Sunoco race fuel
I tried midgrade gas in my Heritage once and it ran fine. But high test is recommended and that's what I'll run - especially in this Georgia heat. It gets quite hot enough as is. God forbid you get caught in a jam - that's why I built the oil cooler, such as that works.
No way does this engine have enough compression to do anything with race gas, but I do wonder if it wouldn't run cooler still.
No way does this engine have enough compression to do anything with race gas, but I do wonder if it wouldn't run cooler still.
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 5
From: In the north
The higher the oct rating the higher the compression needs to be to properly compress the fuel for proper ignition of the fuel.
Running higher then recomended oct fuel only leads to unburnt fuel that rolls out the exhaust or into your catalitic converter which is very bad for catalitic converters if you have one.
Even running 91 oct can be a waist of money, in the long run, unless there is something wrong with the tune of your scooter and it pings on lower oct.
My profession makes me think of the long run fuel costs rather then the here and now fuel costs. 99% of my riding time takes me through places were you are lucky to get a decent 87 oct fuel. I am not about to waste time and money running around looking for higher oct fuel. But then I don't go pulling my scooter out just to run up to the local bike night and pose as a curb queen either.
My bike is quicker off the line and actually has a faster top end and gets about 2 mpg better economy running regular old 87 oct.
Higher oct fuels are for highcompression highperformance motors, it helps them live longer and that is it.
Running higher then recomended oct fuel only leads to unburnt fuel that rolls out the exhaust or into your catalitic converter which is very bad for catalitic converters if you have one.
Even running 91 oct can be a waist of money, in the long run, unless there is something wrong with the tune of your scooter and it pings on lower oct.
My profession makes me think of the long run fuel costs rather then the here and now fuel costs. 99% of my riding time takes me through places were you are lucky to get a decent 87 oct fuel. I am not about to waste time and money running around looking for higher oct fuel. But then I don't go pulling my scooter out just to run up to the local bike night and pose as a curb queen either.
My bike is quicker off the line and actually has a faster top end and gets about 2 mpg better economy running regular old 87 oct.
Higher oct fuels are for highcompression highperformance motors, it helps them live longer and that is it.
My manual calls for 93 octane only for my TC88. I have heard it ping a bit on occasion when really warm and too low a rev for the amount of throttle I'd used. That tells me it's right where it should be, unless I miss something.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,335
Likes: 0
From: Tidewater
Hey Paul, over here in Hampton, right down the street from the Langley Speedway you can buy 110 octance Texaco Race Fuel from the pump and put it in anything! It was $7.29 a gallon yesterday, fully leaded...
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 5
From: In the north
The higher oct is not actually fully igniting in a stock twin cam, which is leaving some raw fuel left to aid in cooling it a little.
I just don't lug my motor below 2500 rpm when it gets warm out. I usually let it rev so that when I hit the next gear, the rpms are at 3000+ rpm unless I am just cruising easy down the highway.
On hot days, if I am going to roll on the throttle hard to make a pass when cruising around 2500 rpm, I usually drop a gear. If I am nto going to roll on the throttle hard then I can usually leave it in 5th gear.
Some of the guys I run with have 6 speeds and they see more pinging then I do when they roll on the throttle. But then they are cruising around in 6th gear at 55-60 mph which puts them below 2500 rpm. I keep telling them to leave it in 5th gear at these slower speeds but it falls on deaf ears.
I don't understand why Harley put 6 speeds behind 96 inch touring scooters. These are big heavy machines and a 96 doesn't have the power to properly pull 6th gear on anything but level smooth ground.
Alot of peoples pinging issues would disapear if they would quit bubbling around in 6th gear at less then 2500 RPM. But people will never understand this.
Too many people believe that they are getting better performance and economy running the higher priced fuels. Drinking too much of the koolaid from the comercials etc. Just because the number is higher at the pump and the price is higher, does not means it is better.
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