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97 RON Unleaded

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smegbrains
Scooby Slapper



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
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PostPosted: 19:15 - 24 Apr 2009    Post subject: 97 RON Unleaded Reply with quote
Hi guys,

Just a quickie really, do any of you know if I'm likely to do any damage to my engine as I had no choice but to fill up with 97 RON unleaded today. I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that in engines not designed to run it, you can get pre-ignition, which can be sorted with a knock sensor but I'm not sure if my bike has one, or if it's likely to cause any trouble.

Hoping someone can lay my mind at rest! I only put 10 litres in.
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Thom
World Chat Champion



Joined: 24 Oct 2007
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PostPosted: 19:18 - 24 Apr 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote
is 97 the normal octane level or is that 95? Filling up with 'supreme' wont do any harm generally, i recently filled up a moto guzzi V50 from 1970/80's with the stuff and didnt even notice a difference, i assure you super unleaded wasnt a thought back then either!
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Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)
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Clansman
Two Stroke Sniffer



Joined: 18 Nov 2008
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PostPosted: 19:46 - 24 Apr 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't see where a high(er) octane petrol would hurt a non-injected engine (EFI systems are more finely tuned and can be more influenced with such changes. some of them detect which kind 95/98/100 is in use and change their maps accordingly).

As long as your spark plugs are OK and you've got enough compression, it would only help prevent detonation and produce a better explosion...

But I may be completely off here, so any technical explanation on this?

Cheers,
Pedro.
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Robby
Dirty Old Man



Joined: 16 May 2002
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PostPosted: 19:56 - 24 Apr 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote
Higher octane is better. You can't hurt your engine by using it.

Pre-ignition (detonation) happens when you use petrol with an octane rating too low for your engine.

Metalforever - Super unleaded has a similar octane rating to old four star leaded petrol, which was certainly around when the guzzi was new.
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stinkwheel
Bovine Proctologist



Joined: 12 Jul 2004
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PostPosted: 20:02 - 24 Apr 2009    Post subject: Re: 97 RON Unleaded Reply with quote
smegbrains wrote:
I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that in engines not designed to run it, you can get pre-ignition, which can be sorted with a knock sensor but I'm not sure if my bike has one, or if it's likely to cause any trouble.


Exact opposite is the case. Higher octane fuel burns more slowly and PREVENTS knocking/predetonation etc. That's why they use it in high compression/highly tuned engines.

It is unlikely you will notice any difference, perhaps a decrease in fuel consumption. Engines with various sensors and high-tech fuel injection mapping might be able to gain some more performance advantage.

It has a slightly lower energy density than the standard stuff meaning your engine may run marginally more lean. This is compensated for by the fact it will run cooler.

In short. No worries, you could safely run your bike on it all the time.

It's better than normal unleaded, just not so much better that it justifies the higher price tag which is why everyone doesn't use it all the time. Small bikes (sub 125cc) may actually be the exception to this rule, you sometimes get a significant enough decrease in fuel consumption to justify the extra cost. You'd need to experiment to find out.
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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smegbrains
Scooby Slapper



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
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PostPosted: 20:59 - 24 Apr 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the replies guys, my mind is at rest now, and I've learned something new into the bargain!

Karma all round Thumbs Up

I'll let you know if I get any further on it!
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Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 16 years, 66 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
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