Will a 1988 VMAX run on E10 petrol

[SENTíNEL]

Hi guy n gals,

The header says it all, the UK is switching to E10 petrol to reduce CO2 emissions. E5 (super unleaded) will still be available at larger petrol stations, but E10 will become the standard unleaded fuel.

The gov.uk website E10 checker says all Yamaha bikes manufactured on or after 1990 are compatible, but I have a 1988 VMAX.

Does anyone know for sure one way or the other?

Cheers all

 

[marsmax85]

e10 works fine for a running Vmax if let sit for awhile without additives (seafoam or equivalent) you could be asking for carb issues .. When I park mine for an extended period I add an additive plus a full refuel to the top of tank .

 

[86turbodsl]

I run E10, if i don't get it started about once a week, it plugs up the air bleeds/jets and i have to give a shot of ether to get it going, then it's fine.

 

[apsolus]

we got e15 here in america. my bike never has any problems. i only run premium fuel for the max .

 

[Fire-medic]

we got e15 here in america. my bike never has any problems. i only run premium fuel for the max .

The typical gas you buy in the USA is E10. Don't run the E15 or E-85, the bike is not designed for it. Running premium gas is a waste of $ unless you have a highly-modified engine, with a higher compression ratio. The bike was designed to run on regular. It's like taking vitamins, unless you have a known deficiency, all you're doing is spending $ and producing expensive urine.

From "the horse's mouth:"

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

There are three general categories of ethanol-gasoline blends: E10, E15, and E85. E10 is gasoline with 10% ethanol content. E15 is gasoline with 15% ethanol content, and E85 is a fuel that may contain up to 85% fuel ethanol. The ethanol content of most of the motor gasoline sold in the United States does not exceed 10% by volume. Most motor gasoline with more than 10% fuel ethanol content is sold in the Midwest where most ethanol production capacity is located. Gasoline dispensing pumps generally indicate the fuel ethanol content of the gasoline.

All gasoline engine vehicles can use E10. Currently, only flex-fuel and light-duty vehicles with a model year of 2001 or newer are approved by the EPA to use E15. Flex-fuel vehicles can use any ethanol-gasoline blends up to E85.

The energy content of ethanol is about 33% less than pure gasoline. The impact of fuel ethanol on vehicle fuel economy varies depending on the amount of denaturant that is added to the ethanol. The energy content of denaturant is about equal to the energy content of pure gasoline. In general, vehicle fuel economy may decrease by about 3% when using E10 relative to gasoline that does not contain fuel ethanol.

 

[apsolus]

the bike was designed to run on regular? wow i thought all motorcycles had high compression and rev high so i though premium was the only way to go. so i can safely run regular under all conditions?

 

[one2dmax]

the bike was designed to run on regular? wow i thought all motorcycles had high compression and rev high so i though premium was the only way to go. so i can safely run regular under all conditions?

Yes, a Gen 1 for sure. For a gen 2 you can run regular for commuting and basic riding around. Even in cooler climates for hard riding but for warmer climates you want to run the premium.

 

[Zenuwlijer]

e10 works fine for a running Vmax

I will only put E10 in my Vmax when there is a life and death emergency. In other words.. Near empty tank and nothing else to be found.

In fact .. I prefer to run BP Ultimate '98, which doesn't contain any ethanol at all. Most certainly while storing the bike for a winter stop.

In all other cases it will be at least a quality '98 fuel, as they are the only ones sold over here with a maximum of 5% ethanol.

But as I stated before.. BP Ultimate all the way.

And as a side note:

Gasoline is very expensive over here in The Netherlands, due to all kind of taxes.

Premium gasoline wil set you back a staggering $ 8,89 per gallon.

 

[D Larson]

I will only put E10 in my Vmax when there is a life and death emergency. In other words.. Near empty tank and nothing else to be found.

In fact .. I prefer to run BP Ultimate '98, which doesn't contain any ethanol at all. Most certainly while storing the bike for a winter stop.

In all other cases it will be at least a quality '98 fuel, as they are the only ones sold over here with a maximum of 5% ethanol.

But as I stated before.. BP Ultimate all the way.

And as a side note:

Gasoline is very expensive over here in The Netherlands, due to all kind of taxes.

Premium gasoline wil set you back a staggering $ 8,89 per gallon.

Very briefly last year, I was paying 93 cents a gallon. It was nice to see the gallons moving faster than the dollars for the first time since the 1990's. The sub one dollar a gallon price lasted for about 10 days or so.