new rider
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,095
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From: Central Illinois
What octane you need is based on what compression you run.
Lower octane gas is designed to reach optimum detonation potential at a lower compression than higher octane gas. Most high performance engines use high octane fuel because they run very high compression, and low octane fuel would cause the engine to prematurely detonate.
I hate the term "super" or "premium". That marketing has messed with the public's already shaky understanding of what an octane rating is, they think "higher octane is better". The reality is that many gas companies put better additive packages in higher octane gas, and so the additives might be a bit better, but that has nothing to do with the octane, and everything to do with what was added to the gas by the fuel company.
The general rule is that to be on the safe side and avoid detonation or pinging, run the highest octane gas you can get (don't go above 93 though, stay away from race gas).
If you were trying to squeeze every bit of performance out of the bike, you would use the lowest octane gas that does NOT cause pinging or detonation, but I would not recommend that to any rider who wasn't concerned with dyno numbers over engine life.
The short version: Use the highest octane gas at the pump.
Lower octane gas is designed to reach optimum detonation potential at a lower compression than higher octane gas. Most high performance engines use high octane fuel because they run very high compression, and low octane fuel would cause the engine to prematurely detonate.
I hate the term "super" or "premium". That marketing has messed with the public's already shaky understanding of what an octane rating is, they think "higher octane is better". The reality is that many gas companies put better additive packages in higher octane gas, and so the additives might be a bit better, but that has nothing to do with the octane, and everything to do with what was added to the gas by the fuel company.
The general rule is that to be on the safe side and avoid detonation or pinging, run the highest octane gas you can get (don't go above 93 though, stay away from race gas).
If you were trying to squeeze every bit of performance out of the bike, you would use the lowest octane gas that does NOT cause pinging or detonation, but I would not recommend that to any rider who wasn't concerned with dyno numbers over engine life.
The short version: Use the highest octane gas at the pump.
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