So, I always put the best gas in when I fill up, but I must have not been paying attention when I filled up the other day because I hit the cheap button. I realized it after I hung up but, what can you do. I thought this could be ugly but after riding it 200 miles till the next fill I did not notice any differece in performance. On the next fill up I put the cheap stuff in again, and again no difference in performance....have I been wasting my money all these years??/

Jack

 

I started using mid range instead of premium with no noticeable difference. It still exceeds the manufacturer requirements.

 

been using 87 and 89 octane for 90,000 miles. Have tried 91 and 93 and can't tell any difference. I'm not stock, 95", 2 into one, 204 cams, intake. Never had it ping (knock, detonate, whatever).

 

These days the cheap gas is probably the freshest gas you can buy.

 

I always wondered about this, being our (near) stock motors are low compression. What's really wrong with it. I don't even know what my book recommends, but I have always used 91. Next tank I'll try 87 with my Star Tron.
My 1st 200 miles were the best my bike has ever ran lately and mileage went up some, enough to pay for it...win-win deal. Protects my gas too!
I really believe carb motors need this stuff.

 

When rounding the bottom of Lake Okeechobee, I filled up with 93 Test. Half way down Route 27, my motor stalled than began running rough but made it home. I pulled the cylinders and found the lip of the piston blew off and beat around the combustion chamber and exited the exhaust port. Sometimes no matter the price, you can get crap gas. I am 100% sure that the fuel was the problem.

 

the man i bought my bike from, 1990 fxstc, said he used the cheapest gas, i did for a while then was told, by the harley know-it-alls, to use the best. no difference so i went back to the cheap. if your motor pings then go up, if not then get the cheap.

 

How bout that!

Like my mama used to say, "if everybody jumped off a bridge would you jump too?"

 

Apparently as long as you buy gas from any of these retailers you should be good to go.

http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

Using a higher octane fuel than you need will actually reduce your power.

Here's another article on it.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/octane.htm

Lot's of reading available on this subject.