Yes, Yes, Yes. I run high octane when I'm towing with my mini-truck too. If you're lugging an engine or you live in the hills, you gotta use 91 or better. It's a fact of life. Now a Prius? 87 all day. I don't care what the manufacturer says, I use 91 or better on every motorcycle. It's a high compression, performance inclined engine (most of the time).
Not true. Lots of differences station to station. Country to country. Here it varies a lot if they have different nozzles or not. Having to go in is something I've mainly seen in Germany. Not so much elsewhere.
I'll do this, but get gas when I leave work. there's like a .20-.30 difference per gallon between where I live near downtown and where I work 20 miles away
I remember my grandfather saying he was getting a little bit of premium filling his old beater after a sports car filled up. He seemed excited for something that didn’t matter in the slightest for a 1986 Chevy Cavalier.
@@estebanmena4332 the Cavalier was introduced in 1981 for the 1982 model year. Google doesn’t charge to look these things up before commenting on the internet.
"You have a few options", and then I just saw this skit in my head of someone dispensing gasoline into the trash can next to the pump to clean out the hose 😂
I shit you not, I've seen videos of people squirting gas onto the ground before filling their car with premium to get all of the regular gas out of the hose
I appreciate how even though the overall messaging is that it doesn’t matter, you still give several options for people who care about it anyway at the end of the day.
Just so you know we use the same compartment in the truck for all grades including diesel and ethanol free. Octane ratings are the minimums. There's always a bit of retain in the truck anywhere from 1/2 to 5 gallons. The fuel racks normally use the same hose for all similar products like all reg/prem or #1/#2/reddye. Only reddye is specifically purged from the line towards the end of fueling. Guess what I'm getting at is all grades and types have some mix but just like the same hose being used at pumps its so minimumal it doesn't even matter. Even the pipelines have mix. There's no physical barrier when pumping the refined from the refineries to the fuel farms that feed the trucks.
I was a Tanker truck driver in LA/Orange county areas for more than 20 years. Not all gas stations ⛽️ are the same when it comes down to product integrity. Some stations I’ve been too do not care about keeping the fills clean and making sure water 💦 doesn’t get inside. 99% of gas stations today use a system called a Vedor Root which monitors the tanks volume and supposed too shut down when water gets inside. And before dropping at a station I would always hand stick the Tank height manually and use KolorKut paste on the stick after dropping inside if water was inside the stick would come up RED color indicating water inside then I would write up for no further deliveries until it has been pumped out and cleaned etc.. The cheap station like mom and pop no names are the worst followed by Arco. I now work for a major oil company and test product in my lab before putting the Tanks to the load rack making sure the CofA matches octane is correct. Go to the clean higher price stations you will get better cleaner gas that won’t cost you down the road when your bike/vehicle needs to be serviced.
That hose has a lot less volume than I thought. I always used to purge the hose with a gallon or so into my car and then fill up a 5 gallon gas tank to take home and fill my bike. When filling the bike at a gas station, I always tried to get in line behind some kind of luxury car that I assumed was using premium gas. Thanks for this video!
Well put that is exactly what it is, it supposedly reduces emissions by 10 percent but I have done extensive amateur testing and it reduces fuel mileage by 10 percent. I may not be a math major but something smells here and it ain't the gas. PS, it was originally come up with to appease the eco crowd and pacify unhappy Midwest farmers. Has no useful purpose.
Hatred of change isn't why people hate ethanol. They hate ethanol because it literally pulls moisture out of the air and clogs up the fuel systems with crystallized sludge. All while giving less energy density.
And of course it's a net negative, takes more diesel to produce than it replaces. But it's still fulfilling the main purpose it was pushed for 20 years ago, putting subsidy (taxpayer) dollars into Monsanto's and Cargill's pockets.
I'm glad you mentioned the Motorcross Bikes, I've had to fix a bunch of bikes, that wouldn't run right or were running hot, because they got a good gulp of trash can 87. Up here in Western Canada, our best pump fuel is Chevron 94 on its own hose. My Zx10R with a pipe and tune loves it, and feels crisp, sharp, fast and runs cooler than common hose 91. My Aprilia Dorsodoro 1200 doesn't care, as long as its 89 or better. Sometimes I will fillup my race cans with 94, so I can just fillup the 10R at home, before I go riding.
One thing that's worth noting if you didn't know, seems that in the last year or two, Canada wide, 94 chevron has ethanol in it now. I noticed it awhile ago when I went to get some and their "ethanol free" sticker was gone. Super sucky, now I'm looking at synthetic fuel or 100LL aviation gas for my small engine stuff. Just can't catch a break here.
That's a timely video. I have just seen on "r/motorcycles" a person emptying the gas left in the hose ON THE GROUND!!! These were good tips, Ari, thank you. I always get my non-ethanol on gas cans, and will put some in my truck before filling the cans up next time.
Given my smallish gas tank in my KTM 390 Adventure, I will now be a little less likely to fill up at half a tank. If I only put about about a gallon of gas in my bike, and given the worst case length of hose, almost 1/4 of that gallon would be leftovers. Thanks for the info! I do not think it is too big of a deal, and it just requires a little rewiring of my habits :)
Just so you know we use the same compartment in the truck for all grades including diesel and ethanol free. Octane ratings are the minimums. There's always a bit of retain in the truck anywhere from 1/2 to 5 gallons. The fuel racks normally use the same hose for all similar products like all reg/prem or #1/#2/reddye. Only reddye is specifically purged from the line towards the end of fueling. Guess what I'm getting at is all grades and types have some mix but just like the same hose being used at pumps its so minimumal it doesn't even matter. Even the pipelines have mix. There's no physical barrier when pumping the refined from the refineries to the fuel farms that feed the trucks.
Ari, you're leaving out the filter. Within the pumps are a shared filter which gets flushed with the selected grade. The filters can vary from car size oil or diesel truck sized ones. The filter alone can harbor up to a quart or more. That along with the hose, I am told by the pump techs, amounts to three quarts. Well we're paying a dollar a quart so you can watch your dollar amount and count the first three being regular. My BMW G450X which must run premium, on a top off may only need a gallon...3/4 of which could be regular. Or cruise around the pumps and do the math: $40 and less than ten gallons is good. $20 and less than five and so on. Or, gas up after another bike observing the grade. Been telling my mates, who don't care, for a year now.
At least where I live in Oklahoma statuons that carry ethanol free gas have it on a separate nozzle similar to Diesel. At a station with 8 pumps you would see 2 with an extra green hose for diesel and 2 with a red hose for alcohol free.
I do love the option of pumping a little bit into your vehicle first when filling your dirtbike or maybe an auxiliary container. I also love that who cares method too. Solid video.
Without watching the video yet, our pumps are separate from ethanol and non ethanol gas. Haven’t ever had an issue with ethanol clogging our atvs after sitting during the winter.
One other and easier thing you can do is just drive up to the various pumps and see what was last pumped and use that pump. Doesn't always work but with simple math you can figure it out by what the last purchase price displayed is since it gives you the total gallons pumped and the price paid.
Not that I am terribly worried about it, but my usual gas station has individual pumps for each grade. When it is time for winter storage, I make certain to run a couple tanks from them before the snow flies to avoid potential water in the tank from the corn juice.
Fantastic information, I have always wondered. Now I do not need to wonder. Best to run it low before fill up which I do most often at the risk of running out. Then I hit a back woods gas station that has only regular. Happens every year to me on my Country Road trips. TANKS ( yup Mis spelled on purpose)
Here in south-east EU we have 95 and 100 octane, separate hoses. Also we pay in the station, where you have to battle with ungodly amount of chocolates, bon-bons, various sweets, car fresheners, cigarettes etc, before you actually get to the counter. Recently you get mandatory offer of coffe and hot dog to buy with your gas too
I go to a station that has a dedicated hose for non-ethanol. Mostly because it's usually a few cents cheaper than the others, partly because it's close to work, and just a little bit because it's it's own separate hose.
Here in Japan every station has hoses for each type: regular, high octane, and diesel. You have to ask the staff to fill up portable gas containers or vehicles on a trailer though.
Here in the USA, the only stations that I have ever seen straight gasoline have had their own hose. I can't remember seeing separate hoses for each grade of gasoline. Maybe they did when I was a kid in the 80s, but I don't remember it. Having separate hoses is so unusual here, that I was actually a bit flummoxed recently when I went to gas up my Vespa. If there is a second hose, it usually has a green handle and is for diesel. Both of these had a black handle, so I didn't think about it. I put my card in to pay and everything, chose Premium, and nothing would come out! Turns out, I had inadvertently picked up the alcohol free hose.
If your filling your 1 gallon can for 2 stroke mix it can matter a lot, otherwise not a big deal. Lots of small engines meltdown and warranties denied over this. The big green tractor maker made it mandatory for dealers to check for ethanol% before okaying warranty work on yard equipment because of blender pumps.
I tip the nozel down after I take it off the rack, in the event the last person did not clear the nozel. I dont like spilling gas on the car or myself before I go to pump.
I've always wondered about this but never worried too much. The ethanol issue does worry me a bit when it comes to winter storage though. I never thought to lurk around the pumps but I probably will this winter lol
To start off, I'm in the I don't care camp. However another idea for those who do care would be to use a separate gas can that's even larger volume that your motorcycles gas tank to even lower the hose percentage. Granted this doesn't help you on the go, but when I go to the track most people are bringing 5-40 gallon gas cans anyway where this would mean even less.
I have a little luggage rack on my bike that I bungie cord a gallon container that takes the first gallon of premium gas. Bring it home for car or lawn mower etc.
Thanks, Ari. You're my favorite motorcycle guru.👍 I'm a person that fears ethanol in anything with a carburetor, as in my lawn equipment, boats, small dirt bikes, a generator, and probably a couple of other things. Thank goodness a station near me has 91 octane non-ethanol gas on it's own pump, hose and nozzle. I gladly run anything in my fuel injected things though.
@@aluisious Any of my carbureted street bikes over the years were fine with whatever I put in them, as I always rode them regularly enough 12 months of the year. However, it's a chance I'm simply not willing to take with small engines that may end up sitting for long periods. Ethanol really does a number on those, and it sometimes doesn't take but a couple of weeks to do it.
@@aluisious I fill up my Vulcan to the top with ethanol free 87 and drain the bowls before it sits for the winter. It seems to take it just fine. I may or may not run some seafoam through it come spring, but it's usually just happy to be ridden.
I run regular in my 2005 Honda CRF450X... almost 20 years later... It had well over 12k miles on the original motor (before I decided to do an overhaul) and I have never had to clean the carburetor (ever). The only thing I will admit is that every winter I add Stable to the gas tank and run it through the system.
...and just to mess with your heads a little bit more, when the tanker arrives, he'll be using common hoses for all fuel grades. So, when he tips 7000 litres of of diesel from pot 6 into an underground tank, drains the hose, then puts 7000L of UL from pot 5 into the tanks, there's commonly 4-5 litres of diesel residue left in the hose. Good news, that level of dilution isn't even slightly an issue.
All gas is 100 octane and during delivery tanker filling at the depot's loading station. During final filling, various distillate,s are added until the current octane pump levels are reached. This information is straight from the Driver's of the tanker delivery truck s
Where I live, non ethanol gas is always on a separate pump with an above ground tank of it's own. It's called Rec-90 here. All pump gas at the regular pumps have "corn juice" where I live. Very few stations carry it here. Currently Rec 90 is 5.39 a gallon, while pump gas is 3.29.
Tbh I think is less than those 18, 24, 30 fl/oz, a lot of people will keep the trigger open and shake the nozzle a bit inside the tank to stop the dripping from falling into their cars/bikes or even clothes/shoes. I remember when gas prices were bad enough that people grabbed the whole hose and lifted it for a minute to get every single drop out of there, funny times.
In my local area all the pumps that have non-ethanol fuel offered have their own separate hose & nozzle for the non-ethanol fuel selection. Most do however share another hose & nozzle for all the other octane grades of ethanol mixed fuels. 🙂
I tend to only fill 2-2.5 gallons in each bike after a couple days of commuting and then switching to another bike. The bike won't make another trip to work and that's when it's convenient to fill up 🤷 I could see this issue being more relevant with my c70 passport's 1 gallon tank, but I also only use ethanol free in bikes and I've never seen the hose for it shared with E10 or E15 fuels... Ultimately I'm not gonna worry about it, especially considering all my bikes will run on 87 🤣
Hi Ari, nice video, but one minor correction... it seems most stations I run across have only one nozzle. As we use these, the gas tank ends up getting more content of lower grade fuel, settling at around 8% of the lower grade; the less fuel you put in each time, the more effect. Still a small effect on octane, but can increase. The real concern is if pumps start showing up where the E85 gasoline shares a nozzle with "normal" gas (often E10). These we will not use on our bikes. Keep up the good work on videos!
In my area non ethanol is its own hose and at one gas station its on its own pump. Unfortunately the station that has its own non ethanol pumps used to be the 76 101 octane pump that I tuned my car for
Yo Ari, start your own channel. Too many self-proclaimed "creators" out there 'reviewing" motorcycles that can't ride straight down the street. There is only one dude out there doing real reviews, including weighing the bikes etc. but he's still not a professional like you with actual chops for riding and experience writing. Leverage your Motorcyclist Magazine experience. I'll be your first sub.
I've never seen a station with separate hoses around my area and there are no ethanol free except for a couple stations that sell race fuel. Those stations are too far out of my way to matter. I've never worried about it because like you said its not enough to matter.
Damn, I've been asking myself this question since I ride. I usually put the first liter in my SUV, so then I can fill up my gas jug knowing I only have 100% premium fuel... so I can fuel-up at home with premium only...
Former tanker driver here. You're not only still getting regular, you're also getting diesel in your premium. Tankers and hoses aren't bone dry between products.
wait, Ari rides an XSR 900? Man of culture! ... also, I really wish I could get non-ethanol fuel here in Europe. There are a few pumps still selling it, but they are few and far between.
Though I am a firm believer in storing you carb'ed bike longer than 6 months should only happen with ethanol free fuel filled right to the top of the tank and float bowls manually emptied...the concern about the water absorbing corn juice itself humors me. I am just old enough to remember the bad old days when frozen fuel lines were a thing on that first extended cold snap each winter. How long has it been since you heard of that happening (mostly for us Midwesterners)? That is because of a combination of most ancient underground tanks having been replaced by statute (less water leaking in) and that 3-10% ethanol absorbing the condensation that naturally forms in less than full tanks instead of letting it accumulate over months until someone gets unlucky enough to suck in a slug of water right before turn off their car before a cold snap.
Just so you know we use the same compartment in the truck for all grades including diesel and ethanol free. Octane ratings are the minimums. There's always a bit of retain in the truck anywhere from 1/2 to 5 gallons. The fuel racks normally use the same hose for all similar products like all reg/prem or #1/#2/reddye. Only reddye is specifically purged from the line towards the end of fueling. Guess what I'm getting at is all grades and types have some mix but just like the same hose being used at pumps its so minimumal it doesn't even matter. Even the pipelines have mix. There's no physical barrier when pumping the refined from the refineries to the fuel farms that feed the trucks.
back in college we did a project with our recherche engine, it couldn't tell the difference between regular and premium from the same station, it doesn't matter. other than that the cheaper the station the higher the octane. the local valero beat out the shell and chevron beyond the error margin. the cheaper the gas the more people buy it the more often its delivered the fresher it is. same with the regular and premium from the same station. i just run costco regular in everything and nothing pings.
Hahaha. I've been right all along. I will go further and say that I don't like to splash and dash. Try to at least buy 1/2 a gallon or more. For the Grom, I use 100 octane race fuel only. Having a PC helps maximize that octane's potential.
I think all (certainly most) fuel stations in UK have separate hose pump units. It certainly would not do to mix petrol and diesel fuels (our units sell two sorts of petrol and one diesel) - because I’ve been reliably informed that contrary to common opinion those two DO NOT mix together, so you could pick up a little diesel (or petrol) here and a little there and end up with enough to really cause trouble in your engine.
Id argue what matters more is the age of the gas. Winters coming up so im switching to nonoxy to clean out the ethanol in my system. Our local pumps 2 seperate hoses, one for ethanol and one for not. Well, that gas I just pumped didnt exactly smell fresh. Gotta figure non oxy premiums sells far less often than the cheap 87 stuff, so its likely to be more stale.
As far as sensitive engines with smaller fuel tanks go, a simple solution would be to fill up Jerry cans which I feel most people do anyway for convenience. Only the first Jerry can would have a negligible amount of lower grade gas by dilution, and any additional cans would be of the grade you want. Combining Jerry cans with initially priming the hose into a vehicle, and even the first Jerry can will be "uncontaminated". Frankly, I've never considered the hose issue at all, and I agree it's mostly a non-issue.
I wish you had also done an analysis, drawing non eth gas and testing for ethanol perhaps. The calculation you perform is “worst case” based on total volume of the hose after the manifold. When I pump gas into my vehicles I always see fuel drain (top down) after the pump clicks off. If the manifold allows air in at the top of the hose, after the pump clicks off, the hose can fully drain. I would like to believe this is necessary as I expect the customer is paying an amount for the gas pumped to the manifold. Perhaps a discussion with the manufacturer of the pump could show whether my theory (the hose does drain) is accurate, or not. But, perhaps like you, the issue is not of great concern for me (on my street bike) and the effort required, to analyze the mechanical aspects of the pump, may be great.
I've been saying this for over 10 years. And I would always go to Old Fashioned pumps where there was one pump per product. But it's almost impossible nowadays to find old fashioned pumps
I tend to be a little more cautious around hear. Our hoses tend to be 3/4 or larger and most my bikes have small tanks. though usually i will just pump a little into each gas can to even out that first bit or in my race bikes and snowmobiles i just run 100ll no ethanol and guaranteed to be good fuel.
Former tanker driver here. You're not only still getting regular, you're also getting diesel in your premium. Tankers and hoses aren't bone dry between products. Ever see a delivery driver stick that long measuring stick into the underground tank? He's not only checking fuel level, but also for how much water there is, and there is always water.
Again, and no one is paying me to say this, Helix 5 in 1 Racing Additive! It is the only readily available fuel treatment that emulsifies water so that it will pass through the injectors properly. It also claims to add 2 octane to your fuel. I have been using it for 3 years now and not one single fuel related issue.
@@jimstenlund6017 All fuel storage tanks have water in them, it's the nature of condensation, some have water due to age and/or ground seepage. As water is heavier, it sinks to the bottom of non ethanol fuel tanks, pick ups for the pump are not right on the bottom so as not to pick up water or other contaminates. Scrupulous operators will have their tanks cleaned periodically to maintain quality fuel to the consumer. Ethanol is hydroscopic, so instead of the water sinking to the bottom it stays suspended in the ethanol fuel, hence the tanker driver or fuel station operator applies a paste to the dip stick which then identifies if the fuel is contaminated with water and needs to be pumped out.
@@jimstenlund6017 When I drove tanker we had to start checking for water once ethanol was introduced. Didn't even look before that lol. That was the gas stations problem. However, I did have stations that would over order on regular and then try and get you to dump it in their premium tank. First time it happened I thought they might have just ordered too much. When they did it again a couple of days later, I realized they were trying to rip people off as their regular tank wouldn't even take a thousand gallons.
Should you run high-octane gas in your motorcycle? Read more on Common Tread: rvz.la/4e0FUzv
Yes, Yes, Yes. I run high octane when I'm towing with my mini-truck too. If you're lugging an engine or you live in the hills, you gotta use 91 or better. It's a fact of life. Now a Prius? 87 all day. I don't care what the manufacturer says, I use 91 or better on every motorcycle. It's a high compression, performance inclined engine (most of the time).
if thats what the manual tells me to run...
Here in EU every fuel has it's own hose. Didn't know US has one hose for few fuels. But I like US style where you pay for fuel without going in.
Lol! Here is the US I will drive to another station before I go in to pay! I ain’t got time for that!
A lot of new stations in America are building hoses for each octane
Not true. Lots of differences station to station. Country to country.
Here it varies a lot if they have different nozzles or not. Having to go in is something I've mainly seen in Germany. Not so much elsewhere.
I live in the EU and I don't go in to pay. Nowadays almost every pump has options to pay at the pump. One hose for each fuel just makes sense too...
Pretty much all pumps I've seen in the United States have pay at the pump options. However, we do have a pretty big credit card skimmer issue here.
Great advice. Now do a video for my riding buddies who will ride across town to save $0.05/gallon on fuel for their $20,000 motorcycle.
I'll do this, but get gas when I leave work. there's like a .20-.30 difference per gallon between where I live near downtown and where I work 20 miles away
Just a excuse to ride.
I remember my grandfather saying he was getting a little bit of premium filling his old beater after a sports car filled up. He seemed excited for something that didn’t matter in the slightest for a 1986 Chevy Cavalier.
Sometimes, the less you know, the happier you are for better or worse.
Cavalier did not exist back then
@@estebanmena4332 the Cavalier was introduced in 1981 for the 1982 model year. Google doesn’t charge to look these things up before commenting on the internet.
I was just thinking about this a few weeks ago. I also decided I don't care at all. My 93 octane is now 92.8 octane.
Ridley’s believe it or not
Facts 😂
And considering most bikes actually only require 91 - it's fine.
Really it's higher. 93 is the minimum and accounts for retain from when we load the truck and had a different grade in the compartment before hand.
"You have a few options", and then I just saw this skit in my head of someone dispensing gasoline into the trash can next to the pump to clean out the hose 😂
I shit you not, I've seen videos of people squirting gas onto the ground before filling their car with premium to get all of the regular gas out of the hose
Saw something on Reddit recently just dumping some on the floor like an idiot
I appreciate how even though the overall messaging is that it doesn’t matter, you still give several options for people who care about it anyway at the end of the day.
Here in Florida Wawa gas stations sell ethanol free using a separate hose. I use it for everything (motorcycle, boat, airplane) except my car.
Here in North Carolina, some QT they do the same thing, sell ethanol free gas from a separate hose.
Just so you know we use the same compartment in the truck for all grades including diesel and ethanol free. Octane ratings are the minimums. There's always a bit of retain in the truck anywhere from 1/2 to 5 gallons. The fuel racks normally use the same hose for all similar products like all reg/prem or #1/#2/reddye. Only reddye is specifically purged from the line towards the end of fueling. Guess what I'm getting at is all grades and types have some mix but just like the same hose being used at pumps its so minimumal it doesn't even matter. Even the pipelines have mix. There's no physical barrier when pumping the refined from the refineries to the fuel farms that feed the trucks.
I was a Tanker truck driver in LA/Orange county areas for more than 20 years. Not all gas stations ⛽️ are the same when it comes down to product integrity. Some stations I’ve been too do not care about keeping the fills clean and making sure water 💦 doesn’t get inside. 99% of gas stations today use a system called a Vedor Root which monitors the tanks volume and supposed too shut down when water gets inside. And before dropping at a station I would always hand stick the Tank height manually and use KolorKut paste on the stick after dropping inside if water was inside the stick would come up RED color indicating water inside then I would write up for no further deliveries until it has been pumped out and cleaned etc.. The cheap station like mom and pop no names are the worst followed by Arco. I now work for a major oil company and test product in my lab before putting the Tanks to the load rack making sure the CofA matches octane is correct. Go to the clean higher price stations you will get better cleaner gas that won’t cost you down the road when your bike/vehicle needs to be serviced.
That hose has a lot less volume than I thought. I always used to purge the hose with a gallon or so into my car and then fill up a 5 gallon gas tank to take home and fill my bike. When filling the bike at a gas station, I always tried to get in line behind some kind of luxury car that I assumed was using premium gas. Thanks for this video!
There's a shared filter that also gets purged on top of the hose volume
Oh yeah sure😂
"water absorbing corn juice" 😂
Well put that is exactly what it is, it supposedly reduces emissions by 10 percent but I have done extensive amateur testing and it reduces fuel mileage by 10 percent. I may not be a math major but something smells here and it ain't the gas. PS, it was originally come up with to appease the eco crowd and pacify unhappy Midwest farmers. Has no useful purpose.
My vehicles have been running on it perfectly since 2009. I hope that it was said in jest and Revzilla don’t follow the odd American hatred of change.
Hatred of change isn't why people hate ethanol. They hate ethanol because it literally pulls moisture out of the air and clogs up the fuel systems with crystallized sludge. All while giving less energy density.
And of course it's a net negative, takes more diesel to produce than it replaces. But it's still fulfilling the main purpose it was pushed for 20 years ago, putting subsidy (taxpayer) dollars into Monsanto's and Cargill's pockets.
@@davidmatthews3093 I ran ethanol gas in every thing I've had 2 stroke and 4, never had one second of problem.
I'm glad you mentioned the Motorcross Bikes, I've had to fix a bunch of bikes, that wouldn't run right or were running hot, because they got a good gulp of trash can 87. Up here in Western Canada, our best pump fuel is Chevron 94 on its own hose. My Zx10R with a pipe and tune loves it, and feels crisp, sharp, fast and runs cooler than common hose 91. My Aprilia Dorsodoro 1200 doesn't care, as long as its 89 or better. Sometimes I will fillup my race cans with 94, so I can just fillup the 10R at home, before I go riding.
One thing that's worth noting if you didn't know, seems that in the last year or two, Canada wide, 94 chevron has ethanol in it now. I noticed it awhile ago when I went to get some and their "ethanol free" sticker was gone. Super sucky, now I'm looking at synthetic fuel or 100LL aviation gas for my small engine stuff. Just can't catch a break here.
My first job was pumping gas at a gas station and this never occurred to me until now. Great insight Ari!
If the residual hose juice is fine with Ari, it sure AF is fine by me!
That's a timely video. I have just seen on "r/motorcycles" a person emptying the gas left in the hose ON THE GROUND!!! These were good tips, Ari, thank you. I always get my non-ethanol on gas cans, and will put some in my truck before filling the cans up next time.
Questions I've always had, but convinced myself it was crazy to worry about.
Sheetz sells ethanol-free 91 on a separate hose. It's very nice.
Given my smallish gas tank in my KTM 390 Adventure, I will now be a little less likely to fill up at half a tank. If I only put about about a gallon of gas in my bike, and given the worst case length of hose, almost 1/4 of that gallon would be leftovers. Thanks for the info! I do not think it is too big of a deal, and it just requires a little rewiring of my habits :)
Just do a little math and fill up after a premium purchase.
@@kd350 I appreciate your input.
Just so you know we use the same compartment in the truck for all grades including diesel and ethanol free. Octane ratings are the minimums. There's always a bit of retain in the truck anywhere from 1/2 to 5 gallons. The fuel racks normally use the same hose for all similar products like all reg/prem or #1/#2/reddye. Only reddye is specifically purged from the line towards the end of fueling. Guess what I'm getting at is all grades and types have some mix but just like the same hose being used at pumps its so minimumal it doesn't even matter. Even the pipelines have mix. There's no physical barrier when pumping the refined from the refineries to the fuel farms that feed the trucks.
@@UHN-lg3em Interesting
Ari, you're leaving out the filter. Within the pumps are a shared filter which gets flushed with the selected grade. The filters can vary from car size oil or diesel truck sized ones. The filter alone can harbor up to a quart or more. That along with the hose, I am told by the pump techs, amounts to three quarts. Well we're paying a dollar a quart so you can watch your dollar amount and count the first three being regular. My BMW G450X which must run premium, on a top off may only need a gallon...3/4 of which could be regular. Or cruise around the pumps and do the math: $40 and less than ten gallons is good. $20 and less than five and so on. Or, gas up after another bike observing the grade. Been telling my mates, who don't care, for a year now.
It's as if the article was written without fully understanding how a gas pump works. But I do appreciate the effort they made.
I have wondered about this often.
At least where I live in Oklahoma statuons that carry ethanol free gas have it on a separate nozzle similar to Diesel. At a station with 8 pumps you would see 2 with an extra green hose for diesel and 2 with a red hose for alcohol free.
Sounds like an ancient way of delivery here in Australia 🇦🇺 we have different hoses for each option. So glad I live here
Never thought about it all my life. I don't care at all to be honest but still very interesting video. Thanks Ari! 😃
I do love the option of pumping a little bit into your vehicle first when filling your dirtbike or maybe an auxiliary container. I also love that who cares method too. Solid video.
Without watching the video yet, our pumps are separate from ethanol and non ethanol gas. Haven’t ever had an issue with ethanol clogging our atvs after sitting during the winter.
One other and easier thing you can do is just drive up to the various pumps and see what was last pumped and use that pump. Doesn't always work but with simple math you can figure it out by what the last purchase price displayed is since it gives you the total gallons pumped and the price paid.
i love the shop manual videos!
it be would nice to see them more often!
Not that I am terribly worried about it, but my usual gas station has individual pumps for each grade. When it is time for winter storage, I make certain to run a couple tanks from them before the snow flies to avoid potential water in the tank from the corn juice.
Fantastic information, I have always wondered. Now I do not need to wonder. Best to run it low before fill up which I do most often at the risk of running out. Then I hit a back woods gas station that has only regular. Happens every year to me on my Country Road trips. TANKS ( yup Mis spelled on purpose)
Here in south-east EU we have 95 and 100 octane, separate hoses. Also we pay in the station, where you have to battle with ungodly amount of chocolates, bon-bons, various sweets, car fresheners, cigarettes etc, before you actually get to the counter. Recently you get mandatory offer of coffe and hot dog to buy with your gas too
Interesting issue that I never thought about.
I go to a station that has a dedicated hose for non-ethanol. Mostly because it's usually a few cents cheaper than the others, partly because it's close to work, and just a little bit because it's it's own separate hose.
Here in Japan every station has hoses for each type: regular, high octane, and diesel. You have to ask the staff to fill up portable gas containers or vehicles on a trailer though.
Here in the USA, the only stations that I have ever seen straight gasoline have had their own hose. I can't remember seeing separate hoses for each grade of gasoline. Maybe they did when I was a kid in the 80s, but I don't remember it. Having separate hoses is so unusual here, that I was actually a bit flummoxed recently when I went to gas up my Vespa. If there is a second hose, it usually has a green handle and is for diesel. Both of these had a black handle, so I didn't think about it. I put my card in to pay and everything, chose Premium, and nothing would come out! Turns out, I had inadvertently picked up the alcohol free hose.
Never thought about this. Cool!
I was thinking why i never thought about it. In germany, every variation has its own pump and hose.
I had never really thought about it, but now I know why I didn't. Thanks Ari.
If your filling your 1 gallon can for 2 stroke mix it can matter a lot, otherwise not a big deal. Lots of small engines meltdown and warranties denied over this. The big green tractor maker made it mandatory for dealers to check for ethanol% before okaying warranty work on yard equipment because of blender pumps.
I’m with you, I don’t worry about it.
I tip the nozel down after I take it off the rack, in the event the last person did not clear the nozel. I dont like spilling gas on the car or myself before I go to pump.
My ‘02 FZ1 has 11.4:1 pistons, carburetors and runs great on 87, even in 110f heat.
Here in Maine some northern gas stations have what's called rec gas which is non ethanol and it has its own hose
Thank you, Short but useful.
I've always wondered about this but never worried too much. The ethanol issue does worry me a bit when it comes to winter storage though. I never thought to lurk around the pumps but I probably will this winter lol
To start off, I'm in the I don't care camp. However another idea for those who do care would be to use a separate gas can that's even larger volume that your motorcycles gas tank to even lower the hose percentage. Granted this doesn't help you on the go, but when I go to the track most people are bringing 5-40 gallon gas cans anyway where this would mean even less.
Thank you great info, some people believe that there’s up to a gallon in those hoses.
I always thought about that 😮
Thanks for explaining it. 😊
Short, sweet, and I learned something new! Thanks Ari, keep up the awesome vids
I'd always wondered how much other gas was left in the hose, thanks. Kind of a moot point now though since I'm rocking a Zero on my commute.⚡
Here in Australia each type of fuel has its own hose so that’s not a problem here. Something different is we fuel up first then pay.
I have a little luggage rack on my bike that I bungie cord a gallon container that takes the first gallon of premium gas. Bring it home for car or lawn mower etc.
Here in Australia, every variant of fuel has its own hose AND we pay for fuel AFTER we fill up, not before.
I had worried about this in the past. Thanks for the video Ari.
Thanks, Ari. You're my favorite motorcycle guru.👍
I'm a person that fears ethanol in anything with a carburetor, as in my lawn equipment, boats, small dirt bikes, a generator, and probably a couple of other things. Thank goodness a station near me has 91 octane non-ethanol gas on it's own pump, hose and nozzle. I gladly run anything in my fuel injected things though.
I never had a problem with ethanol in carbureted bikes. You shouldn't let any motor sit without fuel stabilizer for longer than a couple weeks.
@@aluisious Any of my carbureted street bikes over the years were fine with whatever I put in them, as I always rode them regularly enough 12 months of the year. However, it's a chance I'm simply not willing to take with small engines that may end up sitting for long periods. Ethanol really does a number on those, and it sometimes doesn't take but a couple of weeks to do it.
@@aluisious I fill up my Vulcan to the top with ethanol free 87 and drain the bowls before it sits for the winter. It seems to take it just fine. I may or may not run some seafoam through it come spring, but it's usually just happy to be ridden.
Great info as usual. Especially loved Ari’s cameo as the Phantom of the Unocal.
I either give the old sprits on the ground or use the fuel station close to home where they use 3 separate nozzles.
I run regular in my 2005 Honda CRF450X... almost 20 years later... It had well over 12k miles on the original motor (before I decided to do an overhaul) and I have never had to clean the carburetor (ever). The only thing I will admit is that every winter I add Stable to the gas tank and run it through the system.
...and just to mess with your heads a little bit more, when the tanker arrives, he'll be using common hoses for all fuel grades. So, when he tips 7000 litres of of diesel from pot 6 into an underground tank, drains the hose, then puts 7000L of UL from pot 5 into the tanks, there's commonly 4-5 litres of diesel residue left in the hose. Good news, that level of dilution isn't even slightly an issue.
All gas is 100 octane and during delivery tanker filling at the depot's loading station.
During final filling, various distillate,s are added until the current octane pump levels are reached.
This information is straight from the Driver's of the tanker delivery truck s
Where I live, non ethanol gas is always on a separate pump with an above ground tank of it's own. It's called Rec-90 here. All pump gas at the regular pumps have "corn juice" where I live. Very few stations carry it here. Currently Rec 90 is 5.39 a gallon, while pump gas is 3.29.
Tbh I think is less than those 18, 24, 30 fl/oz, a lot of people will keep the trigger open and shake the nozzle a bit inside the tank to stop the dripping from falling into their cars/bikes or even clothes/shoes. I remember when gas prices were bad enough that people grabbed the whole hose and lifted it for a minute to get every single drop out of there, funny times.
In my local area all the pumps that have non-ethanol fuel offered have their own separate hose & nozzle for the non-ethanol fuel selection. Most do however share another hose & nozzle for all the other octane grades of ethanol mixed fuels. 🙂
For winter storage, I top off all my bikes with ethanol free gas from a 5 gallon jug. I use this same jug for all my lawn equipment.
The one hose pumps disappeared in Denmark about 20 yrs ago... Now we have a dedicated hose for every fuel.
ive always thought about it but never cared enough tbh. cool vid with fun information
In Australia we have separate hoses everywhere. We have e10, 91, 95, 98 and LPG. i ran 98 and then 95. and i got better range on 95.
I tend to only fill 2-2.5 gallons in each bike after a couple days of commuting and then switching to another bike. The bike won't make another trip to work and that's when it's convenient to fill up 🤷 I could see this issue being more relevant with my c70 passport's 1 gallon tank, but I also only use ethanol free in bikes and I've never seen the hose for it shared with E10 or E15 fuels... Ultimately I'm not gonna worry about it, especially considering all my bikes will run on 87 🤣
On Long Island every octane or fuel type has to have it's own hose. It's common to see 6 hoses on one pump. It can be annoying when they get tangled.
Ari is literally the only reason I shop at revzilla...and I shop revzilla religously
Hi Ari, nice video, but one minor correction... it seems most stations I run across have only one nozzle. As we use these, the gas tank ends up getting more content of lower grade fuel, settling at around 8% of the lower grade; the less fuel you put in each time, the more effect. Still a small effect on octane, but can increase.
The real concern is if pumps start showing up where the E85 gasoline shares a nozzle with "normal" gas (often E10). These we will not use on our bikes.
Keep up the good work on videos!
In my area non ethanol is its own hose and at one gas station its on its own pump. Unfortunately the station that has its own non ethanol pumps used to be the 76 101 octane pump that I tuned my car for
Was wondering about this. Thanks for doing the math for us
Yo Ari, start your own channel. Too many self-proclaimed "creators" out there 'reviewing" motorcycles that can't ride straight down the street. There is only one dude out there doing real reviews, including weighing the bikes etc. but he's still not a professional like you with actual chops for riding and experience writing. Leverage your Motorcyclist Magazine experience. I'll be your first sub.
Luckily, in Australia, all petrol stations have individual hoses per available fuel and octane rating from E10, 91, 95 and 98 (all RON).
I've never seen a station with separate hoses around my area and there are no ethanol free except for a couple stations that sell race fuel. Those stations are too far out of my way to matter. I've never worried about it because like you said its not enough to matter.
Damn, I've been asking myself this question since I ride. I usually put the first liter in my SUV, so then I can fill up my gas jug knowing I only have 100% premium fuel... so I can fuel-up at home with premium only...
Former tanker driver here. You're not only still getting regular, you're also getting diesel in your premium. Tankers and hoses aren't bone dry between products.
@@AccountInactiveif people only knew how much retain there might be if the last place was on a slope lol 5 gal of #2 in that premium compartment lol
wait, Ari rides an XSR 900? Man of culture!
... also, I really wish I could get non-ethanol fuel here in Europe. There are a few pumps still selling it, but they are few and far between.
Though I am a firm believer in storing you carb'ed bike longer than 6 months should only happen with ethanol free fuel filled right to the top of the tank and float bowls manually emptied...the concern about the water absorbing corn juice itself humors me. I am just old enough to remember the bad old days when frozen fuel lines were a thing on that first extended cold snap each winter. How long has it been since you heard of that happening (mostly for us Midwesterners)? That is because of a combination of most ancient underground tanks having been replaced by statute (less water leaking in) and that 3-10% ethanol absorbing the condensation that naturally forms in less than full tanks instead of letting it accumulate over months until someone gets unlucky enough to suck in a slug of water right before turn off their car before a cold snap.
It took me way too long into this video to realise all three countries I’ve lived in all use one hose per pump and it doesn’t apply to me at all lol
Just so you know we use the same compartment in the truck for all grades including diesel and ethanol free. Octane ratings are the minimums. There's always a bit of retain in the truck anywhere from 1/2 to 5 gallons. The fuel racks normally use the same hose for all similar products like all reg/prem or #1/#2/reddye. Only reddye is specifically purged from the line towards the end of fueling. Guess what I'm getting at is all grades and types have some mix but just like the same hose being used at pumps its so minimumal it doesn't even matter. Even the pipelines have mix. There's no physical barrier when pumping the refined from the refineries to the fuel farms that feed the trucks.
Can you do a follow-up review of Zack's daily riders, focusing on the maintenance of those bikes? Reliability, how easy it is to work on them, etc.?
In Belgium every fuel has it's own hose. I find the Us system interesting ^^ , never new this
Funny, I never thought of this as a problem.
back in college we did a project with our recherche engine, it couldn't tell the difference between regular and premium from the same station, it doesn't matter. other than that the cheaper the station the higher the octane. the local valero beat out the shell and chevron beyond the error margin.
the cheaper the gas the more people buy it the more often its delivered the fresher it is. same with the regular and premium from the same station. i just run costco regular in everything and nothing pings.
Hahaha. I've been right all along. I will go further and say that I don't like to splash and dash. Try to at least buy 1/2 a gallon or more. For the Grom, I use 100 octane race fuel only. Having a PC helps maximize that octane's potential.
I think all (certainly most) fuel stations in UK have separate hose pump units. It certainly would not do to mix petrol and diesel fuels (our units sell two sorts of petrol and one diesel) - because I’ve been reliably informed that contrary to common opinion those two DO NOT mix together, so you could pick up a little diesel (or petrol) here and a little there and end up with enough to really cause trouble in your engine.
I've never seen a shared hose for gas and diesel here in the U.S.
It’s good to know it doesn’t matter much. But I like that my favorite seller of ethanol free premium has separate hoses for that product.
Id argue what matters more is the age of the gas. Winters coming up so im switching to nonoxy to clean out the ethanol in my system. Our local pumps 2 seperate hoses, one for ethanol and one for not. Well, that gas I just pumped didnt exactly smell fresh. Gotta figure non oxy premiums sells far less often than the cheap 87 stuff, so its likely to be more stale.
As far as sensitive engines with smaller fuel tanks go, a simple solution would be to fill up Jerry cans which I feel most people do anyway for convenience. Only the first Jerry can would have a negligible amount of lower grade gas by dilution, and any additional cans would be of the grade you want. Combining Jerry cans with initially priming the hose into a vehicle, and even the first Jerry can will be "uncontaminated". Frankly, I've never considered the hose issue at all, and I agree it's mostly a non-issue.
I always try to get behind a BMW or Mercedes at the pump. Most of them use high octane.
FYI midgrade is just a blend of the two tanks.
some places have dedicated midgrade tanks. but then the mixing is just done at the rack.
I wish you had also done an analysis, drawing non eth gas and testing for ethanol perhaps. The calculation you perform is “worst case” based on total volume of the hose after the manifold. When I pump gas into my vehicles I always see fuel drain (top down) after the pump clicks off. If the manifold allows air in at the top of the hose, after the pump clicks off, the hose can fully drain. I would like to believe this is necessary as I expect the customer is paying an amount for the gas pumped to the manifold. Perhaps a discussion with the manufacturer of the pump could show whether my theory (the hose does drain) is accurate, or not. But, perhaps like you, the issue is not of great concern for me (on my street bike) and the effort required, to analyze the mechanical aspects of the pump, may be great.
In Korea we have 3 different hoses for gasoline high-octane gasoline and diesel
I've been saying this for over 10 years.
And I would always go to Old Fashioned pumps where there was one pump per product.
But it's almost impossible nowadays to find old fashioned pumps
I tend to be a little more cautious around hear. Our hoses tend to be 3/4 or larger and most my bikes have small tanks. though usually i will just pump a little into each gas can to even out that first bit or in my race bikes and snowmobiles i just run 100ll no ethanol and guaranteed to be good fuel.
I didn't know that some places use one hose for all. Quite interesting.
Former tanker driver here. You're not only still getting regular, you're also getting diesel in your premium. Tankers and hoses aren't bone dry between products.
Ever see a delivery driver stick that long measuring stick into the underground tank? He's not only checking fuel level, but also for how much water there is, and there is always water.
Again, and no one is paying me to say this, Helix 5 in 1 Racing Additive! It is the only readily available fuel treatment that emulsifies water so that it will pass through the injectors properly. It also claims to add 2 octane to your fuel. I have been using it for 3 years now and not one single fuel related issue.
Always water? In Diesel maybe, or in Ethanol-free, but your not finding water in E-10 gas with that stick.
@@jimstenlund6017 All fuel storage tanks have water in them, it's the nature of condensation, some have water due to age and/or ground seepage.
As water is heavier, it sinks to the bottom of non ethanol fuel tanks, pick ups for the pump are not right on the bottom so as not to pick up water or other contaminates.
Scrupulous operators will have their tanks cleaned periodically to maintain quality fuel to the consumer.
Ethanol is hydroscopic, so instead of the water sinking to the bottom it stays suspended in the ethanol fuel, hence the tanker driver or fuel station operator applies a paste to the dip stick which then identifies if the fuel is contaminated with water and needs to be pumped out.
@@Anoldphotographer ethanol does exactly the same thing
@@jimstenlund6017 When I drove tanker we had to start checking for water once ethanol was introduced. Didn't even look before that lol. That was the gas stations problem. However, I did have stations that would over order on regular and then try and get you to dump it in their premium tank. First time it happened I thought they might have just ordered too much. When they did it again a couple of days later, I realized they were trying to rip people off as their regular tank wouldn't even take a thousand gallons.
I still blend my pump gas with non-ethanol VP C10 in my bikes.
Thankfully, my local station that sells ethanol free “recreational” fuel has a dedicated hose on that pump.
All the ethanol free pumps here in nc have dedicated hoses.
There is a gas station here in Utah where Ethanol free is its own separate hose
That’s why the gas stations where I live have separate pumps for non ethanol