and running like crap. There's also plenty of UK car drivers reporting rough running and poor performance on E10 that's cured by going onto super E5 fuel. Rather than pay more for E5 I've bought some ester petrol ethanol additive and add 50ml every time I fill up, only time will tell if it works or it's just another "snake oil" product.

Hang on, can you not get 0% ethanol fuel in the UK? Here in Australia we have E10 (94) but all others are Ethanol free, 91, 95 and 98 octane. Some places have E85 for those performance vehicles tuned for it. I don't use E10 in my car as the mileage vs the few cents cheaper doesn't work out. My bike takes minimum 95 octane so it's not an option though I wouldn't anyway.

Using food for fuel is farking stupid, first the cost of the diesel used to grow the corn and adding the mpg hit of some 10% and the answer is clearly that adding ethanol to petrol is stupid unless you are going for the power bump of E85

We bought a brand new motorbike last year, because i wanted something that could run on both types. One thing i have noticed when had to use e10 was the bike runs more rougher and dont get same milage out of it. A lot of people prob think the using more fuel part doesnt help the world but yes you use a little more e10 but the less co2 made from it is an overall benefit is what the government is going with. Im going to keep using e5 where i can as bike runs better and better milage out of it.

My car drinks 15% more fuel on E10, but it runs smoother on it probably due to the anti knock properties of ethanol based fuels. Its an old engine, 2001 vauxhall eco tech with 170,000 miles on it.

MCN carried out a experiment where they compared E5 E10 fuels, checking performance, fuel consumption.

You can still get E5 standard in Northern Ireland, so get it whilst we can. That said my bike is now pissing petrol from its hoses now

Can you do a mpg comparison I’m certain my 1 yo Aprilia gets better economy using E5

💖 44 TEETH !!! You need to advertise this channel more??