| Author | Message | ||
     Mtdan |
If one runs regular, mid-grade, premium with no pinging or detonation, is premium a must? What factors dictate the grade of gas to use? Does outside temperature effect the need for higher or lower octane in any way? I find no performance differences burning reg vs. premium. Thoughts? thanks. | ||
| Spacecapsule1 |
here's a bit of info from a current thread on the xb forum: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/640370.html?1309980645 basically, run the lowest octane you can as long as you don't have any pinging. since our buells don't have knock sensors they can't take advantage of different octane gas by altering timing to control ping. that's a simplification of matters but close enough to answer you question i think. | ||
| Union_man |
Manufacturer specifications call for Premium....so that is what I use. That being said, I have been forced to use Regular and Mid grade gas when no Premium was available. When I have done this the bike runs rough at first and then will seem to get better. Knock will kill engine, usually slowly. | ||
| Eulysses |
Many of us Uly riders are a bit deef and won't hear knock. Be careful! | ||
| Swampy |
The price difference between 4 gallons of premium and regular is probably $1. A top end is like $1000, plus labor and heart ache. I will pay the difference at each fill up. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
I thought the owners manual said to run regular but my Ulysses pings when I do so I always burn premium in mine | ||
| Griffmeister |
Time to get a new owners manual. Mine recommends 91 or higher octane. | ||
| Conchop |
100 octane race gas if you can find it. Lean running cammed up sportster motor gets happy. Premium on a dedicated dispenser and hose. best bet! | ||
| Hootis29 |
We have the Ethanol variable in MN, so I try to find the non-oxygenated stuff if possible, but at 54000 miles and counting, I have probaly used as much regular 87, as I have anything else. I also try to find stations that sell "top-tier" gas, it sounds like a gimic, but it is better gas. Also keep in mind when your traveling off the beaten path, how fresh is the higher grade stuff that not many people buy. My .02 | ||
| Ourdee |
I prefer to go get 11 gallons for the uly. First gallon goes in the 1 gallon can for the lawn mower. The next 10 go into two 5 gallon cans. I hate pumps that use one hose. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Ethanol does seem to increase the octane numbers. I used 89 all day yesterday and it never pinged. It was a nice cool day in the northern NH/VT mountains though. When it's hot or I am carrying a passenger, I don't mess around; I just get the best. | ||
| Wbrisett |
The sad part is, there is no standard for octane ratings in the US. I've seen mid grade pegged at 89 and premium at 90. I've also seen mid grade at 87 and 88 and premium at 97. Totally crazy. I wish there was some real standards for this stuff. The scary part is people are pushing to allow 15% ethanol in gas. According to all reports, 10% is about all you want to push small engines (including some cars, and all bikes). Which means, we could be on the hunt for fuel at times. | ||
| Spacecapsule1 |
our bikes don't adjust timing curves on the fly so you'll gain nothing from all the fancy fuels except missing dollar bills. might not seem like much at first, but if you ride your bike a lot and fill up every 2-3 days, those extra bills add up. I'm curious why 87 doesn't ping on my bike and so many others say they get ping? I even have the race ecm. If you can't hear pinging you can feel it too... | ||
| Sprintex |
I ping on premium,06. | ||
| Svh |
Last summer I missed a large gas station on a ride in northern WI. Got plenty to make it to the next one I thought. Well the next one, with light on and 28mi on fuel odo, was the typical Earls Fillin Station. Non-digital pumps and 2 grades. 87 and diesel  Well that was the only time I had ever run 87 and it made a big difference to me. Not only did the bike run rougher, it pinged and seemed to run much hotter. I only filled half way up so I could mix in some 91 at the next mega station. Could have been the octane or the gas may have been tainted I guess. I always get premium now. Less than $1 difference between a tank of each just not worth it to me to skimp | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Anybody try 15% Ethanol? I run 10% every fill up here in the midwest. | ||
| Froggy |
I'd love to try it, haven't seen it offered anywhere yet. My first 06 pinged on 87, my second 06 will run it fine. Not only is 87 cheaper, you get better fuel economy too. If your bike isn't tuned for the octane you are running, you are just wasting money. | ||
| Froggy |
They don't make a difference. Ft_bstrd contacted a pump company (Gilbarco I believe), they said only about a quart of fuel remains in the hose, and doing the math on a 3 gallon fillup of 93, you still will have an average of over 92 octane. | ||
| Wbrisett |
Before putting 15% ethanol into your bike... read these: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/alternative-f uel/biofuels/e15-gasoline-damage-engine http://www.jsonline.com/business/104917099.html http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/additive/e15/42 0r11006.pdf Bottom line, 15% ethanol is harmful to small engines and the EPA recognizes that... Wayne | ||
| Froggy |
Thats great, but we aren't talking about small engines. | ||
| Wbrisett |
Read the links. Every one of them including the EPA agree that Motorcycle engines and 15% Ethanol can lead to damage. Do as you want, but you won't see me putting 15% Ethanol into my bike. | ||
| Froggy |
Yep I did. First link says don't let gas sit in the tank. Well duh. Second link says "Boat engines, lawn mowers, snowmobiles, motorcycles, generators, chain saws and other small-engine equipment could be permanently damaged from using a 15% ethanol blend rather than the 10% found in most gasoline" without any reasoning why its ok in cars and not in anything else. It goes on about corrosion, but it will happen with even straight gas. The last link is 130 pages, so I'll have to dedicate some time to check it out. I'd run my bike on E85 tomorrow if it was around here. It isn't hard to convert to it, but the lack of knock senors would limit my ability to tune for various mixtures. | ||
| Etennuly |
I have found over many years of experimenting with fuels, that a vehicle like my Tahoe that burns gas with no remorse, putting regular in it does save some money compared to premium. It does run enough better on premium to make about three quarters of a mile per gallon difference in mileage, not enough to matter. In my bike, boat, lawn mower, weed eater, generator etc. I only run premium. From an engineering stand point I don't know what they put in it to make a difference, but regular gas will dry out and gum up a fuel system that has been sitting dormant for a few months. Premium has always let my engines fire up and run well after setting all winter. My boat sat with a full tank of premium for two years. It started right up with no detriment to the carburetor or any of the fuel system. My Buell has never had a ping problem, but then I never have run regular in it. On the other had I have had regular gas left for three months in the lawn mower and it would not start until I put in a new diaphragm fuel pump, filter and disassemble and clean the carburetor. All of the rest of the season's ends it was parked with premium in it and always fires right up. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I let my 2 cycle engined lawnboys sit outside all the time under the deck and all winter. They start right up in the spring come mowing time and all I ever use in them is 10% ethanol blend with the requisite oil. Never use premium in anything. Nothing against it but the price. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
I change fuel with temperature. When the high temperatures are running 70f or lower, 87 is fine. 70f to 100f, I'll up the octane to 89, above 100f, I go to 91. I've noticed that octane ratings are affected by altitude. Locally, Chevron premium is rated at 91, in Flagstaff (7000') the same fuel is rated at 90. At that altitude though, the air is thin enough that octane demand seems to be lower. | ||
| 7873jake |
Sunoco stations around here stock a 104 and 112 but its generally over $5/gal. Always wondered what my Honda push mower would cut like with 112 in the tank...or my B&S edger. | ||
| Eulysses |
Octane cools 2 strokes. Might be same for 4 strokes. I buy a 30 gallon barrel of highest octane each year because it dribbles out into small engines around the place throughout the year and I figure it will last longer. | ||
| Motorbike |
My 08 XT definitely pings on regular gas. I always try to use premium and one time I thought I was going to be walking because I refused to fill up at a small Ma and Pa station in WI that had only regular gas. I drove about 40 miles with the fuel light on until I finally reached the next gas station. At that point I would have put kerosene in it if that's all they had!  | ||
| Riding_tall |
best mod I ever did was pull back the timing a little. great how-to on here somewhere. I run 87 day-to-day and only premium when riding hard. | ||
| Nobuell |
I had to fill up my 08XT when in the middle of no where. They only had 89 octane. Afterwards, it would ping noticeably when pushed but not when riding easy. I always try to run 92-93 octane and I have not had a pinging issue again. To me, it is not worth damaging the engine to save $1.00 on a fill up. |
