Lower ethanol blend sought for motorcycles

A lower ethanol blend of three or five percent has been proposed to the Philippines’ Department of Energy (DoE) to serve the requirements of carburetor-fed motorcycles. In a correspondence channeled to the DoE’s oil industry management bureau, the motorcycle industry raised concerns about the compatibility of 10% ethanol blend (E10) to their engines. They cited potential “material incompatibility of the fuel to their carburetor systems,” hence, the proposal for the oil companies to make available gasoline with lower ethanol blends. (September 29, 2009)