Fuel additive
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 856
Likes: 6
From: Charlotte County FL
I ran Lucas octane boost in mine during hot weather to eliminate pinging.. Since the bike bike been tuned I haven't needed it, it did seem to help the performance a little.. But if you ride allot it gets expensive after a while..
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,642
Likes: 1,985
From: Cleveland Zoo
I just use a name brand (like Shell) premium gas from a busy station. I used octane booster in a high compression EVO bike I had but that was only on trips as at home I mixed race gas to stop pinging. The octane booster screwed up my spark plugs over time.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 161
Likes: 2
From: Louisville, KY
What gets me is they call for premium on a motor with moderate compression? The lower the octane the more volatile it is. In theory you should run the lowest octane fuel without any pre-ignition to gain the most power. Having higher compression in my motor now I run 92, the highest in KY...
The recommendation of running the highest pump octane is because of the motors being tuned so lean .
Trending Topics
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 9,281
Likes: 1,139
From: southeast PA
If it's a stock motor and running right, no pinging or anything, there's no need for octane booster. You might want to use an injection cleaner like Sea Foam every now and then as a precaution.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
Stage I
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Longwoof, FL
new motors shouldn't have a big need for fuel additives. You can use a cleaner like Bell Performance Mix-I-Go that will keep the engine clean and protect against ethanol damage if you run into ethanol in your area. But generally speaking, engines don't have a great need for additives until they accumulate some use on them.
