Alcohol fuel and bicycle engines

**Norman** · #1 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 05:00 PM

Guys
You all want more power speed etc. Alcohol has been talked about in the past on other forums. I'll tell you all a little that I know about it. It is lower in BTU but you can cram more in the cylinder for each power stroke that is one of the reasons for a power boost. You and run very high compression as it will not detonate like gasoline will and more but i don't want to go into detail.
Ok now the down side your mileage will go to heck. The stuff will eat fuel lines and seals. It will also eat the aluminum. It likes water and will draw water out of the air and rust up the internal bearing or any steel parts. You need to use a special oil in the premix oil as your regular oil will bead up and not mix. Caster oil will mix the last bottle I bought was $8.00 for a pint. Some synthetics will mix but all cost more than the oil for gas. Some synthetics cost about $20.00 a gallon or more. You all getting the urge not to use alcohol yet? Its recommended to drain the alcohol out of your engine after every use and flushing it with gasoline to keep the alcohol from eating up the engine and to stop the rusting of steel parts that will follow. That means even the fuel tank. Last time I bought alcohol fuel it was over $3.50 a gallon and that was 7 years ago.
So you still want to use it?
If it catches fire in the day time you will only know you are on fire cause of the extreme heat you will suddenly feel that can't bee good. You will not see the flame, at night it burns a pretty blue.
Nitro you don't want to mess with. That will cause you more trouble than its worth instant engine melt downs if used wrong or nasty explosions.Its not cheap either. Fumes can contain nitric acid and that will eat lungs and skin. I don't know if you can buy the stuff pure any more in bulk after 911 unless you have a nitro burning fueler or a licence for the stuff . I haven't tried. You might even get on one of those watch lists if you do buy some.
Did I talk any of you out of it yet? I hope so. But if you just got to try alcohol I warned you. I still have a alcohol fueled go kart and would like to sell it PM me if your interested. I could modify a stock carb to run on alcohol by drilling the main jet and testing but I'm not interested in doing that right now. When alcohol and the Castor gets cheaper than gasoline and its oil I'll go alcohol but not until I'm sure of it. Something for you all to think about. If you want to smell and hear alcohol and nitro go to the NHRA drags you will be blown away and you won't trash your engine.
Norman

deacon · #2 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 05:19 PM

I'm about to introduce alcohol to my blog but in a different way. There used to be a magic trick when I was a kid. You could soak a cotton ball in I think a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water then light it. the liquid would burn off and leave the cotton ball untouched. That was a good trick.

**CRUISER** · #3 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 05:59 PM

i am going to introduce some alcohol to my lips lol.
my thought is fast burning fuels are not good for a bicycle engine or any other engine unless you are made out of money and have lots of time on your hands to keep replacing the engines. yes we all want to go faster but their is a limit which can be reached without going to very hot and explosive fuels.

**Bikeguy Joe** · #4 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 06:31 PM

Norman, I couldn't have said it any better myself.

**Ilikeabikea** · #5 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 06:38 PM

I been with Norman a time or two when he introduced alcohol to his bloodstream. It's a fun show...............................

Easy Rider · #6 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 07:12 PM

The only thing I don't like about alcohol is it you need to change your fuel lines b/c it will melt regular fuel line. Has anyone tried alcohol with their stock carb? Just wondering if it will work.

**Norman** · #7 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 07:46 PM

It will work if you drill out the main jet but don't do it it will wreak your little bike engine I mean that in a very sincere way.
I too am testing the effects of alcohol in the bloodstream tonight.
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAa. good and cold. if I get enough in me I'll try that trick soaking my underware in alcohol and lighting it on fire isn't that what you said to do? DEacon

Normie

**Ilikeabikea** · #8 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 08:09 PM

Rumor has it Norman and Cruiser are, while we speak, doing some experiments with alcohol. I think they may even be trying the cotton and fire trick too. Hey Normy now that would make a great video..................

**CRUISER** · #9 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 08:38 PM

yup i am enjoying myself tonight. got beat up bad at work. planes everwhere then the military decided to go up and play in the a-10's. not fun at all mixing students in single engines with military fighters. famous words "tower was that for me"

**Ilikeabikea** · #10 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 08:56 PM

I got a buddy I've been riding with some that is trying to get over his fear of ATC. It's pretty funny. Uh, er, ah, uh, uh Amarillo approach. He holds the button down a minumum of 2 seconds before he starts talking. I feel for you guys....................