From: druth@erg.sri.com (Doug Ruth)
Subject: Re: White gas (was: Re: Riding with Gas)
Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 18:55:52 GMT

In article <1992Nov19.161247.15368@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> fist@iscp.Bellcore.COM (Richard Pierson) writes:
>In article <1992Nov18.180452.11122@i88.isc.com>, jeq@i88.isc.com
>(Jonathan E. Quist) writes:
>|> In article <Bxx74B.8HI@world.std.com> kdg@world.std.com (Keith D
>|> Gregory) writes:
>|> >In article <1992Nov11.190254.8516@rtsg.mot.com> svoboda@rtsg.mot.com
>|> |> >(David Svoboda) writes:
>|> >>
>
>|> Stuff from David deleted
>
    More stuff deleted
> 
>|> Coleman fuel (or generic "camp stove fuel") is supposedly white gas
>|> with additives to keep the burner clean.
    More stuff deleted
>|> I'm wondering if, in an emergency, a gallon of stove fuel with some
>|> lead substitute would work as a motor fuel.
> In an "EMERGENCY" you could always try it, however it would have to
>be an "EMERGENCY" and not an "emergency" if you know what I mean, I
>would not risk a $grand+ just to find out.


Well, I can testify that a `91 BMW R100GS/PD can run on Coleman fuel
for at least 5 miles with no bad side affects.  On my trip to Alaska
this past summer (of which I've submitted a few posts) I ran out of
gas, due largely to my own "stupidity".  Yes, that despite having the 
claimed (see below) 9.3 gallon monster PD tank.

To set the stage:  I had already been to Skagway, AK.  While there, I 
stashed the bike for a couple of days in the backyard of a waitress I
 had met in a local bar and did a 3 day, 32 mile hike of the Chilkoot
Trail from Skagway to Lake Bennet back in the Yukon.  Anyways, to get
back to Skagway after the hike, I rode the really cool White Pass &
Yukon Railroad.  Note I said "really cool"; this was to be a factor in
my later fuel starvation problem.   OK, fast-forward several days and
I'm back on the Beemer and heading north in the Yukon where it so
happened that Chevron (gas company for those who may not be familiar
with that company) had a promotion going on whereby if one filled-up
with at least 25 litres they would stamp this little "passport" book 
they gave you and with every 4 stamps you could get a "cool" (note the
tie-in to my train ride) poster of the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, of
 which there were 4 different posters.  So the challenge was to plan
my fuel stops so that a nearly empty tank (remember the 25 liter
caveat) coincided with a town having a Chevron station.  I actually
got pretty good at it, also finding out in the process that most
station attendants would stamp my book if I put in anything over 20
liters, and several would stamp it multiple times for only one fillup.

OK, the incident: I was on heading north from Whitehorse up to Dawson City.
I pulled into a Chevron-less town and faced my dilemma. I hadn't gone
on reserve yet, but knew I was close to that point judging from my
trip meter and the mileage I had been getting.  However I also knew
the next town has a Chevron station and I estimated I could make it
there and pick up a valuable stamp in my little book.  So off I went.
Well I think it was about 5 miles out of town I went on reserve.
This was going to make things a bit more interesting.  You may ask,
why not just turn around and go back to town.  Well another
idosynchrosy of mine (in addition to free WP&Y Railroad posters) is I 
don't like to turn back.  Dammit I'm heading north, and hell if I'm
going to turn around for something as minor as a near empty gas tank.
So I continued on north, however moderating my speed from the previous
75 mph to a more fuel-efficient 55 mph.  Well I made it to within 5
miles of town before the Beemer sputtered and died.  Shit!  Now what.
Do I try to push it to town?  Do I hitchhike into town?  Or, voila, do
I see if the Beemer will run on the Coleman fuel I have in several of
those red spun-aluminun fuel containers bungeed to the back of my
bike.  Being a mechanical engineer who remembered very little from my
heat transfer and combustion classes way back in my undergraduate
days, I quickly decided to try the latter.  So I poured about a quart
of Coleman fuel into the huge PD tank, opened the choke, and hit the
starter button.  The Beemer fired right up!  Wow!  I hopped on and
made it into town where I filled up with Chevron and got another
precious stamp in my little book.

Running out of gas allowed me to discover that BMW was a bit
optomistic about fuel capacity;  the claimed 9.3 gallon PD tank only
holds 8.7 gallons.  And there have been no after effects of running
the Coleman fuel in the 6000+ miles I've put on since then.

And yes, I managed to get 3 out of the 4 White Pass & Yukon Railroad
posters! 

-- Doug Ruth         | druth@erg.sri.com  | SRI International
-- '91 BMW R100GS/PD | Work:(415)859-3860 | 333 Ravenswood Ave.
-- AMA #: 197665     | Home:(415)962-9808 | Menlo Park, CA 94025
-- 


-- 
-- Doug Ruth         | druth@erg.sri.com  | SRI International
-- '91 BMW R100GS/PD | Work:(415)859-3860 | 333 Ravenswood Ave.
-- AMA #: 197665     | Home:(415)962-9808 | Menlo Park, CA 94025
--