Could E10 adversely affect your motorcycle engine?

Have you noticed any difference in your engine performance since switching to E10?

E10 petrol is, as it says on the tin, petrol with a permitted 10% of ethanol added to it. E5, obviously, has 5% ethanol added. Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from crops, rather than a fossil fuel distilled from excavated crude oil and the idea of adding ethanol to petrol is to reduce CO2 emissions.

When E10 was introduced, the Government claimed that increasing the ethanol content in petrol from 5% to 10% would cut UK carbon emissions by up to 60%. Part of this figure comes from carbon offsetting, from growing the crops which are used to produce the ethanol. The theory being that these crops, while they are growing to provide the ethanol, are supposed to absorb CO2 as they grow (but would something else be growing in the field , if not wheat or beet for ethanol? Well probably yes, and even a fallow field full of weeds would be soaking up carbon emissions).

But…can E10 cause problems for motorcycles?

Well possibly yes. The average age for bikes in the UK is over 14 years old. When E5 first came in, it was thought to be the maximum amount of ethanol that conventional petrol engines could safely take. Adding 5% more ethanol brings potential problems for older motorcycles. Even the Government itself states that vehicle compatibility could be a problem…

“…vehicle compatibility has been the main barrier to the introduction of E10 so far. Not all vehicles have been approved by their manufacturers for use with fuel with more than 5% ethanol. This is because higher blends of ethanol can cause corrosion of some rubbers and alloys used in the engine and fuel systems of some older vehicles.”

However, deciding to plough on regardless, the Government says that this problem will diminish as people get modern machines which are designed to be compatible with E10. Motorcycles don’t actually even seem to feature in the Government’s plans.

Ethanol can be a problem for bikes however, as it burns at a different air/fuel ratio than petrol. Most cars are fuel injected, have an oxygen sensor and a three-way catalytic converter which can compensate for this. Motorcycles are less likely to have these and many were made long before ethanol was even a thing fuel-wise.

Ethanol also absorbs water from the air and this can lead to corrosion as it draws water into parts of the motorcycle fuel system which weren’t designed to cope with it.

One other salient factor which is contra indicated in the use of E10, is that ethanol itself is a solvent. Unfortunately engine components made of plastic, fibreglass and rubber can cope fine with pure petrol, but can be melted by ethanol. Many bikes have plastic fuel tanks so, as you can imagine, that could be a problem. In America, which has been using E10 for longer, some fuel tank distortion has been reported, presumably in bikes with plastic or fibreglass tanks.

Have you noticed any problems with your bike from using E10 or is there no noticeable difference that you can see? Feel free to give us your opinion if you’d like to.

Japan Is Thinking About Changes To Motorcycle Classification

125s could possibly be reclassified as mopeds or motorised bicycles in Japan

New thinking in Japan is suggesting that motorcycles up to125ccs, should actually be classified as motorised bicycles, going forward, instead of motorcycles. The thinking behind this seems to be that anyone could then legally jump aboard a 125cc bike – bicycle that is – and zoom into the sunset. Currently the focus group in Japan and Japan’s National Police Agency, are looking at machines which make less than 15bhp as some de-restricted two stroke 125s in fact make more than 15bhp. The new classification of ‘motorised bicycles’, would only apply to powered two wheelers up to 125ccs, which make less than 4kW or 5 bhp – nothing too powerful.

Currently, as we have covered in previous articles, UK motoring groups are trying to change the confusing motorcycle testing laws here, so this would provide an interesting addendum to this. If the classification of motorcycles was different, then the whole testing system would have to change as well and would that be a good thing perhaps? Not that this is going to happen here but it is interesting to hear about other countries thinking outside the box.

Upgrade To Stainless Steel

New Caliper Kit For Late Yamaha
FJR1300 2006 – 2020

TRK is one of the first manufacturers to release an upgrade kit for the later models of the Yamaha FJR1300. A front twin caliper kit and a rear caliper kit are now available. Stainless steel brake pistons not only provide a substantial improvement over stock pistons, but also offer massive savings over OE pistons which, up until now, were the only option.

• Stainless Steel Brake Pistons
• Piston Fluid Seal
• Piston Dust Seal
• Shaft Boots
• Stainless Steel Bleed Nipples
• Bleed Nipple Covers
• Copper Washers

Lifetime Guarantee On All Stainless Steel Pistons
TRK are the one of the first to offer a lifetime guarantee on the stainless steel piston range, against corrosion, pitting and the elements……MORE

Fitting: Yamaha    FJR 1300 A/AE/AS  2006 – 2020
Replacing OE part numbers 
3P6-W0057-00
3P6-W0057-10  
3P6-W0057-20 and 1D7-W0057-00

Rebellion In The Ranks re EU 2035 ICE Vehicles Ban

GERMANY AND SOME OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE DEMISE OF THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Dutch Engineer Gijs Schalkx methane motorcycle

As you probably know the EU is bringing in a combustion engine ban from 2035 in an attempt to keep emissions down to meet targets designed to combat global warming. Many countries have already signed up and are committed to the ban including: Denmark, the UK, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland and the Netherlands. But there are some dissenting voices and they’re getting louder, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary are now allied against the EU’s ban.

The above countries want combustion engine cars to carry on after 2035, even if this is in a carbon neutral way, believing that it’s the emissions which are the problem, not the combustion engine itself. They see the solution as finding an alternative to carbon rather than banning the principle of combustion engines. Toyota is one firm which believes that there are other alternatives to combustion engines and it is not simply electric vehicles alone which offer a solution.

Germany is another country which sees alternatives. When talking about this issue, German transport minister Volker Wissing said:
“A ban on the combustion engine, when it can run in a climate-neutral way, seems a wrong approach for us.” The countries which oppose the ban want an exemption after the cut off date of 2035 for ICE cars which are able to run on carbon-neutral fuels. There are a lot of alternatives to petrol or electric cars in the pipeline, as companies race to get ahead of the ban – historically some of the other fuels which have been developed, or are in development, are hydrogen and hydrogen cells, there is even a compressed air and a solar powered car, the Lightyear one.

Companies like JCB in the UK are working on converting their diesel engines to hydrogen combustion engines. In effect they will still be heavy duty combustion engines but the fuel burned will not be petrol.
The bottom line is that the countries which are rebelling would like a less cut and dried solution and moderation of the ban to allow some other carbon neutral options, other than just electric cars. Germany believes that existing vehicles should not automatically be made obsolete, but a way should be found to keep them on the road just converted to use other less harmful fuels. Here’s an idea we wrote about a couple of years ago, a swamp gas methane powered motorcycle – think it could catch on?

So the EU and the US want the sale of new combustion engines banned after 2035 but the opposition is growing which might lead to a political stalemate and problems between nations over the issue – we shall see. How do you feel about this issue? Let us know…

New Test For Sleep Deprived Drivers

A BLOOD TEST FOR TIREDNESS IS BEING DEVELOPED, AIMED AT KEEPING THE ROADS SAFER

You tired? Nah!

There’s a new test coming out in the next couple of years – in the form of a blood test – which will show if drivers or riders are too tired to pay proper attention to the road and are in fact too sleepy to operate their vehicle safely. There are many risk factors on the road, drink drivers, drivers using their mobile phones and now tired drivers is being factored in as a red flag for other motorists and motorcyclists.

The new blood test, pioneered in Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, will reveal how long the person being tested has been awake for. It is apparently 99% accurate in showing when people have been awake for more than 24 hours. The way it works is interesting, there are apparently five bio markers in the blood which can be tracked and used to see how tired the person being tested actually is. The Monash University research was done in 2021 on real drivers doing tests after different levels of sleep. Drivers who had only had three hours sleep were shown to be up to 10 times more likely to be in a crash, than those who had had eight hours sleep.

Go Back To Bed, Sleepy Head
Drivers driving while very tired, is already acknowledged to be a serious cause of road crashes and research has shown that someone being awake for up to 17 hours before driving, can be as impaired in their concentration and reactions, as someone with a 50mg/100ml blood alcohol level!

Exhaustion is cited by police research as being a factor in 2% of serious vehicle crashes, but so far there hasn’t been an accurate test for tired driving so it has been difficult to exactly pin point the effect of tiredness on drivers, so they could be worse than they appear to date. Two road safety organisations, RoSPA and Brake, are convinced that driving while tired could be a contributory factor in maybe as much as 20% of accidents. It would appear that driving on less than five hours sleep could be as dangerous as being over the drink drive limit.

This doesn’t look as though it is going to mean the beginning of randomised road side tiredness testing anytime soon – more likely a post incident blood test should be available in around two years and a pre-emptive test will have to wait around five years.

Sounds Useful?
The Chair of the BMF, Jim Freeman sounds broadly in favour, saying:
“This sounds useful. We always recommend taking breaks and not riding too long, bikes have been compared to flying light aircraft and helos in terms of the levels of awareness and mental demands made, it’s an active thing to do. Modern cars, with driver aids, on the other hand positively encourage drivers to go to sleep, so this is something whose time may have come. ”

All this apart however, it is not without its problems to introduce mass driver fatigue testing. Firstly laws would have to be brought in to legislate on unacceptable levels of exhaustion and a way found for people to check their tiredness against the proposed limit. It is also potentially difficult to create a negative public atmosphere against tired drivers, when most people will have driven tired at some point in their lives, due to circumstances which may not always be under their control like having a baby or toddler, being a carer, having sleep problems, working a night shift etc, the list is long.

Deep Sleep
We’d all prefer to have had a wonderful eight hours peaceful sleep but are not always able to achieve this, however much we might want it. Sadly, being tired is not currently grounds for a day off work, so driving or riding when tired is sometimes an inevitability. Bringing this testing in would also lead to further large scale adjustments in working patterns for example employers might have to ensure that no one felt obliged to drive, ride or operate machinery on the way to, or at work, when they were too tired.

There are many concerns out there on the road, when surveyed, riders and drivers cited drink-driving, use of mobile phones not just to talk to someone, but to check social media, and tiredness while driving, as all being on the list of factors which could lead to accidents.

Thoughts?
How do you feel about this idea? Are you in favour as you will feel safer on the road, or does it seem too problematical to enforce on a daily basis? Have you ever ridden your bike or driven a car when you were tired and if so, was it a necessity? We’d be really interested in what you think on this one, as it is travelling along on its way to us soon…

Black Steel Top Racks

An ergonomic design constructed from steel which is strong and durable, with a black weatherproof finish. Provides a secure and stable mounting point for a motorcycle top box or luggage. Installs on most motorcycles, without requiring extensive modifications or specialised tools.

Fitments cover some of the most popular 125cc scooters and motorcycles on the market.

AG2529  RRP £67.50 Honda    CB 125 R CBF 125 Neo Sports Cafe  2018 – 2020
AG2521  RRP £75.50 Honda    MSX 125 D Grom    2013 – 2014
AD7970  RRP  £55.50 Honda    PCX 125    2010 – 2013
AG2521  RRP  £75.50 Honda    Z 125 Monkey    2018 – 2021
AG6504  RRP £90.08  Yamaha    N-Max 125/155    2015 – 2019

Rack design will vary depending on make and model of motorcycle or scooter.

Slow down you move too fast, got to make the morning last

New equipment designed to spot riders and drivers who slow down for the speed cameras is on test in Spain

Nathan Harrison in action above – lucky there are no speed cameras around 😀

In the spring of last year new speed cameras began to be trialled in Spain, which can detect, not only a vehicle’s speed but also if a vehicle is braking sharply just before it passes the fixed speed camera, to give a false impression of its overall speed. This is an initiative designed to tackle the high mortality rates on Spanish roads, by slowing drivers down and preventing them from exceeding the speed limit between cameras, when they think no one is looking. Currently Spain uses a combination of fixed roadside cameras and mobile cameras attached to drones, to patrol the roads and spot speeders. Apart from the drones though, it is generally easy for riders to evade speed camera attention, by just slowing down when one is spotted in the distance and then speeding up again once they have passed the camera. Riders and drivers who regularly use the same roads, learn where the cameras are and slow down when they are approaching them.

The new devices being trialled consist of two cameras a short distance apart, which can see further down the road and cover a greater distance travelled, thus spotting behaviours like vehicles driving over the speed limit and just braking where the speed cameras are. They are basically behaving more like average speed cameras rather than fixed speed cameras. They are reputed to be able to detect if a vehicle gets back up to speed after passing the camera, as well as when they are approaching it.

It will be interesting to know the follow up to this trial and whether drivers and motorcyclists will actually be more likely to be caught speeding, or whether they will just learn the range and whereabouts of the new camera system, perhaps after a couple of tickets, and simply adjust their behaviour accordingly to avoid them.

Any thoughts on this one? Do you always stick religiously to the speed limit or are you guilty of slowing down for the cameras? Done any speed awareness courses lately?

Let us know your thoughts on this one.

Waiting For The Gift Of Sound And Vision

Noise Camera Trials Are Under Way In Four UK Cities

The idea of noise cameras has been around for a while now and we have covered this story before, both in France and when it was mooted here in the UK in 2019.

A few global events have taken place since then which seem to have put it on a back burner but, like Michael Myers, it is far from dead (It was October after all).

On October the 18th a new-age listening and watching road camera was installed in Keighley in Bradford and others will be trialled in Bristol, Great Yarmouth and Birmingham. The idea is that the ‘noise camera’ will identify and track drivers who rev their engines or use modified exhausts and just sound too loud.

The new technology uses video cameras alongside a number of microphones, to identify excessively noisy vehicles as they pass the camera. The camera will both take a picture of the offending vehicle and record the noise level it is hitting, to compile a record of the offence and then the data will be passed to the police for a prosecution and a fine. The areas chosen to place the noise cameras were decided via a competition which took place in April and the technology used in the noise cameras was tested at a private test track. MPs across the UK applied for the cameras to be trialled in their areas and once the technology has been fully tested on site and proven to be successful, it will be rolled out across the country.

Noise Levels At Loomies? Quiet As A Mouse

Noise cameras were previously tested in 2019 at Loomies Moto cafe in the Meon Valley to try to catch motorcyclists heading that way, but the number of motorcyclists caught being too loud was actually very low  – after 12 days the camera only recorded three noisy bikes during that time. The total number of cars exceeding the noise limit was 751! The other camera was placed near the Beaulieu Motor Museum, timed to co-incide with the New Forest VW Santa run and it only heard 115 noisy cars and just one motorcycle out of 51,941 passing vehicles.
The conclusion of this trial from the report was as follows:
“The noise camera trial found that while it may be possible to objectively identify driving styles from acoustic data, further research is required to identify objectively those that are ‘excessively noisy’. From an enforcement perspective, to enforce against excessively noisy driving styles, the noise camera would need to demonstrate that, beyond the balance of probabilities an offence has occurred. Obtaining data on driving styles is difficult as they are highly variable and may not withstand legal scrutiny if applied to an enforcement noise camera. It is considered that adverse driving styles are best enforced using current methods or by using the noise camera to detect an excessively noisy vehicle without further distinction.”

The practice director of Atkins Jacobs Joint Venture who are developing and testing the tech said:
“The real-world trials of the technology solution the Atkins Jacobs JV has developed and tested on the track is an important step for the scheme towards solving a problem that affects many communities across the UK.
We are fully expecting the trial in these four chosen locations to confirm what we have seen in testing, which is a highly targeted use of technology to ensure only those motorists making excessive noise will be subject to enforcement.”

So, barring another global pandemic, it looks as though this listening tech will soon be popping up far and wide across the UK.
Any more thoughts on this? Are you in favour of a crackdown on noisy engines and disturbance of the peace or do you think it is just another example of how Big Brother is watching you?

2021-22 Tests Are On The Up At UK Motorcycle Test Centres

RECORD BREAKING NUMBERS OF FOLKS ARE TAKING THE TEST TO GET OUT ON TWO WHEELS

Yipee I passed

The zeitgeist of the times seems to be motorcycling. During 2021 and 2022 a record number of motorcycle tests were taken in the UK, according to figures released from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Despite hikes in fuel prices, which no one can have missed of late and the increased cost of living in pretty much every area, 67,511 motorcycle riders took their Module 2 (on road) test between April 2021 and March 2022 and 72% of them passed! This is well over the record set in 2012 – 2013, 2000 more up on it in fact as reported by the BMF (British Motorcycling Federation). Compared to car drivers too this is a great result as only 50% of those taking car tests actually passed.

Playing Catch Up
One factor which may be influencing these high figures though is the fact that test centres are working overtime to clear up the backlog of tests which had to be put on hold during the pandemic. During that long period, test centres were only opened for essential workers to take their tests, so many folks who wanted to do their test then were unable to and are all playing catch up now. In an attempt to catch up, the DVSA has employed more examiners and brought in tests at times when they were originally closed i.e weekends and bank holidays.

Ready, Steady, Go!
In fact the test centres are under so much pressure to get through the queue of people waiting to do their tests, that the Government wants learners to wait until they are really ready, rather than try before they are good enough and fail multiple times. Apparently at the moment in around 20% of car tests the examiner has to literally physically intervene to prevent an accident! Blimey that’s a bit scary!
In an attempt to counteract the time wasting which test failure involves, the government is introducing a new scheme, mainly aimed at car drivers, called ‘Ready to Pass’.

They think you’re ready when:
*       You don’t need prompts from your driving instructor
*       You don’t make silly mistakes behind the wheel
*       You consistently pass mock driving tests
*       You can control your nerves
*       Your driving instructor says you’re ready to take your test
The Government Ready to Pass website contains tips and information to help learners pass – although going by the figures – motorcyclists are ahead of the game with the 72% pass rate already, so it may be of limited use for them.

Sadly though, despite the rise in numbers of people taking their motorcycle tests, women are still under-represented, with only 8.2% taking the Module 2 test. However it does seem that more women are moving into motorcycling and more already take the Module 1 so hopefully this should filter through to the Module 2 eventually.

The chairman of the BMF, Jim Freeman said:
“Great news, the increase in female riders particularly, it may not sound like much, but compared to a couple of decades ago, that looks like real progress. Anything which breaks down barriers is a good thing,”

Have you taken a motorcycle or car test recently? If so how did you find it and did you have to wait eons to get to the top of the queue? We love a test story so tell us yours if you have one 🙂

It ‘Ain’t ‘Alf ‘Ot Mum

“PACK YOUR WATERPROOFS, WE’RE OFF TO WALES FOR SOME TRAIL RIDING.”

Good Times Had By All

For the first time EVER we didn’t need them. Got just as wet, if not wetter, but from the inside out as opposed to the outside in. Blimey it was mighty warm.

This trip consisted of three days following the TET (Trans European Trail). Starting in Llanidloes, mid-Wales, heading west towards the coast, then north and up into Snowdonia.

The Mount Inn, Llanidloes was where we stayed the night before the ride began. You know how all the descriptions of hotels etc brag about a warm welcome? Well at the Mount Inn we certainly got one and thoroughly recommend this hostelry to anyone stopping in the area.

The Road Less Travelled

Our last TET jaunt was in eastern France at the beginning of June. Whilst being a great little trip, the riding could not be described as particularly challenging. Well………this was to prove a contrast in a number of places.

Anything But Direct
Our first day’s target was Machynlleth, a whole 20 miles on the road from Llanidloes. Of course our predominantly off-road route was anything but direct. We started a little late after a false start and it took us a good number of hours to reach our destination. One reason is the number of gates we needed to open and close, a theme for all three days. Similar to, but probably not as extreme as the Northumberland section of the TET we did last year. In the blazing sun it soon became a chore getting on and off the bike and goodness, how grateful was I for an electric start? How did we do this stuff before the start button and GPS?
Anyhow the riding and the views more than made up for the minor hardships.
We pitched our tents just outside Machynlleth at the Gwerniago campsite which had good facilities and was friendly.

Still Waters Run Deep
The next morning our first trail was a mile or so from the campsite. It went in a steep, upward direction with plenty of those loose stones and rocks that are designed to offer a degree of challenge.
Now just because it was hot ‘n’ sunny don’t be thinking there wasn’t any water about, this was Wales after all and everywhere it was very green with streams and puddles all over the place. Most were no problem but there was one, as ever, that was a problem and I found it when my front wheel disappeared into a hole. A big hole. We were on the top of a moor at this point and we took a few moments to take off our sweaty hats and jackets, before thinking about how to extricate the water bound KTM. Then, to our amazement a couple of guys in running gear with numbers on their shirts appeared and as luck would have, it one of them had one of those long walking sticks people use these days. They stopped to chat and we borrowed the walking stick to check the depth of the puddle (lake). It was deep, so reversing out was in order.   

Every Picture Tells A Story

Turns out these guys were doing a 250 km race over five days. It was tempting to say they were crazy but they jogged on and we were left to struggle with my bike in the heat so who was the craziest?
I recall Milky noting that in the first two and a half hours we had managed a little under 10 miles. Not bad eh? Apart from that we progressed well for the rest of the day, all be it with a few more knarly climbs.

A Bridge Too Far?
The view down across the valley to Barmouth was stunning and when we got down the hillside there was a neat surprise, the route took us across a long wooden bridge next to the railway line that spans the impressive estuary and into the centre of Barmouth. Quite a bizarre experience as the other people entitled to use the bridge are pedestrians and cyclists.

A Bridge Too Far?

We headed back into the hills after lunch and our next dramatic view was across another bay towards Portmeirion which is an incredible village made famous by being used as the set in the late 60’s cult drama The Prisoner. “I’m not a number, I’m a free man”. We didn’t visit this time coz it costs money and we were too hot and sweaty to go walking around in riding gear, next time. Also, we were disappointed not to see any Rover bubbles chasing escapees. You have to be a certain age….

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the mountains of Snowdonia, don’t really need to say a great deal about this section, you can imagine how magnificent the riding is up there.
Our day ended in a campsite a few miles outside Betws-y-Coed. A quick word of warning, this is an expensive town, even the fuel was 10p a litre more than everywhere else we came across, but apart from that, it was lovely.

Tall Tale

Our third and final day was spent in the hills north and south of the A5 heading towards the town of Llangollen and the to Chirk and after that, the route turned back towards England. Here we decided to part ways. Milky rode off to visit his son and family up near Liverpool and I went to stay with some friends in nearby Oswestry. Both of us had hot ‘n’ sweaty rides back to the south east the next day.

Re-routing…
I reckon it might be better in future to do the route from north to south as that would mean a gentle start, with the trails getting more challenging as the ride progressed. The other thing to bear in mind is that we were on relatively big trail bikes, me on the LC4 and Milky on his 790, both with luggage for camping etc. On more than one occasion I thought that my little CRF 230 would have been the better choice but where would I put the camping stuff? And the 200 miles each way might prove a tad tedious too. Choices, choices. Either way we had a great ride through some stunning countryside. Roll on the next trip.
Have you been, or are you planning a trip to these trails or anywhere similar? We’d love to hear what you are up to…