Gas Mileage?
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Okeechobee, Fl
Gas Mileage?
Orangecrush said in another post, "Just for the record, running the lowest octane possible that WILL NOT allow your bike to detonate will always give you more power, smoother idle and more gas mileage."
Are you saying if I run say 87 octane I will get better gas mileage and performance from my "06 Street Bob?
Has anyone tried this with the fuel injected 88 cior 96 ci fuel injected motors? The MoCo does recommend 92 octane in these motors.
If that is the case, that would sure help on long trips.
Are you saying if I run say 87 octane I will get better gas mileage and performance from my "06 Street Bob?
Has anyone tried this with the fuel injected 88 cior 96 ci fuel injected motors? The MoCo does recommend 92 octane in these motors.
If that is the case, that would sure help on long trips.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,200
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From: Okeechobee, Fl
RE: Gas Mileage?
So, you are saying I should try 87 octane and if it doesn't ping keep using it? Maybe I should try a mid grade first? I'll give it a try.
ORIGINAL: stro1965
I've always heard you should run the lowest octane your bike will tolerate without pinging.
I've always heard you should run the lowest octane your bike will tolerate without pinging.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: LAKESIDE CA.
RE: Gas Mileage?
I always use mid grade only ping I ever get is when I am into low a gear (up hill around a corner etc.) mileage is in the high 40"s works for me 32thou. on an 04 softail.....
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Outstanding HDF Member
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From:
RE: Gas Mileage?
Something you need to remember. Each vehicle/bike is different. I gave you my results that was substantiated to me over a 30K mile period.
The bottom line and you can check several of these articles is that putting a higher octane isn't necc. the best thing for your engine. Like Stro1965 said, running the lowest octane without your vehicle pinging/detonating is what you need... anything else is just a waste of money.
Here's a couple of sites/articles
http://www.bajajusa.com/High%20Octane.htm
High Octane Fuel - Do You Really Need the "Good "Stuff?
or:
You Really Can Fool Some of the People All of the Time
The bottom line and you can check several of these articles is that putting a higher octane isn't necc. the best thing for your engine. Like Stro1965 said, running the lowest octane without your vehicle pinging/detonating is what you need... anything else is just a waste of money.
Here's a couple of sites/articles
http://www.bajajusa.com/High%20Octane.htm
High Octane Fuel - Do You Really Need the "Good "Stuff?
or:
You Really Can Fool Some of the People All of the Time
The swami has been hearing a lot of nonsense around the gas pumps these days. People are tanking up with the "good" stuff because the commercials imply that it's better for their engine. When the oil companies use superlatives like "Super", "Extra" and "High"...well it must be better, right? And of course they wouldn't be charging $0.10 - $0.20 more unless they were putting some really good stuff in there, right? Sorry...NOT!
"High Octane" is not synonymous with "good" or "better", and does not mean that it is better for your engine! And the chances are pretty good you don’t need high octane fuel in your scooter.High-octane fuels only become necessary when your engine has a high compression ratio. It’s a very long and complicated story…that the swami will make short.
First important fact that you must accept:
All gasoline, regardless of its’ octane rating, have pretty much the same amount of energy per gallon. What!!! "Sacrilege" you say? Well, actually, some higher-octane fuels have a few LESS percent energy per gallon…so as not to argue over this small point, for the sake of this discussion we will all agree that the automotive gasoline that you buy at the pump, regardless of octane rating, has the same amount of potential energy.
Second important fact that you must accept:
Octane is NOT a measure of power but of the fuels’ resistance to ignition from heat. A higher-octane fuel, under identical combustion chamber conditions, will burn slower.
How can this be? If all of the above is true, how do we get more power out of high octane gasoline? We do, don’t we?
Well…yes we do. Here’s how:
But first you must understand "heat of compression". There is a 2,000 year old fire starting device that still amazes the swami. A length of bamboo was hollowed out leaving one end capped. A stick, about the same length as the bamboo, was whittled down until it fit snugly into the bamboo cylinder. A bit of dried grass or wood shavings were placed in the bottom of the bamboo cylinder and the snugly fitting stick was violently rammed down the bamboo tube. The heat generated from rapidly compressing the air in the tube was sufficient to ignite the tinder.
[left][font=verdana][size=2]The same thing can happen in the cylinder of an engine. The piston, quickly squeezing the fuel/air mixture into a small space, can generate enough
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Windham,Maine
RE: Gas Mileage?
As long as the bike is not pinging keep lowering the octane,it will not hurt a thing.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Central Florida
RE: Gas Mileage?
I run 89 octane in mine and have had no problems in seven years and 36000 miles. You will never know until you try it.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Okeechobee, Fl
RE: Gas Mileage?
Yesterday after posting this question I rode from Okeechobee, Fl. to north of Sebring along with a few little side trips for a total of 101 miles one way. I had filled up with 92 octane the night before in anticipation of the ride.
I have use nothing but high test, 92+ octane sense buying my '06 Street Bob in February of '06. With nothing more than a stage 1 download I have been getting between 38 and 42 mpg depending on the speed.
Uponleaving Sebring I filled up with a mid grade, 89 octane, 2.6 gallons. 101 milesdivided by 2.6 gallons = 38 mpg, on high test. On the ride home running between 60 and 75mphI did not have any "pinging". I still have 3/4 of a tank of gas according to the gage. It was raining when I came home so I'll fill up later today and check the mileage and post the results.
Just going by the fuel gage it looks like I increased the gas mileage. I have not gone 101 miles ether, only 83 miles,no side trips, we were trying to beat the rain. We lost.
I have use nothing but high test, 92+ octane sense buying my '06 Street Bob in February of '06. With nothing more than a stage 1 download I have been getting between 38 and 42 mpg depending on the speed.
Uponleaving Sebring I filled up with a mid grade, 89 octane, 2.6 gallons. 101 milesdivided by 2.6 gallons = 38 mpg, on high test. On the ride home running between 60 and 75mphI did not have any "pinging". I still have 3/4 of a tank of gas according to the gage. It was raining when I came home so I'll fill up later today and check the mileage and post the results.
Just going by the fuel gage it looks like I increased the gas mileage. I have not gone 101 miles ether, only 83 miles,no side trips, we were trying to beat the rain. We lost.