| Author | Message | ||
     Ferrisbuellersdayoff |
I use 93 Octane, but I was wondering if the 105 will make that much of a difference. Due to the fact I have 60lbs of misc. tools to carry to work everyday, I'm unable to have the luxury of the famed Florida year round riding. I'm limited to my days off and a few afternoons. | ||
| Old_man |
I don't think it will make a difference in how the bike runs - It probably will make a difference in your wallet. If you bike doesn't knock or ping on the 93 octane, you gain nothing from going to a higher octane rating gasoline. | ||
| Northernyankee |
I Try and use Sunoco 93 but sometimes I have to use 91 if I can't find a Sunoco. | ||
| Etennuly |
I always noticed a significant difference back in the early eighties when I had race cars and put 103 racing gas in my dirt bikes. It would make my four strokers as snappy as the two-strokers I rode with. More power right from the bottom all of the way up and it allowed for more timing and more power. They ran cooler too. But you pay at the pumps. Not a good price balance for the street unless you just want to try it. I like the Sunoco 93 also. And some of their stations have 94 pumps. (Message edited by etennuly on January 11, 2008) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Best I can get. Ain't seen anything better than 93. I love Missouri. You can get 87,88,89,90, and 91 all at the same pump.  | ||
| Pwnzor |
Please read carefully the first column, especially the two parts where it says "91 octane or higher" and then a little further down where it says "do not use race gas or octane boosters"...  | ||
| 1324 |
Not sure where you're getting the 105 from, but I know some (maybe all?) 105 octane fuels are leaded. If your vehicle has an O2 sensor or cat, then lead is a no no. If you're worried about detonation, maybe try another brand. Not every brand is created equal, and it will vary even from station to station depending on how often they refill their tanks...so go to a busy station. Also, while it is a minor dilution, I try to avoid pumps with single hoses for all grades. If the person ahead of you is filling up on 87 and then you come along for premium, you're getting some of his regular. Depending on how much you're getting and the quality of it, this may or may not be a problem. Still, it's best to avoid it IMO. I also noticed a marked improvement in pinging on hot days after doing the breater re-route. | ||
| Beachbuell |
Highest grade/octane pump gas they have at the station is what I use. | ||
| Bads1 |
I try to avoid pumps with single hoses for all grades. If the person ahead of you is filling up on 87 and then you come along for premium, you're getting some of his regular. Depending on how much you're getting and the quality of it, this may or may not be a problem. Still, it's best to avoid it IMO. You are not getting lower octane fuel's by doing this. The pumps do not store fuel in the hose's what so ever. They can't by law. I they did it would be a hazard first and second the station would lose money on gas not being accounted for. | ||
| Jaimec |
Amazing how many misconceptions there are over fuel, isn't it? Almost as many as there is about which oils to use... | ||
| 1324 |
I did not know that, so if that is true, thanks for the information. Still, how does the fuel in the line hanging down to the nozzle get back to the underground tank? I've never heard a pump sucking it back into the tank and surely the gas won't flow up 6 ft of vertical 7/8" hose on it's own... | ||
| Saintly |
The pumps do not store fuel in the hose's what so ever. Really? I'll tell you what, next time you go to a fuel station, do this: 1. before pre-paying, turning on the pump or pushing any buttons, lower the trigger/nozzle to the ground. 2. squeeze the trigger. If you don't get at least 2 quarts of whatever was in that hose last, then you're in an alternate reality. The "loop" of hose which runs from the pump down to the ground and then back up to the trigger is full of whatever the last guy used. And when you're done, it's full of the high test that you just received. In New Jersey, it is state law that all filling stations are full serve. You're prohibited from filling your own vehicle. A lot of these NJ stations have "purge buckets" or "purge recepticles" for doing exactly that: purging the hose of fuel after use. Most of the non-english speaking attendants dont do this after each fill, but they are supposed to. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
105 turbo blue is what it sold as locally. Your not supposed to put it in street cars. I would put about half a tank in a jeep I had with the other premium I already had in the tank. Got caught and banned from the station. +1 on what saintly said about the pumps. That amount can vary from station to station too. My favorite Sunoco station went down hill and now my bike knocks with 93 and went I go to another a couple miles away it does not. I am beating they could be playing games with octane levels or mixing gas or the pumps are screwed up. Don't know. | ||
| Jaydub |
i use 93, any gas station i happen to be near when the light comes on | ||
| Pwnzor |
If your vehicle has an O2 sensor or cat, then lead is a no no. I have never heard of a Buell with a catalytic converter... doesn't mean there isn't one, but anyway... I'll direct everyone's attention back to the manual page shown above, first column, second paragraph, "use a good quality leaded or unleaded gasoline, (91 pump octane or higher)." | ||
| Bads1 |
Saintly, FYI my family is in the gas business. I've replaced the filters in the pumps that filter the gas right before it gets to the hose. Sorry but your not accurate in any way. If there is a 3 oz in the hose you'd be lucky. Now if the system is not pulling the fuel back to the tank they are not working properly and should be shut down. I'm not going to debate or argue. My Brother owns 2 stations and working on building a third. One is a Mobil.... not for long and a Sin Clair and the third will be independent which the other two will be also. | ||
| Old_man |
The higher octane gasolines do not give an engine more power. The higher octane gasolines are needed in engines to prevent detonation due to high compression and other factors that would ignite lesser octanes before the correct instant. High octane does not mean higher power within the gasoline. If an engine is equipped with a knock sensor that automatically adjusts the timing, then that engine could benefit from the highest octane gasoline. Our Buells are not so equipped. More than the minimum required octane is a waste. | ||
| Grahamnz |
91 unleaded is what the handbook calls for and it seems just fine. Never any pinking that I've heard. | ||
| Nameso |
91 octane @ any gas pump when needed pump & go  (Message edited by nameso on January 12, 2008) | ||
| Saintly |
Bads1, I respectfully disagree. As recently as 18 months ago, I worked right across the street from a Citgo station. This station had four islands, each with 3 pumps. This station would close at 9PM. and the pumps would be shut down from inside the building. I can't tell you how many times me & my co-workers would go there after closing with a 5 gallon can, and "purge" all 12 hoses. I could practically fill my bikes tank on what we would obtain from that. | ||
| Ducxl |
Hey guys' (old man?) why is it my Buells' ping on anything less than 93 octane but,my (when it was stock)11:1 compression 996 ran fine on 87 octane? | ||
| Bads1 |
Ok I believe you. Sorry I don't know what I'm talking about. | ||
| Old_man |
Ducxl Compression ratio is not the only factor involved. The timing, the cam profile, combustion chamber shape and temperature all contribute. With any engine you should find the right octane rating that does not cause detonation. If your 996 only required 87 then go with that, as I said, any more is a waste. | ||
| Hdbobwithabuell |
I pump whatever the station has as "premium". No fuel related problems to date on either my '05 12R with 25k miles or '08 12X with 2800 Miles. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I run 93 octane, and if I am on fumes I'll run 91, but then again I'm not running a stock compression ratio either...11.43:1 IIRC so anything lower will cause detonation. Old_Man has it right, octane rating is a measurement of resistance to burning. a lower octane fuel will actually produce more energy per gallon than the higher octane fuel..IF, and it is a big IF, your bike can run on it without detonation so run the lowest octane fuel you can get away with. It will be easier on your wallet and you should get more bang for the buck literally as well. The additives in the fuel that the gas company tout may have a little effect, but they are mostly marketing hype and not worth the extra cost. | ||
| Ducxl |
In Ducati circles there's a renowned Engine man named Bruce Meyers.He is always proud to delcare: "I'd run them on Weasel piss if i could get them to aim right"  I was always astounded that the 996 could run on 87 octane without pinging.Yet the lesser state of tune Buell pings like crazy on anything less than 93.But now my Ducati is going to run at just a hare over 13:1 and i do not think 87 octane will work anymore | ||
| Pwnzor |
me & my co-workers would go there after closing with a 5 gallon can, and "purge" all 12 hoses. So that one station had pumps badly in need of service. Any time a hose dumps fuel on me, my wife's car, my truck, or my bike before I activate the pump... I go inside and tell the manager, and guess what? He comes out and shuts the pump off and puts a sign on it. They can get in a lot of trouble for having pumps spill gas on the ground. | ||
| Ironken |
I was under the impression that as has been stated allready, your engine only needs a high enough octane rating to control detonation. Anything more than that can create a, "heavy/slow," burn and build less power. As far as the gas pump thing....I'm baffled....When I go to the pump, if the pump is not, "on," the trigger will not open the valve......It is disabled until the pump is turned on...It just clicks. I have been curious about the race gas and lead and O2 sensor thing, however. Around here I can get VP 110 octane race gas outta the pump at several gas stations. Living on the Colorado river, I see a bunch of hotrod boats....I saw a guy topping off his boat with VP one day....when I looked at the total it was over $300.00.....must be nice to have money to burn, literally. (Message edited by ironken on January 13, 2008) | ||
| Saintly |
Ok, I'm going to try to disarm the bomb I've tossed in here. I wasn't trying to piss anyone off here, that was not my intention. Although after re-reading my original post to Bads1, I believe it was a bit confrontational sounding. I'm sorry. 1324 said: "I try to avoid pumps with single hoses for all grades. If the person ahead of you is filling up on 87 and then you come along for premium, you're getting some of his regular." I agree with this and backed him up on it when Bads1 said: " The pumps do not store fuel in the hose's what so ever." My personal experience has shown me otherwise. Now whether or not they're supposed to have any fuel in the hose is up for debate. If Bads1 claims that they are not, and he clearly has the credentials to back his claim up, then I'll accept that without hesitation. If we all agree that they are not supposed to have any fuel in them, then we can move on to the reality that many of them actually do have some fuel in the hose. . Pwnzor, You state that: " that one station had pumps badly in need of service" as if to imply that it is the only one in which this has ever occurred. But, then you say: "Any time a hose dumps fuel on me, my wife's car, my truck, or my bike before I activate the pump... I go inside and tell the manager, and guess what? He comes out and shuts the pump off and puts a sign on it." Which suggests to me, that you have encountered pumps with fuel in the hose before pump activation on a few occasions. I'm not looking to insult you at all, but do you agree that it is a reality? Regardless of whether the cause is a pump which needs servicing or not, it happens right? In a perfect world, every gas station in our nation, would be run by and would only employ responsible people who meticulously maintained all their equipment. Unfortunately, where I live that is not the case. Again, I'm not tying to start an arguement. I apologize in advance to you Pwnzor, if those statements come across as sounding confrontational. I notice that badwebber 1324 is also from NYS, perhaps, this is a geographical problem, I don't know. But, there are definitely a few stations here in NY that will dispense fuel from the hose with the pump off. I guess, the point I'm trying to make is everyones experiences differ. I apologize if my experiences caused me to form opinions which insulted anyone else. End of rant. | ||
| Grahamnz |
For sure the pumps here do have fuel trapped in the hose between the pump cut-off valve and the hand lever on the filling nozzle. Set the pump for say $20 of fuel and when the pump stops just raise the drooping part of the hose, open the filler nozzle lever and out comes a hosefull of extra fuel. Done it many times. |
