Fuel Used

[KillBill]

I have been running the highest octane in
my 600 and at $3.50/gallon am wondering
if I will hurt my bike if I alternate between low
and high grade.

What is everyone else here putting in their steeds?

Thanks in advance

[Pigman]

Same fuel diff level of octane nothing wrong with running the lower grade in my Gizzxieroni...

[jwm2k3]

Not telling anyone what to put in their bike, but I would never use the cheap stuff. Whats the difference in a 4 gal fill up? Two dollars?

Im my F150 however, I use the cheap stuff....24gallon tank.

[Ericthejet]

I run regular unleaded with no ill effects.

[Rossy83]

With my ZZR I believe it voids any warranty using regular. 90+ Ocatane only. 20c/gal more at 4gal is 80c plus you get slightly better gas mileage with the better gas.

[TLRMan]

Run what they tell you to run...Higher octane does nothing unless you have the compression and ignition lead set for it.
Cheap costs doesn't mean it's a lower grade fuel

High octane fuel corrects the detonation issues. It does not "add" horsepower.
It actually burns slower.
If the bike doesn't knock and ping, run the lowest you can in it.

[KillBill]

Thanks for the information everyone

[RyanNicholson]

High octane fuel corrects the detonation issues. It does not "add" horsepower.
It actually burns slower.

i think thats the most hilarious myth i've ever heard, i love hearing people say they put 93 in their car and it "felt like a rocket ship"

[RandyO]

run the octane that your owners manual calls for

if it calls for 91 or 93, then you gotta run premium or you'll prollly have detonation

most new bikes can run on 87/regular unleaded, combustion chambers are so well designed that heat is evenly distributed and premium is no longer "required" for high compression

[evile]

i think thats the most hilarious myth i've ever heard, i love hearing people say they put 93 in their car and it "felt like a rocket ship"

I used to have a Saab, if you ran regular gas the ECU would retard timing and reduce turbo pressure to keep it from knocking. This reduced HP and when you filled it up with 93, it would feel like a rocketship again.

But the bozo who thinks running 93 in a car built for 87 is going to make it faster...RETAHDED.

[RyanNicholson]

I used to have a Saab, if you ran regular gas the ECU would retard timing and reduce turbo pressure to keep it from knocking. This reduced HP and when you filled it up with 93, it would feel like a rocketship again.

But the bozo who thinks running 93 in a car built for 87 is going to make it faster...RETAHDED.

part 1: fine w/e

part 2: thats what i was thinking...haha

[Ericthejet]

With my ZZR I believe it voids any warranty using regular. 90+ Ocatane only. 20c/gal more at 4gal is 80c plus you get slightly better gas mileage with the better gas.

If ever their was a bigger myth I'd like to know. Lower grade fuel in 99% of all cases will deliver better mpg only if the engine was designed to run on lower grade.

[OreoGaborio]

If ever their was a bigger myth I'd like to know. Lower grade fuel in 99% of all cases will deliver better mpg only if the engine was designed to run on lower grade.

His engine wasn't designed to run on lower grade.

His ZZR has a 12.8:1 compression ratio. Kawasaki says "use 91+ only".

[XVTer]

I run 93 in my R6. Haven't even tried running anything lower.

[Ericthejet]

It would seem like a question with the answer already in hand?
Id the book says 91+ then run it. Would the manual also mention why not to use a lower grade?

[Jayspeed]

+1 on anyone that said what ever your vehicle manual tells you to. Thats all you need. Advancing the ignition timing on your engine will require higher octain is an example to get "the good stuff". Don't waste your money.

[BCT748]

It would seem like a question with the answer already in hand?
Id the book says 91+ then run it. Would the manual also mention why not to use a lower grade?

There is only one real reason not to use lower octane fuel in higher compression motors, knock. The higher the octane the more resistant it is to detonation. Lower octane fuels can detonate in high compression motors just because of the heat produces by compression, like a diesel. If it does this the expansion from the detonation can cause the piston to be pushed down before it has completed the compression stroke. Which in turn can cause the motor to jump time or parts to break. Using high octane in a motor that has low compression is bad too. Because the motor was not designed to burn as hot you may not be burning all of the fuel in the cylinder which can result in lower MPG, loss of power and carbon build up.

[wookie]

The speed triple says 91+. I've used 87 and heard a little knocking. Nothing with 89+. I usually use the 91 or 93.

I put 93 in the sportster once...made it into a friken rocketship






(just kidding). Seriously though, the sportster manual says 87 is okay and I've never had a problem running the cheap stuff.

I know there is a bid difference in compression between the two bikes, but I was still surprised.

[MotoFreak]

There is only one real reason not to use lower octane fuel in higher compression motors, knock. The higher the octane the more resistant it is to detonation. Lower octane fuels can detonate in high compression motors just because of the heat produces by compression, like a diesel. If it does this the expansion from the detonation can cause the piston to be pushed down before it has completed the compression stroke. Which in turn can cause the motor to jump time or parts to break. Using high octane in a motor that has low compression is bad too. Because the motor was not designed to burn as hot you may not be burning all of the fuel in the cylinder which can result in lower MPG, loss of power and carbon build up.

I take back every mean thing I said to you in your introductory thread...well played sir...

Run the good stuff- 91/93 only in my baby.

[Josephd14]

Pick one fuel and run it, do not alternate.. if it runs fine on 87 and doesn't ping or knock, then stop wasting your $.40 a gallon, even if you did get more horse power or waht ever on the street which you don't, does it really matter in a bike that will do 150+ Mph no matter what you run in it..

[Bandit12k]

There is only one real reason not to use lower octane fuel in higher compression motors, knock. The higher the octane the more resistant it is to detonation. Lower octane fuels can detonate in high compression motors just because of the heat produces by compression, like a diesel. If it does this the expansion from the detonation can cause the piston to be pushed down before it has completed the compression stroke. Which in turn can cause the motor to jump time or parts to break. Using high octane in a motor that has low compression is bad too. Because the motor was not designed to burn as hot you may not be burning all of the fuel in the cylinder which can result in lower MPG, loss of power and carbon build up.

very concise, and exactly right.

i run 87 in my Bandit

[KillBill]

Right from the service manual


FUEL, OIL AND ENGINE COOLANT RECOMMENDATION
FUEL (FOR USA AND CANADA)
Use only unleaded gasoline of at least 87 pump octane (R/2 + M/2) or 91 octane or higher rated by the
research method.
Gasoline containing MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether), less than 10% ethanol, or less than 5% methanol
with appropriate cosolvents and corrosion inhibitor is permissible.
FUEL (FOR OTHER COUNTRIES)
Gasoline used should be graded 91 octane (Research Method) or higher. Unleaded gasoline is recommended.

[Bowflex]

I run no lower than 93 octane in my 07' ZZR. I made the mistake of putting 91 in it once...she hated me for a week. Also with the concentration of Ethanol in the fuel getting higher I use a fuel stabilizer to smooth everything out.

[Honclfibr]

I run no lower than 93 octane in my 07' ZZR. I made the mistake of putting 91 in it once...she hated me for a week. Also with the concentration of Ethanol in the fuel getting higher I use a fuel stabilizer to smooth everything out.

I think you need to take the folger's challenge.

[BCT748]

Right from the service manual


FUEL, OIL AND ENGINE COOLANT RECOMMENDATION
FUEL (FOR USA AND CANADA)
Use only unleaded gasoline of at least 87 pump octane (R/2 + M/2) or 91 octane or higher rated by the
research method.
Gasoline containing MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether), less than 10% ethanol, or less than 5% methanol
with appropriate cosolvents and corrosion inhibitor is permissible.
FUEL (FOR OTHER COUNTRIES)
Gasoline used should be graded 91 octane (Research Method) or higher. Unleaded gasoline is recommended.

America and Canada use a different way to measure octane than most of the rest of the world. We use an average between the research octane number and motor octane number. Most of the rest of the world just uses the octane number to determine the octane of fuel. The motor octane number is a rating of how the fuel reacts under load so it is a little more accurate.

Why are you even thinking about using 87 in your bike? The price difference isn't that much when you do the math out. Lets say it costs an extra 40 cents per gallon for 93 and you have a 5 gallon tank. You are only going to be spending an extra $2.00 per fill up. lets say you ride from April to September and you fill up once a week. That means you will fill up your bike 26 times and will cost you a whopping $52.00 more than if you used 87. I think I would rather spend the extra 52 bucks a year rather than worry about jumping time or breaking something in my motor.