octane

[fish]

What octane are you using?

[jussmatt]

I fill up w/ 93. At $13 a tank..it's worth it!

I run straight Kerosene... works great. ;)

[classic1]

86 proof!!

[cactusjack]

Here, we have 87, 89, and 91. I try to use 89, unless it knocks then I use 91. 87 no workie very well.

[Top Cat]

91, the highest I can get. The difference in price for a tank full is not that big a deal.
Now the price for a tank full in my 4x4 truck, thats a different story. But my truck will run just fine on the lowest octane.

[tylerai]

91. Only the best for baby..

[dantama]

I run 85. I did all 63,000 miles on my 99 running 85.

Salt Lake and Denver are high altitude and perhaps they don't ping as much at high altitude, I don't know. If I didn't lug my 99 going up a hill, it never pinged. My 05 and 06 never ping on 85 either.

The lower the octane, the more power the fuel has. Many people think that high octane= more power. Not so.

High octane burns slower (harder to ignite) making it less susceptible to early detonation. Lower octane is more volatile and therefore more prone to early detonation.

If it doesn't ping or knock on lower octane, you get a more powerful mix for less money. That has worked well for me.

[mercianbike]

I've been running 89 octane from major brand stations with no pinging. But I've only had this bike since November in cooler weather so I don't know how it will be in the hotter summer months. The Owner's Manual calls for "a minimum Antiknock Index of 90" which makes me question the importance of one octane. Can anything be measured that precise? I've read articles that suggest starting with the lower (and cheaper) octane first and then move up to premium if the engine seems to need it.

[blowndodge]

89 to 91 depending on time of year

[tylerai]

I tried lower octane (by accident) in a Shadow I used to have. Ran like a 3 legged dog. I know why the octane is there and that is usually necessary for higher compression engines. Most daily driver cars don't need it, but that Shadow did. I think I'll stick with it.

[mercianbike]

I run 85. I did all 63,000 miles on my 99 running 85.

Salt Lake and Denver are high altitude and perhaps they don't ping as much at high altitude, I don't know. If I didn't lug my 99 going up a hill, it never pinged. My 05 and 06 never ping on 85 either.

The lower the octane, the more power the fuel has. Many people think that high octane= more power. Not so.

High octane burns slower (harder to ignite) making it less susceptible to early detonation. Lower octane is more volatile and therefore more prone to early detonation.

If it doesn't ping or knock on lower octane, you get a more powerful mix for less money. That has worked well for me.

Everything I've read confirms what Dan says. Oil companies got slammed a few years back for suggesting that higher octane provides greater "power". Now they have a qualifier in their advertisements that says "if your automobile requires it", then you should buy their premium brand.

[dantama]

......
Salt Lake and Denver are high altitude and perhaps they don't ping as much at high altitude, I don't know. .....

Here's this off an octane website

For each 1000 feet of altitude the atmospheric pressure will drop by a little less than 11 kPa/km (1 inHg). An engine that might require 93 octane at sea level may perform at maximum on a fuel rated at 91 octane if the elevation is over, say, 1000 feet.

I guess that explains why in Salt Lake (4,500 feet) and Denver(5,800 feet) I could run 85.

[oldbiker]

I've been running 93 from either Shell or BP. When I was buying from Murphy USA (Walmart) I got really bad fuel mileage. I was told that some of the off name gasolines use additives that burn less efficiently. That may be a lot of BS, but I do get better MPG from the high price stuff. I'm going to try a tank of 85. If it pings I'll go to 89 or 93.

[oldbiker]

PS> My 99 , 100 HP Goldwing runs great on 85 octane.