What gas to use?????

[Cane]

Well it makes sense now, But as far as knowing what you are really filling up with, we don't know either.There are supposed to be people that drive around to stations on avg and full up a blank tank to make sure you are really getting what you pay for and testing it for what ever it stating it is. Least thats what they tell us..lol

[maskale]

Portable octane analyzers (testing equipment) are available, but their use by the public is limited due to a cost range of 2-10 thousand dollars.
For more information on octane analyzers visit Shatox or Zeltex company websites.

[Ivan Jelev]

Well round here we have two choices about 100 octane petrol-OMW or Shell V-power,sometimes if I can`t afford myself 100octane I ride with 98,we don`t have here anything below 96 so I`m pretty surprised about those numbers 87 and so......

[cosmo]

i guess you're from europe? don't forget USA has different octane numbers(i belive it's AKI or sth like that). the rough-up is you add 4 octane points to get to EU (RON) equivalent. 87 aki=~91RON.

not sure about this, though, but as far as i know, americans use 2 octane testing methods, COR and COM (hell if i know what they stand for), and divide their sum by 2. you also see the rought up method used when it is specified (R+M)/2. Europeans use only COR reading..


as far as octane testing.. i guess i'll do the average joe test... get a tankfull of cheaper gas and see if i get any knocking. hopefully not. i wouldn't mind the savings that come from that   now i just gotta wait for the rainy days to end so i can get rid of the full tank

[Jeff]

As much as I despise Wikipedia, the article there on Octane is pretty good.

Simply put, higher octane PREVENTS pre-detonation (aka "pinging") whereby during the compression cycle of the motor, the gas & air mixture gets compressed.  That compression causes HEAT.  The heat can be so great that it will ignite the fuel/air mixture before the piston reaches TDC and the plug fires a spark.  When that happens, the motor "knocks" or "pings" and it loses power & is pretty hard on the motor.

Conversely, an octane TOO HIGH, will not burn completely and will burn much slower/cooler than a "correct" octane.  When this happens, it leaves deposits and robs the engine of power & economy.  So those people who feel they need to run 110 octane fuel in their stock motors are not only wasting money, they're killing mileage, losing power and damaging their motors. 

The consumer though is basically an idiot and will buy what they "think" will "clean out the motor", "give more power", etc.  A few years back I think it was exxon that was sued to have the phrase "Put a tiger in your tank" removed from their premium fuel advertising because it was misleading customers into buying higher grade fuel than necessary.

High octane doesn't clean shit, it doesn't give more power.  UNLESS, the motor is designed for it.  Then, of course, it wouldn't necessarily be "high octane", it would be "CORRECT octane"...

The correct octane is the lowest level you can use without predetonation.

[oxtar41]

"The correct octane is the lowest level you can use without predetonation."

That was the best statement about the "fuel debate" I have ever heard +1

[maskale]

ox make that your sig.   

i dont see how so many people run premium and are convinced their bike runs better. When all you have to do is read for a few min and learn the truth.

[cosmo]

lots of missinformation, maskale, and so nicely packed and sold to you don't even notice it.

the ideea is that i never heard about the "fuel debate", and since i read the thread about this, i talked to some of my friends, and they almost didn't belive me.(kinda of like the problem you have explaining the countersteering to an average sunday rider who swears it's all in the butt) the ideea is so common that ppl take it for granted that a higher octane=better, faster combustion. hence the wrong ideea (as i now see). besides that, comercials with "shell v-power racing" featuring an f1 car don't exactly point you in the right way. not that i can blame them, to them, it's pure profit. the problem is that it -seems- so logical, that you don't even WONDER if it's wrong.

i've skimed through various romanian bike forums and found out that my old prejudice are common place. what i read here though makes so much sense i am astonished by my own and my fellow countrymen's ignorance in the matter. i guess i'll make it a goal to bring the stray sheep back to the flock

wish i could put +1 karma on this thread. instead, i'll thank all of you guys.  +1 to the lot of you who opened my eyes

[Cane]

You know, I put 87 octane in my tank since I ran the 91 oct out. And to tell you the truth, i didn't feel to much of a difference until I was in a enclosed  area and hit the throttle. It seemed to have a better response, and burned "cleaner"...what I mean by cleaner is that when I would run the 91 after each ride I would have a hint of fuel to my jacket, like I sat behind my own bike and basked in the exhaust. Not that I don't mind smelling like a full tank of freedom lol....But with the lower octane being used I didn't have that smell on the jacket which to me seems as if the motor is actually burning it "cleaner" or completely during detonation, so I can see that with out actually tearing apart a motor all the things have made sense, and put miss leading information aside. 

Jeff, I have read a few things off wiki and its more numbers and mathematics when it comes to Fuel usage and proper Octane consumption, that it becomes one article against another. Thank you to every one, Jeff, Maskale, Cosmo, everyone thanx for the info and making things clear, it's better to ask those who ride the Bikes then those that read about them  and never rode one..

[Jason748]

For those of you wondering the differences between US Octane ratings and Octane ratings in most other parts of the world,  The are three "ratings" that you need to know.
RON = Research Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Number
PON = Pump Octane Number, also referred to as RdON (Road Octane Number) or AKI (Anti Knock Index)

The difference between RON & MON are the conditions in which they are tested.  Then there is PON which is the average of the two.  I know in Europe, South Africa & Australia they use RON numbers on their pumps and in the US & Canada they use PON numbers on the pumps, hence the reason that the two are different and can't really be compared at face value.
I did a quick search and here is a link to a explanation and table showing the differences:  http://www.btinternet.com/~madmole/Reference/RONMONPON.html

[Cane]

Damn J, thanx for the info and research. +1.....To bad we can't put this in FAQ section or sticky it for things you should know before you Pump Gas lol...

[cosmo]

agreed, this would be an excelent sticky

[seancusmc]

I put ONLY this stuff in my gas tank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs

[mission68]

I have been using 93 octane in my 87 honda elite150, I might need to bring down the octane......no wonder I blew the header bolt off, lol!!

[Jeff]

I have to run 93 in my zuma, but its compression ratio is something like 16:1 now with the mods =)