Fuel Types

[Catalyst]

Ok so when i go to fill up i always get Premium Unleaded, but now theres the Ultra low in sulphur stuff?

Whats the difference? It's the same price, just wondered if it actually makes a difference?

Thanks, Jack
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|--Previous--|:2007 Aprilia SX50...--Current--|: 2007 Kawasaki ER-6N
SlimRick - I can cook really well - but it's a useless skill, as I'm not a woman and it's their fucking job!

[Ted]

Probably a bit better for the enviroment, and worse for the engine... not tried it tho...

*Bring back Leaded Fuel ...it smelt better!*

[Jack_Cheese]

just worry about the octane rating. If i remember correctly the lower sulphur stuff prolongs catalyst life, which doesn't matter on a bike as your emissions won't be tested at the MOT station.

The higher the octane rating, the more stable the fuel will be and the better it will be for high comp engines.

Jack
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www.bikepics.com/members/jackcheese <--- NOW FOR SALE! 51 Plate Cagiva Planet 125
Quacker_boy: "Jack, you really are a dick!"

[Kickstart]

Hi

As long as the octane rating is sufficient for the requirements of the engine then that bit is fine. Spending more money on a higher octane fuel than the engine needs is just wasting money. Use a fuel below that level and you run the risk of major engine damage.

Higher octane rating does not mean the fuel is better (indeed, in actual energy content the higher octane rating often goes with a lower energy content). It merely refers to it resistance to knock. Once that is sufficient for the compression ration / ignition timing / boost of the engine you are using you will gain nothing by going higher.

And plenty of Japanese bikes are designed to run on far lower octane fuel than is available in the UK. For example the ZZR600 specifies 91 RON fuel min.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Ariel Badger]

I am allowed to mix 10% paraffin with petrol to lower the octain in my pre-war Ariels. I never bother though as paraffin costs more than petrol.
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[Jack_Cheese]

[Pete.]

[Robby]

Its not that they need a lower octane, but back when paraffin was cheaper than fuel you could get away with it, and they would still run.
Cheaper fuel.

[Ariel Badger]

[Pete.]

[magpiemale]

[Pete.]

[Kickstart]

Hi

The octane rating alone makes stuff all difference once you have a sufficiently high rating (unless you have an engine able to alter the ignition timing and / or boost to take advantage of it, and even then it will make only a nominal difference to a non turbo engine). There are loads of other things in fuel that make a difference. Such as energy content, flame speed, combustion temperature, unburnable chemical content, ability to clean injectors / valves, etc (and some of these affect the octane rating).

There is also the sensitivity of the fuel, which is the difference between the RON and MON ratings for a fuel. In Europe the RON method is used. The other major method is the MON method which gives a rating on average ~10 points lower and which is probably of more relevance to road engines (tests are very similar, just tested at different rpm in the test engine, and a few other things). The USA uses the PON (pump octane number) which is the average of the RON and MON figures. It is quite possible to have a fuel that does well in the RON test and badly in the MON test (or the other way round).

Choosing fuel on octane rating alone is like choosing food on vitamin C content alone. Yes it is important up to a point, after which anything extra is not of any use.

Best way to look at fuel octane rating is like choosing a ladder to get over a particular wall. Too short a lader and you are stuffed. About right and you will manage OK, with a slightly higher ladder being a bit safer (ie, octane rating of a fuel degrades with age, hence one reason old petrol can cause issues). Go beyond that and you are not gaining anything except the expense of a longer ladder and making it more difficult for you.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[magpiemale]

So is it worth the extra money in putting in those cleaner,more miles to the gallon type fuels which are backe up by "tests" or does the diffrence in miles not equate to that much saving on a bike.total's Excellium,bp's Ultimate and shells advance ferarri fuel

[Pete.]

It will help to pay for the TV and radio adverts, but that's about it.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Kickstart]

Hi

On some bikes maybe yes. Generally probably not. You would have more effect on performance by skipping breakfast.

BP Ultimate in the Bandit made no difference to the power on a dyno.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[sagalout]

It can have other effects though.

VPower helps massively with carb icing on the ZX9 in the colder months. I have no idea why, but it works out cheaper than adding Silkolene FST.

No idea if it has any other benefits, but I tend to fill up with it where possible out of habit now. I also have an ignition advancer fitted, so (probably wrongly) thought it makes sense to spend and extra few pence a week on it

[Kickstart]

[Ted]

If its all about the 'cleaner' fuels... and being 'better for the enviroment'... does it really matter?

Use whatever gives you the best performance and mpg... sod the rest... pretty much everybody on this forum will be dead within 50 years so who cares about the pollution!

[Pete.]

I think an advancer alone on a stock engine wouldn't necessitate the use of optimax etc but using the better fuel will safeguard you from using very poor-quality fuel with the advancer which could promote detonation especially in extreme-heat conditions.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[magpiemale]