102 octane racing fuel.

[lukeb1961]

"lead in fuel is bad for people's health!", when its fundamentally not true.

It is FUNDAMENTALLY true. Are you going to disregard the accumulative neurotoxicity of lead? Perhaps you are showing symptoms?  FFS.

[Nathan S]

Linkage?
Lead as (used to be) found in paints etc is undeniably nasty stuff.

I looked a few years ago, and found nothing meaningful about direct health effects from lead in fuel. Lots of vague statements to be sure, but nothing even remotely technical/scienfitic

If I am suffering from it, its from handling solder, not breathing it in...

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaded_petrol (look at the bit titled Toxicity). This is a bit clearer than anything I read at the time, however, I've also read stuff that questioned the actual concentrations from vehicles, etc.
Further, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning strongly suggests that fuel is (was) only a small contributor to lead in the environment.

As I originally stated, we have ULP because its good for catalytic converters, not because its good for our health.

[ChrisACT]

The hydrocarbons and other nasties present in unleaded fuel are a darn sight worse for your helath than the lead in leaded fuel is/was.

Catalytic converters only work for about 20,000kms (at most) before they stop doing their job properly and they also only work after they're hot.

Your unleaded engine on it's cold start sequence with a cold catalytic converter is cranking out clouds of incredibly toxic stuff.  That's why, years ago, they started bleating in the media about how you should start your car up and drive away immediately instead of hanging around to warm the engine up.

It was to avoid the nasties in the new unleaded fuel.

They also discovered that lead levels in childrens' blood started to decline when they stopped using leaded paints.  No such decline was measured when they switched to leaded fuel.  On that basis, it would seem that blood lead levels have stuff all to do with fuel.

By the way, how many of you are running a catalytic converter on your VMX bikes?

I'd have thought the answer would be NONE!!  Which means that for the sake of your health and the health of other riders on the track with you, you're actually better off running leaded fuel.

[suzuki27]

Motorex  make a "Valve Guard" lead substitute.  1ml per 1L. Designed for new sceaming 4 srokes to help extend valve life and I have heard from people who should know that it works a treat. When I am running ULP 98 in my old 2 strokes I add a bit as well, no problems .It says it replaces the lubricating effects of lead and cleans the entire fuel system- I am a bit dubious about the last statement, but hey it is made in Switzerland.The ingredient is n-Paraffine.
 What is the report from those that have tried the VP fuel?

[ChrisACT]

Motorex  make a "Valve Guard" lead substitute.  1ml per 1L. Designed for new sceaming 4 srokes to help extend valve life and I have heard from people who should know that it works a treat. When I am running ULP 98 in my old 2 strokes I add a bit as well, no problems .It says it replaces the lubricating effects of lead and cleans the entire fuel system- I am a bit dubious about the last statement, but hey it is made in Switzerland.The ingredient is n-Paraffine.
 What is the report from those that have tried the VP fuel?

Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant is another good one.

[CamP]

I really don't understand why anyone would take pump gas, add expensive and potentially dangerous chemicals to it in an attempt to make something that is crap to start with a good racing fuel. Seriously, 100LL is a good racing fuel that contains 2 grams of lead per US gallon. It's readily available, improves 4T valve life, resists detonation in hard running 2T's and yields excellent throttle response. It's inexpensive compared to race gas too. Unless you are getting gouged on the price, there isn't a good reason not to run it.

[micks]

what`s for sale again ??

[Nathan S]

I really don't understand why anyone would take pump gas, add expensive and potentially dangerous chemicals to it in an attempt to make something that is crap to start with a good racing fuel. Seriously, 100LL is a good racing fuel that contains 2 grams of lead per US gallon. It's readily available, improves 4T valve life, resists detonation in hard running 2T's and yields excellent throttle response. It's inexpensive compared to race gas too. Unless you are getting gouged on the price, there isn't a good reason not to run it.

The reason not to run it, is because its really difficult to purchase for most of us.

Sniper edit:
The rest of this post is probably redundant waffle - I'd delete it if it hadn't taken so long to type out...
The short version is that Avgas is hard to buy, illegal to use in most circmstances, more expensive than the premium pump fuels, and not as good as the true race fuels.


Our civil authorities point-blank banned the on-road use of leaded fuel a few years ago (2002, IIRC).
Obviously this didn't worry people with race bikes/cars, as they weren't using them on the road, but the sellers of Avgas got very nervous about being fined (and its a big fine) for selling it to non-aviation people, so many of them began to refuse to sell it.

At about the same time, the motorsport bodies (CAMS for cars and MA for bikes) realised that mandating unleaded fuel was a good PR move (  ) and banned the use of leaded fuels in modern race vehicles. In the case of CAMS, they also enforced the civil requirement for rally cars to use unleaded fuel (as they travel on public roads).
The other motivation, was to fall in line with international standards, so any local competitor who wished to compete at an international level, could do so with their "Australian spec" vehicle (this includes International events on Aussie soil, not just Aussie hopefuls travelling overseas).

So... You can only get Avgas if you own a plane, or you can prove that you are going to use it in a historic race car/bike. Even then, some airports are highly reluctant to sell it to non-plane owners, which is the last thing you need when you're on the way to a race meet.
They often also charge a significant premium to non-aviation buyers.

Further, the low-lead Avgas wasn't available in Australia last time I looked (and I'll admit to not looking lately due to the above hassles).

[CamP]

Interesting, we have similar, but untrue, rumors floating around here in the states that it's illegal to sell avgas yet I can walk into any one of the 12 airports within 20 miles of me and fill my fuel jugs with 100LL avgas. Most of the stations are even self serve. I would suggest that if you really want to run a good leaded fuel like 100LL, make a trip down to your local municipal airport and talk to them about it first hand. Tell them that you are interested in purchasing it for your off road race bike and see what they have to say. It's worth the effort. I would be surprised if they would not sell it to you. Here in the states we have some of the strictest emissions standards in the world and it's still legal to sell 100LL to anyone as long as it isn't used in a road going vehicle.

I shopped around and found it for $1.13aus per liter at the cheapest airport near me. Reminds me that I'm almost out and need to make a race gas run!

[Nathan S]

The airports are where the dramas begin.

I can't recall what MA does, but CAMS have a log book system for owners of historic vehicles. Some airport staff are highly dubious of even this, and will still refuse to sell to sell you avgas.

For better or for worse, Australia is far more heavily regulated than the USA, particularly when it comes to things like fuel and aviation. While some people live in areas (typically rural areas) where they're a lot more easy-going, the majority of us simply don't have easy, reliable access to avgas.

The choice to use fuels other than avgas, is not simply for a lack of trying.

[CamP]

I guess I just wouldn't assume anything until you inquired directly about it at your local municipal airport/s. It's worth the effort if you are successful.

[ChrisACT]

MA used to use a log book.  (They did last year).  That means you had to have a log booked historic racer that is legally allowed to run avgas in the class it races.  You show the dudes at your fuel supplier the log book and they sell you the avgas.

I have heard that this year, you only need to be a member of the club (in my case it was the PCRA) and you could buy avgas.