What gas to use

[dougster]

Thanks, guys. That is extremely helpful.

Now, to follow up: So are y'all saying that a lower octane and/or ethanol blend will NOT harm the engine? That has been part of my concern.

Doug

[macmac]

No more than 10% ethanol, but more than will suck the power right out of happy, and can create some other problems. Ethanol is a MPG's demon. It burns, but is rather weak in the burn. You will really feel a power loss when it can't be helped but to run it.

If you should happen to be forced into buying any fuel with over 10% buy as little as possible and move on and get better fuel asap.

In EURO cars with the plastics found in injectors and fuel distributors such as CIS injection the ethanol began to dissovle some the plastics. Most of this is in injector bodys, and small red filters in fuel distributors.

We don't have that type of filter, and I am not sure of the plastic componds use by kawii..

I just pray there is nothing the ethanol can dissolve.

I find it odd the in some instances the quaility if fuel is going down, when the quality of injection is going up and so requires a refined fuel more.

[VulcanE]

Lately around here (North Georgia) we've had a gas shortage, and the only gas you can find (if yo can find it) is regular (87 octane). Below 55 degrees it runs phenomenally well, 55-65 degrees it runs OK and will ping a little going up steep grades, over 65 degrees, it'll ping like crazy just winding through the gears to get up to speed from a stop. I started using "octane booster" to help, and it does a fair job. As soon as they get their gas situation straightened out I will run the premium (93 octane) until the winter, then I start running lower octane. The bike does run a lot stronger on regular than premium though.

[macmac]

VulcanE
That isn't very good.. And i see you have V&H baggers and a right side only kit. What fuel modual do you have? I am set up the same way with a TFI 4 pot modual and have 0 ping.

I like in NH and have some steep roads too..

[dantama]

Originally Posted by dougster

Thanks, guys. That is extremely helpful.

Now, to follow up: So are y'all saying that a lower octane and/or ethanol blend will NOT harm the engine? That has been part of my concern.

Doug

I'm not speaking to the ethanol part of the question, but to the octane part only.

Pinging is all that matters. You don't want any pinging. Some situations make a motor more prone to pinging. The worst that I know of is hot day, steep grade, high gear.

Using 85 octane, My 99 pinged slightly in high gear on the freeway on a certain steep grade that usually had a head wind (lots of hang gliders overhead). It didn't anywhere else. I'd just drop it down a gear there.

My 05 and 06 don't ping anywhere at all on 85 octane (in Utah and Colorado anyway- 4,500 to 10,000 feet).

Therefore, I'm not hurting mine at all by using it.

Octane only matters as it relates to pinging. Use the lowest grade that will not ping. Do not use one that pings. It's really that simple.

All of this advice is only for bikes, and for cars that don't have knock sensors as part of the engine management system.

[blowndodge]

You should be running the "Garage" Dan!!

[oldbikers]

I agree with Macmac with half a caddman kit the V&H baggers and a TFI i run 87 octane all the time with no pinging

[dantama]

Originally Posted by Blowndodge "Darksider"

You should be running the "Garage" Dan!!

But BD, you don't realize, this is the ONE subject that I know ;)

I use whatever Kawasaki recomends, for the entirety of the 5 year warranty. lol

[dougster]

Dan . . . and Mac,
Thanks for the clarifications. I really appreciate it.

Doug

[badnomad08]

Good tips guys. On my 08', I try to run 93 when I can find it. Most of the time I have to run 91. On 91 my bike will still pings slightly during hard acceleration (playing), or going up hills in to high of a gear. I have only had my bike since June, so the days I have been riding it has been HOT!!! At least 90+, some days in the 100's. Yesterday was a little cool ( around 70 ), the bike was still pinging slightly on 91. My tip is, the higher the better when completely stock. With 89 or lower, I can't even use 1/4 throttle until the rpms start to climb. Ride Safe!!!

[VulcanE]

Originally Posted by macmac

VulcanE
That isn't very good.. And i see you have V&H baggers and a right side only kit. What fuel modual do you have? I am set up the same way with a TFI 4 pot modual and have 0 ping.

I like in NH and have some steep roads too..

Hey Mac, I'm running the TFI, and my settings are
Pot-1 = 2:00
Pot-2 = 2:30
Pot-3 = 1:00
Pot-4 = 8:30
My normal riding elevations range from 2,000 to 6,000 ft. Any suggestions would be appreciated. My over-all mpg is around 42-44.

[macmac]

Dan, I can't buy less than 87 oct. i didn't know in the USa you could by lesser than that.. Would you know why? Once I think in Mississip, I saw 86, but that was deep in the boonies, and my take was the sign was out of date since moss was growing on it.


VulcanE
hmmmmm
Hey Mac, I'm running the TFI, and my settings are
Pot-1 = 2:00
Pot-2 = 2:30
Pot-3 = 1:00
Pot-4 = 8:30
My normal riding elevations range from 2,000 to 6,000 ft. Any suggestions would be appreciated. My over-all mpg is around 42-44. With PING HUH....

I will do some reading, and see what might be done..

I don't think sea level is going to really be it. I go from 0 to 3,500 here on roads and to 6,288 on foot.

My economy mode is
Pot-1 = 1:30 all the time
Pot-2 = 3:30 (which might be your problem)
Pot-3 = 1:00 (same)
Pot-4 = 12:30 (off) and what i want to read up on.

[dantama]

Dan, I can't buy less than 87 oct. i didn't know in the USa you could by lesser than that.. Would you know why?

There are regional blends that the distributors make. I would suppose that Utah and Colorado have 85 because of altitude, but that is just a good guess as to why.

I'm always surprised when I go other places and it's 87.

[ells]

macmac,

85 Octane is a high-altitude thing. Our choices here are 85, 87, and 91.

My gas grade choice for the Nomad is now determined by air temperature. Nomad really needed 91 in the heat of the summer at 5000ft (home), 87 is doing well now and at 10,000 ft all summer, and I'll try 85 later. No inlet or exhaust mods.

Have gone to only 85 in my VN800 summer or winter because it works well, and even thought it to has the 9:1 compression ration, it has probably started to lose a bit of that.