What the heck can we do about E10 and, at some petrol stations the cheap E20 fuels? Everything I read talks of the bad effects – hotter running, leaner fuel/air ratios, water-absorbing, rubber and gasket-eating – of the E10, E20 and even E85 fuels.

I believe all this totally, certainly for any older motorcycle. I have a early 90s BMW and I guess it gets destroyed by this crappy ethanol containing fuel.

I'm not an ethanol fan also. For regularly used modern motorcycles equipped with galvanized fuel tanks, evaporative loss systems and fuel injection, it is no big deal. So what is the problem…

For fuel tanks made of fiberglass, plastic, or bare steel, it has been a slow motion disaster. The stuff evaporates so fast and varnishes so heavy that you will become an expert at clearing idle carburetor jets in no time.

It is even worse for two-strokes. The fuel separates and along with it the oil in the fuel you thought was lubricating your engine. Nice. One less-than-optimal batch of fuel, a good hard run, and before you can back out of it, your trusty two-stroke will ventilate a piston or worse…

If you have found a petrol station that still sells 95 octane benzine use it as much as possible. Even if you're forced to use gasohol use fuel from the larger petrol station brands. This will help to minimize the quality of what you are running through your engine. Always use a fuel stabilizer for ethanol fuel.

Drain your fuel tank after running whenever feasible, especially if your motorcycle is to be stored for more than a couple of months (for the raining season as example). Install a fuel cutoff valve if not so equipped, and run the float bowls empty when possible.