Do we need to use higher octane fuel?

TheRealWorld · 01-31-2009, 12:04 AM

I have been using 93 octane fuel, because it is recommended. Is it necessary? How much ethanol is OK? Do some of you use 87 octane fuel.

SpudRider · 01-31-2009, 02:51 AM

I use 85 octane fuel in my Zongshen 200GY-2, and it runs like a champ. My owner's manual from Zongshen recommends the use of 90 octane fuel, or higher. However, foreign octane ratings are calculated differently than U.S. octane ratings; check out the following link.

http://hondaswap.com/reference-mater...ratings-59435/

According to the information posted above, 90 octane in China would be equivalent to 85.5 octane in the United States. Another factor to consider is elevation above sea level. I live and ride at elevations 4,400 feet above sea level and higher. At higher elevations the air is thinner, and lower octane gasoline can be safely used without causing engine pre-ignition. In Idaho and Utah regular grade gasoline is 85 octane.

Spud

ejcycles · 01-31-2009, 05:40 AM

Spud is correct... in other words We use, The R+ M over 2 method. This used to be on all fuel pumps at one time.

How much ethanol is OK?

All gasoline in The USA has at least 10% ethanol in it. This is basically an EPA standard. The Unleaded fuel started back in 1972, They started putting ethanol in our gasoline in 1980. I'm not positive, but I think some areas use more than 10%. The Standard Oil Co. started using alcohol in the 70's to prevent fuel line freeze-up.

TheRealWorld · 01-31-2009, 09:32 AM

Thanks for the reply guys, this is a great service.

katoranger · 01-31-2009, 11:04 AM

I have been running 87 octane with no problems.

Allen

elroyjetsn · 01-31-2009, 02:26 PM

Check your motor's specs.

If the compression ratio is over 9:1 you can't use 87 oct safely. My Viva knocks like crazy on 87 and a little on mid-pre cause it's 10.1/1 compression.

Plus you take a definite performance loss.

chinariderinthesky · 01-31-2009, 06:05 PM

we are talkin about 200cc's of CHINEESE FURY! i don't know what kinda performance you will get out of slightly higher octane

phil · 01-31-2009, 06:06 PM

i agree even though i am a user of av gas. i wouldnt think any pump gas would hurt your bike. you could check and see the mpg and decide which gives the best, i have seen gas stations here advertise no ethanol or alcohol but the i wonder about the octane rates being true

VinceDrake · 01-31-2009, 10:15 PM

Just to throw it out there as food for thought, According to the specs, my Honda 900C Should run just tickety-boo on 87 octane Regular.

BUT!!!

I can reliably get 175km from a tank of Regular and 220km froma tank of Premium. It shouldn't care, but it does.

With that difference, I actually **Save** about 3 cents per litre using premium instead of Regular.

I would say try to check if there's anymileage difference between the two on your bike. If it doesn;t ping and knock all over the place, and the mileage is the same, Just run the cheap stuff.

But that's just me...
--Vince

iMoose · 02-01-2009, 04:50 AM

I've tried them all!

And what seems to make the most difference is WHERE ya get it from.

I'm not sure why, but Chevron seems the best for me.

Followed by Sunoco.

winwun · 02-01-2009, 07:05 AM

My GY-3 would take forever to warm-up on regular, and Phil told me he had good luck with av gas, and I tried it, and the difference was unbelievable.

At 20 degrees, the little Trailrider would start immediately with no choke and would run with more power than normal.

However, I did find that the av gas had corrosives of some nature that eat into the plastic fuel filter, and left the blue coloring dripping all over the side of the engine, as well as deterioriating the flimsy stock gas lines.

I replaced the gas lines with good U.S. thick-walled black rubberized line and bought a good metal NAPA in-line filter and have had no trouble since.

I did stop using the av gas, but I could probably go back to it now, but I found some Texaco stations that sell the regular with no ethanol, and it works almost as good, but does require a little warm-up time, but not bad.

The non-ethanol regular is two cents higher, but some say you get a lot better mileage from it.

I might try premium in the GY-3 and see how it does -- does anyone know if premium has ethanol in it ? ?

It doesn't get driven enough to be a problem .

elroyjetsn · 02-01-2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinariderinthesky

we are talkin about 200cc's of CHINEESE FURY! i don't know what kinda performance you will get out of slightly higher octane

Hey, when you're tryin to keep up with traffic on the freeway at 65, you need all you can get!

elroyjetsn · 02-01-2009, 12:15 PM

Think that e85 is like 111 octane. 8)

Formula One went completely e85 a few years back.

Ethyl Alcohol is about 130 oct and far superior to gas- Leaves no deposits, no emissions and completely water soluble. You can cut it with 20% water or more and it'll run ok- jetted properly of course.

chriseck · 02-01-2009, 01:44 PM

I have to use 93 octane.The bike would ping on the cheap stuff.Roketa 05 200 RSM-Enduro ,2200miles on it now.

TheRealWorld · 02-01-2009, 03:02 PM

I find all of these comments interesting, I will try some other octanes and try to observe the results. I wish we did not have the entire ethanol thing going on here in the US. I don't believe it has any thing to offer us at this time.

01-31-2009, 12:04 AM	#1
TheRealWorld Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 817	Do we need to use higher octane fuel? I have been using 93 octane fuel, because it is recommended. Is it necessary? How much ethanol is OK? Do some of you use 87 octane fuel.
	0

01-31-2009, 02:51 AM	#2
SpudRider Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Idaho Posts: 25,054	Different Octane Rating Systems I use 85 octane fuel in my Zongshen 200GY-2, and it runs like a champ. My owner's manual from Zongshen recommends the use of 90 octane fuel, or higher. However, foreign octane ratings are calculated differently than U.S. octane ratings; check out the following link. http://hondaswap.com/reference-mater...ratings-59435/ According to the information posted above, 90 octane in China would be equivalent to 85.5 octane in the United States. Another factor to consider is elevation above sea level. I live and ride at elevations 4,400 feet above sea level and higher. At higher elevations the air is thinner, and lower octane gasoline can be safely used without causing engine pre-ignition. In Idaho and Utah regular grade gasoline is 85 octane. Spud __________________ Spud "Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level, and beat you with experience." Mark Twain 2015 Zongshen ZS250GY-3 (RX3) 2006 Zongshen ZS200GY-2 (Sierra 200) 2005 Honda XR650L 2004 Honda CRF250X 1998 Kawasaki KDX220 Mods made to my Zongshen ZS200GY-2: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=6894
	0

01-31-2009, 05:40 AM	#3
ejcycles Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 11481 State Route 44 Mantua, Ohio 44255 Posts: 1,112	Spud is correct... in other words We use, The R+ M over 2 method. This used to be on all fuel pumps at one time. How much ethanol is OK? All gasoline in The USA has at least 10% ethanol in it. This is basically an EPA standard. The Unleaded fuel started back in 1972, They started putting ethanol in our gasoline in 1980. I'm not positive, but I think some areas use more than 10%. The Standard Oil Co. started using alcohol in the 70's to prevent fuel line freeze-up. __________________ Thanks, Bruce @ Endless Journey Cycles "Phone Calls Only" ~330-274-0098~ Hours: Tue.-Fri. 10:00-6:00 Sat. 10:00-4:00 EST. Dealer for: Lifan, Crossrunner ATVs. http://www.endlessjourneycycles.net
	0

01-31-2009, 11:04 AM	#5
katoranger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Altamont, Kansas Posts: 15,103	I have been running 87 octane with no problems. Allen __________________ You meet the nicest people on a Honda Clone.
	0

01-31-2009, 02:26 PM	#6
elroyjetsn Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: West Virginia Posts: 629	Check your motor's specs. If the compression ratio is over 9:1 you can't use 87 oct safely. My Viva knocks like crazy on 87 and a little on mid-pre cause it's 10.1/1 compression. Plus you take a definite performance loss. __________________ Wayne Wildfire WF300-SP
	0

01-31-2009, 09:32 AM	#4
TheRealWorld Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 817	Thanks for the reply guys, this is a great service.
	0

01-31-2009, 06:05 PM	#7
chinariderinthesky Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: idaho falls idaho Posts: 118	we are talkin about 200cc's of CHINEESE FURY! i don't know what kinda performance you will get out of slightly higher octane
	0

01-31-2009, 06:06 PM	#8
phil Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: wise va Posts: 636	i agree even though i am a user of av gas. i wouldnt think any pump gas would hurt your bike. you could check and see the mpg and decide which gives the best, i have seen gas stations here advertise no ethanol or alcohol but the i wonder about the octane rates being true __________________ halls auto l coolster, modcycles, yanmar & zongshen, dealer fired roketa,lifan and jet moto and apollo quit me who's next
	0

01-31-2009, 10:15 PM	#9
VinceDrake Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Saskatchewan Posts: 491	Just to throw it out there as food for thought, According to the specs, my Honda 900C Should run just tickety-boo on 87 octane Regular. BUT!!! I can reliably get 175km from a tank of Regular and 220km froma tank of Premium. It shouldn't care, but it does. With that difference, I actually Save about 3 cents per litre using premium instead of Regular. I would say try to check if there's anymileage difference between the two on your bike. If it doesn;t ping and knock all over the place, and the mileage is the same, Just run the cheap stuff. But that's just me... --Vince __________________ "Sometimes it is better to say nothing, and let people think you're an idiot, than to open your mouth and prove it."
	0

02-01-2009, 04:50 AM	#10
iMoose Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Seminole,FL Posts: 141	I've tried them all! And what seems to make the most difference is WHERE ya get it from. I'm not sure why, but Chevron seems the best for me. Followed by Sunoco. __________________ "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
	0

02-01-2009, 07:05 AM	#11
winwun Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 169	My GY-3 would take forever to warm-up on regular, and Phil told me he had good luck with av gas, and I tried it, and the difference was unbelievable. At 20 degrees, the little Trailrider would start immediately with no choke and would run with more power than normal. However, I did find that the av gas had corrosives of some nature that eat into the plastic fuel filter, and left the blue coloring dripping all over the side of the engine, as well as deterioriating the flimsy stock gas lines. I replaced the gas lines with good U.S. thick-walled black rubberized line and bought a good metal NAPA in-line filter and have had no trouble since. I did stop using the av gas, but I could probably go back to it now, but I found some Texaco stations that sell the regular with no ethanol, and it works almost as good, but does require a little warm-up time, but not bad. The non-ethanol regular is two cents higher, but some say you get a lot better mileage from it. I might try premium in the GY-3 and see how it does -- does anyone know if premium has ethanol in it ? ? It doesn't get driven enough to be a problem . __________________ If everyone picked up a couple of pieces of litter, pretty soon there wouldn't be ANY, and wouldn't THAT be nice ? Luke, 11: 21
	0

02-01-2009, 12:15 PM	#13
elroyjetsn Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: West Virginia Posts: 629	Ethanol is Super High Octane Think that e85 is like 111 octane. 8) Formula One went completely e85 a few years back. Ethyl Alcohol is about 130 oct and far superior to gas- Leaves no deposits, no emissions and completely water soluble. You can cut it with 20% water or more and it'll run ok- jetted properly of course. __________________ Wayne Wildfire WF300-SP
	0

02-01-2009, 01:44 PM	#14
chriseck Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Palm Harbor Fl. Posts: 52	I have to use 93 octane.The bike would ping on the cheap stuff.Roketa 05 200 RSM-Enduro ,2200miles on it now.
	0

02-01-2009, 03:02 PM	#15
TheRealWorld Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 817	I find all of these comments interesting, I will try some other octanes and try to observe the results. I wish we did not have the entire ethanol thing going on here in the US. I don't believe it has any thing to offer us at this time.
	0