Ethanol in gas

Just joined this site a while back. thought I'd share an experience with my fellow Alabama scooter heads. I took an extended trip last July. Twentyeight days on the road in that unbelieveable heat. Long story short.. Around twentyfive hundred miles under my belt, riding with a couple other dudes, had me broke down in Durango Colorado about two miles from the Harley dealer there. Bike just upchucked and died.. (98 Road King Classic).. Got to the shoulder of the road and tried to relight the motor and it coughed and puke and died. My riding partners returned to the scene of the crime while I was unloading dufflebags to attempt to rectify the problem. My cousin in law had internet capability so we were able to get in touch with the HD Dealer, and get a tow truck in route.. Got to the dealer and I informed them of the symptoms, and advised them that I thought the fuel pump had died.. Unfortunately, when we got the scooter unloaded, the damn thing would run again. Ten hours, 4 of which was spent with Miss Piggy on the Dyno the problem resurrectted itself, and my prediction of a dead/dying fuel pump was comfirmed. New fuel pump had to be overnighted from a dealer in Texas, arrived next morning at ten AM and I was on my way by about three PM, (sit down now) $1600.00 poorer... Never caught up with my riding partners who were now a two day ride ahead of me. Got to Kansas City, with around 880 miles remaining to get back to the Mobile Alabama area, and had a second fuel related breakdown.. This time the fitting on the fuel return hose to the tank started leaking. At first intermittently dripping and finally spraying. An oil change, filter and new braided fuel lines that a dealer across town had on the shelf,,, (sit down again) $600.00 and some change.. In both shops, I was well recieved, and got almost immediate attention and prompt service. The bike has around 66,000 miles on her, and I've been force to use this ethanol spiked fuel now since the government and green jobs mandated it. Yeah, you can find gas without it if ya look hard enough, but when you're traveling, thats not always an option. Just a work of caution here if you've been running this crap in your scooter. Ya might want to investigate the compatibility of your scooters fuel system with fuels containing up to 10% ethyl alcohol... We shouldn't be force to put something in our fuel tanks that is meant to be consumed for pleasure.

Wow...what an awful experience!! Thank you tho' for the heads up.

I been against ethanol for years. Welcome to SAMCS.

I have seen the same problem with a friend. HD says it is not the ethenol.

ethanol has ruined many small engines for some time now

I am a farmer and wish that they would stop making this stuff. I have small engines all over the farm that just are now boat anchors.I will say that the newer vehicles work with ethanol but not older or vehicles that sit more than a few days. In Elberta there are two places that sell non ethanol gas.(Elberta coop,and elberta grocery). In Lillian the gas station that is in the curve before the lillian cafe.if anyone is looking.

Country Conveinence at 64 and 71 in Rosinton is carrying it now, $3.78 as of 2 days ago.

3.26 here yesterday for 87 without ethanol

Here is a website that you can search by state, then it gives you all the cities that have ethanol free stations with maps. It's great for planning a trip.

pure-gas.org

i had a smiller trouble with my 07HD. I had too have 4 fuel pumps put in less than one year and i only put a little over 4,000 miles on it in that year.... it is something with there pumps i had to change my fuel regulator to a different type and that fixed it never had another trouble with it it is not the gas...... but i can tell that the ethanol they use in gass sucks it dose dry out normal rubber orings but the manafactors have made new seals and gasgets that they are using that has fixed that trouble which is working grate i work for a gas haulling company that the ethanol was eating the rubber gasgets causing many leaks and a nightmare for me but these new gasgets have fixed the trouble i was having .......

I hate ethanol fuels, Its terrible on outr bikes, especially if its left sit in the bike for prolonged periods. Our only defense is to ride em often to keep fresh fuel running thru them.

Glad you made it back.