Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site reed.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!tektronix!reed!kehoe From: kehoe@reed.UUCP (Dave Kehoe) Newsgroups: net.cycle Subject: Re: Gasoline quality Message-ID: <2473@reed.UUCP> Date: Sat, 8-Feb-86 14:03:21 EST Article-I.D.: reed.2473 Posted: Sat Feb 8 14:03:21 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 04:42:47 EST References: <196@sagan.UUCP> Reply-To: kehoe@reed.UUCP (Dave Kehoe) Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon Lines: 32 Keywords: gasoline cycle As I understand, on January 1st the lead in leaded gas was lowered from 0.5 grams per gallon to 0.1 grams per gallon. The EPA tests showed that even the oldest cars, with soft valve seats, suffered no damage from the low-lead gas at rpm's under 3000rpm. Apparently, all Japanese bikes from about 1975 on have hard valve seats, and run fine with the new gas at all rpm's. But what should I do with my '72 CB450 (please -- no replies like "Push it off a bridge" :-))? At 60mph, the engine turns over at 5000rpm (yes, 5th gear on a CB450 is higher than 6th on a GPz550). Someone said there's a lead additive I can put in the gas -- I haven't seen this. Seriously, though, all these years I've owned the bike, I've been saying to myself that I won't buy a new bike until the "Lead Sled" finally dies. Deep down I'm hoping this low-lead gas will kill it; I suspect that the new gas will just make it sound even worse, and it'll keep on living. If you call that living (remember the old Jewish marriage broker joke -- the marriage broker assures the groom that the bride's father is no longer living, and a year later the husband learns that his wife's father is alive and in prison, and he goes to the Jewish marriage broker, saying "You said her father isn't living!" And the marriage broker replies, "Surely you don't call that living.") By the way, the reason your Yamaha dealer told you not to buy Shell gas is that Shell sells fuel to the South African army, and so is being boycotted here. -- "Why my thoughts are my own, when they are in, but when they are out they are another's." -- Susanna Martin, executed for witchcraft. Dave Kehoe tektronix!reed!kehoe (503) 230-9454 (h) 684-3314 (w)