| Author | Message | ||
     Minitrucker |
I was wondering if anyone has run 118, 108, or another high octane fuel on their XB's. A couple of buddies of mine run it in theirs(inline 4's) on track days and the drag strip. Just curious if it would hurt anything every once in a while. | ||
| Dynarider |
Most race gas is leaded, you will burn up your O2 sensor using it. BTW, you wont produce anymore power on a stock bike using the high priced race gas. Sure it smells pretty cool but thats about the only thing you will notice. Unless your bike is high compression & or pinging now, all you are doing is wasting money. | ||
| Thepup |
the owners manual says no racing gas and no octane boosters | ||
| Oconnor |
Does the xb have a knock sensor? If so then the octane boost up to 104 (thats where the lead gets involved) will help advance the ignition a little bit, and will get you about 4 mpg more. Maybe 1 or 2 hp if your lucky. on the street. Not a totally bad idea for the track if you run long hot sessions. I played around with race gas on a car that had 9.5:1 compression and all it gave a little spark advance and a negligable (sp?) lift in the hp graph. But I still always ran it on track days to help me feel better. | ||
| Bads1 |
Dyna I know where ya can but unleaded 110 at the pump. | ||
| Blake |
No knock sensors on Buells. | ||
| Dynarider |
Dana, unless you are running a 13:1 compression ratio there isnt much use for 110 unless you have extra money you just want to give to the oil companies. | ||
| Bads1 |
Dyna have you ever looked at the valves of a motor thats been running race gas? There white with no deposits of carbon on them.If you take off the heads on my bike or yours you'll see plenty.It burns so much cleaner by far then your normal pump gas.So yes it would give some performance.Will you feel it not to much....maybe alittle.I normally run it just to clean the bike out a little. | ||
| Blake |
Dyna, You may be confusing the issue of racing fuel with higher octane gasoline/additives in pump gas. It is correct that just a higher octane rating will not benefit the power output of an engine that does not need the increased octane for protection against detonation. Racing fuel however, does indeed provide significant boost to engine power output, even for a normal street bike. It does so through select formulation of only the best optimally volatile hydrocarbon molecules. It's much the same concept that gives synthetic oil superior performance over conventional oil. Pump gas is conventional gasoline, where racing fuel is synthesized. Racing fuel burns quicker/cleaner/hotter. It also is more volatile so it is more completely vaporized prior to combustion and has the side effect of also providing more evaporative cooling to the air charge thus allowing more mixture to enter the combustion chamber. That's why the best stuff costs near $20/gallon and why this Buell racer runs pump gas, even at the track.  | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
I was told in class that to run racefuel and have a power increase you needed to totally change your timing. Now my instuctor was Charley Carvello of NoName racing fame. Are you saying you can run it and get a little increase, as in worth it for a trackday? | ||
| Blake |
To get optimum return on racing fuel, you may need to adjust timing and fuel mixture. Bottom line is that with your stock fuel injection system, you do NOT want to be running racing fuel. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
ok that is what I thought. | ||
| Martin |
Is it ok to use a non-leaded octane-booster, or is there some other constituent in that which stuffs the O2 sensor? UK standard petrol differs from US in octane rating (and price, but that's another issue) | ||
| Opto |
You can get good name octane boosters that *say* they're safe for O2 sensors and catalytic converters. Won't make the bike go any faster, but will stop it pinging if you can't get decent fuel at a general store in the middle of nowhere. XB12 of mine is partial to 98 octane rating, 95 octane or less and it will ping 3 to 4.2k rpm with some mild to heavy throttle in temps around 32+ degrees Celsius. Proly be OK when things cool off a bit. | ||
| Dynarider |
Blake, I agree that "pure" racing fuel will indeed give more power so long as the motor is set up properly to utilize it. But this 110 crap that they sell you out of a pump is no more of a racing fuel than the same gas thats in my lawnmower. Whole point is, on a street bike its not worth the $$. If someone wants to screw up their FI system by running it, well then by all means have at it. Dana, I sure hope you arent running that stuff thru your new XB. | ||
| Bads1 |
You are wrong Dyna about the gas.The 110 I'm speaking of is very good gas sold up by the old hales corner speedway.Its top quality and I know of 3 people that run it in there race cars.I also spoke to Wes aka (RacerX1) about what I was running and he uses it also.And I have ran it in my XB and my old bike and they both ran fine with it.Actually very well with it.I don't run it alot just cause the expense factor but maybe twice a year just to clean the bike out a little. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
Save the money that you would spend on the expensive gas that is going to give you very little to no advantage and put it into your suspension for the track. Or, buy some cool new gear! Craig  | ||
| Azfirebolt |
Out here, some of the 76's pump 100 octane. I believe it is still corn fuel. Ran it once, it was a noticable difference. Not HP, just crisp responsiveness. That Sportster knock went a way too. I was told not to run it due to the O2 Sensor. Ran it once when new, now that I'm turning 10,000 mi I think I'll run it again to burn some carbon out. | ||
| Sarodude |
I've run race fuel in a street motor once (that was happy with 87 octane, btw) and there was a notable difference in power. No other changes were made. Maybe the race fuel burned more happily than the plane jane stuff with how that car was tuned. It was some unleaded Trick fuel and I don't remember the advertised octane rating. Blake's point of mixing the terms 'Race' and 'Higher Octane' is an important one. In the early 90's, F1 race teams had fuel blends made specifically for the bore / stroke / rod length combos of their wacko motors. If you'd ever had the privilege / misfortune of smelling that stuff you'd know just how far removed from 112 octane Schmuck Racer fuel that stuff really was. Rules eventually came about banning psychotic fuels. Cool stuff. -Saro | ||
| Dynarider |
Its your money Dana, waste it as you wish. I dont know if I would admit to using it on a public board however. If you were to end up having any FI problems down the road, I could see that post coming back to bite you in the ass. CYA buddy. | ||
| Twincamfxd |
I tried the race fuel in my mustang once and lost power. After contacting steeda, they claim to run the lowest octane you can get away with (no pinging) because ultra high compression will cause pinging, so they need a slower burn (i.e. high octane gas) A slower burn on a stock motor= less power. I hope that made sense. | ||
| Austinrider |
I ran VP C12 (92 Octane Race Fuell) in my 2003 XB9S/R this weekend. I have never done anything to the motor. I noticed an increase in the backfiring during my first few laps. On the 2nd session of the day I was backfiring much less, my throtle response seemed much better, and in general "I" was faster going around the track. I dont attribute this to the gas. BUT.. My engine did seem to run stronger and seemed (seat of the pants dyno here) to pull better thru the turns. Now, Im still geared for 110mph, so I never tried pushing that. But I did like the way the bike performed. Will I continue to buy race gas for track days on the Buell? Probably not. But I did like the way it ran on Race Gas. Just my 2 cents... | ||
| Sarodude |
I thought VP C12 was supposed to be 108 motor / 112 research octane. Anyway... -Saro | ||
| Minitrucker |
WOW...that's a whole lot of info on that topic...the reason i asked that question was because there was a ol' country gas station that had a, i belie  ve was a, 110 pump. There's a dirt track(yeah c'mon) nearby and i was tempted to try it. I was just scared of damaging components in my xb9s. i guess i won't be running it.I'll spend money on better things. Thanx guys Rodi | ||
| Austinrider |
maybe it was the C4, or Ultimate 4.. I know it was the 92 octane gas, will have to look it up to be sure. I made sure to specify 92 octane version of their fuel | ||
| Fst_tyms |
There is an Aliance Gas station and a 76 station near me (relatively) that carry Trick 101 from the pump. This is unleaded 101 octane race fuel. Its good stuff. Like $5 a gallon though. I do notice a much more aggressive powerband with the trick 101. I run it when I go to bike night and Sunday rides, but not for my commute. If I were going onto the track I would definately run race fuel! I really love the way the bike runs with the Trick 101. | ||
| Bigj |
I ran many blends of gas in my old Cyclone. But the only difference I noticed in performance(I ran higher octane for durability, not performance), was the 76 100 unleaded out of the pump at Redondo Beach or Yorba Linda. That stuff was SUBLIME. Can't explain why, it sounded like liquid velvet, and ran like a champ.  |
