I use SUNOCO 94 ultra.

 

there's very little difference in fuel grades....being an ex-tanker driver....when the low grade tank is full stores top off the premium tanks with regular. so basically you are paying $0.30 more for regular

 

One more reason why the 883 xl is great: 87 octane is optimum. My carbed 883 runs any brand of 87 octane without issues. Also, trip checks of gas mileage found no improvement with high octane gas.

As a side note, I had a pickup that was rated for 87 octane, but had always complained climbing hills unless it got 91+. During a gas price spike, I told it to get with the program and put nothing but 87 octane in it. It complained less with each tank and after a month was running perfectly on 87. Found out later that the electronics in some modern engines "learn on the go." So, it was adjusting to whatever was in the tank.

 

10.5.1 compression....I run 93 of higher.

 

Here's a good one for you boy's, when a hajee mart orders fuel, (lets say) if they buy 10000 Gal. of fuel and it won't all fit in the 87 octane tank where do you think the rest of it go"s? That's right,the rest go"s in the high octane tank. (I heard that in this forum) from a fuel tank driver. So you tell me? What are you buying? 87 or 93? I was told to use a additive to boost the octane number. (104+). It sucks, but this is the world we live in............HOLLYWOOD

 

+1


I've even been known to use some additives. mainly Klotz octane booster.

http://klotzlube.com/storeProdDetails.asp?pi=50


I also use Klotz oils in every hole.

 

I use 87 in my 2002 883 without any problems.

I came across this article which offers an interesting view - http://downwardspiral.net/motorcycle/octane/

 

I run the cheapest in my '01 1200S. I'll occasionally splurge the extra for premium.

 

Everything you read on the Internet is true. Seriously.

The article 2 links up is what's right. Octane is about resilience to self-detonation. In a higher compression gas engine, fuel that detonates before the ignition system fires is bad, and is what is called pinging. It can pretty much ruin pistons and rings, requiring an expensive rebuild. The manufacturer or your engine builder is the best placed guy to give you advice on fuel and you should just do as he says. If it says premium in the manual, premium it is.

All the additive junk in premium is just marketing to sell that gas to people who don't really need it. It won't help the engine run any better and can cause the problems describe in the article above, unburnt fuel in the exhaust.

 

That's interesting... I raced Mazda RX-7, rotary-engined sports cars all through
the 90s and never used "race fuel" for the same reasons mentioned in the article;
pump gas actually burned more efficiently thereby delivering fractionally better
power in rotaries which do not have a particularly efficient chamber design.

But I always ran 91 or better octane.

I was wondering if Harley's EFI was smart enough to adjust to differing fuels
but I gather not?