Low Octane Gas
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 719
Likes: 35
From: SE New Hampshire
RE: Low Octane Gas
This thread cracks me up. Let me throw a bit of math to you low grade fuelpenny pinchers. Say you put 2500 mi on your bike a year. Say you average 40 mpg. Thats 62.5 gallons a year. A gallon of 93 octane is about $3.49. Thats $218 in fuel cost. A Gallon of 87 octane is about $3.00. Thats $187. You save a whopping $31 a year in fuel. A trashed top end from detonation will cost about $1600 to repair maybe more? Guys, come on, your $18 large Harley deserves good,just be safe and run premium. (sacrafice one tiny chrome trinketpurchase a year 
)
)
Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 941
Likes: 27
From:
RE: Low Octane Gas
ORIGINAL: Road_Clam
This thread cracks me up. Let me throw a bit of math to you low grade fuelpenny pinchers. Say you put 2500 mi on your bike a year. Say you average 40 mpg. Thats 62.5 gallons a year. A gallon of 93 octane is about $3.49. Thats $218 in fuel cost. A Gallon of 87 octane is about $3.00. Thats $187. You save a whopping $31 a year in fuel. A trashed top end from detonation will cost about $1600 to repair maybe more? Guys, come on, your $18 large Harley deserves good,just be safe and run premium. (sacrafice one tiny chrome trinketpurchase a year )
This thread cracks me up. Let me throw a bit of math to you low grade fuelpenny pinchers. Say you put 2500 mi on your bike a year. Say you average 40 mpg. Thats 62.5 gallons a year. A gallon of 93 octane is about $3.49. Thats $218 in fuel cost. A Gallon of 87 octane is about $3.00. Thats $187. You save a whopping $31 a year in fuel. A trashed top end from detonation will cost about $1600 to repair maybe more? Guys, come on, your $18 large Harley deserves good,just be safe and run premium. (sacrafice one tiny chrome trinketpurchase a year
)
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,620
Likes: 117
From: ARIZONA
RE: Low Octane Gas
JUst to chime in again here, the brand of fuel that you run is equally as important as the octane your buy. The no name/discount brand fuels use low quality octane boosters and the bare minimum cleaners required by federal law. The name brand fuels (BP/Amoco, Shell, Chevron, Mobile etc) all use high grade quality octane boosters and top notch cleaners. The base fuel that most seller use is the same thing, however the QUALITY of the final fuel product is determined by the boosters and cleaners each retailer puts in.
Ive seen alot of cars come through the shop I work at (Lexus) that are running low octane, no name fuel. It causes all KINDS of problems, and like the bikes will cause pinging and detonation!
As one of my teachers explained to me at UTI one day "No name fuel and brand name fuel is like talking about hot dogs or steak for dinner. Sure the hot dogs will feed you, but a steak makes you SATISFIED!"
too true.
Ive seen alot of cars come through the shop I work at (Lexus) that are running low octane, no name fuel. It causes all KINDS of problems, and like the bikes will cause pinging and detonation!
As one of my teachers explained to me at UTI one day "No name fuel and brand name fuel is like talking about hot dogs or steak for dinner. Sure the hot dogs will feed you, but a steak makes you SATISFIED!"
too true.
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 185
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Low Octane Gas
Harley does sell a fuel additive, and by useing it they claim you can run a lower Octain fuel. It comes in a 4 oz. container and cost $5.95, at the recomended mixing ratio it will treat 40 gal. of fuel. So for you Math. Heads who like to crunch numbers see if thecost offsets the .20 differencebetween regular and premium fuel. By the way that Harley part number for the additive is #99893-91a........
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,830
Likes: 8
From: Retired and living in the mountains of NE PA
RE: Low Octane Gas
Well, others can do as they choose, but I'm just stupid enough to follow the owner's manual recommendation of using premium fuel only in my bike.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 719
Likes: 35
From: SE New Hampshire
RE: Low Octane Gas
Experts say enginedetonation can occur without hearing it. (I bet it's real hard to hear ping with a set of roaring baffleless drag pipes)If you actually hear an engine pinging, it's doing even more damage.
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
RE: Low Octane Gas
Stop at PepBoys and pick up REDLINE fuel additive. its not the cheapest but you only need to add an oz to your tank every other fill up.
I use it on my 300 HP Hayabusa. it wont let you go to a lower octane but it will keep your fuel line side cleaner.
I just put a splash in every so often when I remember. a bottle goes along way.
I use it on my 300 HP Hayabusa. it wont let you go to a lower octane but it will keep your fuel line side cleaner.
I just put a splash in every so often when I remember. a bottle goes along way.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 383
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
RE: Low Octane Gas
Guys, I am not trying to run low octane for the cost factor, somebody told me that some of these air cooled engines run cooler with lower octane gas. So just wanted to set that straight here,I am cheap, but not that cheap!!!!!! I will be running full premium from now on, no questions asked!!!!!!!!