Bandit Alley
GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: Red01 on August 14, 2007, 12:22:02 PM
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Lets not get into the octane debate, just vote what you use most often in your Bandit (any size, stock compression ratio).
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I use what it says in the manual: regular.
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I use what it says in the manual: regular.
+1 .... Absolutely.
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Can't vote, nobody offered "hi-test" or "unleaded" as choices. What year it it again?
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I didn't think you could buy leaded gas for road use anywhere in the US anymore.
What's the difference between hi-test and premium anyway?
Do I need to add Ethyl, too?
:lol:
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Do I need to add Ethyl, too?
Yes. One thing I miss is cold Ethyl and her skeleton kiss.
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I generally use regular ULP.
The only time I use premium/hi octane is if my wife is filling up her bike at the same time (her m750 only drinks the good stuff).
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I alternate between premium and regular now it's broke-in.
I tried a couple tanks of regular in a row, started getting some pinging at low revs under load. 10.5:1 compession is just high enough to be the probable culprit.
The reason I use premium alternately is for the detergent additives (Shell), my bike is fuel injected. And since the pinging went away when I went back, I'll stick with it.
I thought about usng the mid-grade all the time, but the premium had the better detergents, so alternating works out the same octane on average, and runs cleaner.
Just my personal choice here, fellas, I'm not trying to start the debate again! Whatever works for ya is OK with me! :bigok:
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Premium in every tank.
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Always thought that if the engine was designed to run under a certain octane, using anything higher was just throwing money away... so I use regular.
:bigok:
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Always thought that if the engine was designed to run under a certain octane, using anything higher was just throwing money away... so I use regular.
+1 here. Haven't noticed any pinging, etc. on 87 R+M/2 octane, so don't see the reason for more....
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I believe there was another thread on this that I already posted to, but....
My 2.5G 1200 runs just fine on regular....but I've only got about 4.5K miles on the clock so far. #17 may like premium once she gets a few more miles on the clock.
I have/have tried a few tanks of premium during the 4.5k miles but she didn't seem to like it, for whatever reason. She was cranky during the cold start/warmup process, whereas on regular she started up as nice as you could want. I have/have experienced a very slight pinging once or twice on very hot days (90F+) down at lower altitudes after a long highway run loaded down with camping gear.
I run Esso/Exxon fuels exclusively in all my rides, for whatever that's worth, and have never had a fuel related problem of any kind.
As an aside, if my H2 will run happily on some refiner's product, ANY other bike will be happy with that same product. H2's, even stock-engined ones like mine, are notorious detonators and will buck and surge at the slightest provocation. I can/can run regular in the H2.....but she lets you know she'd prefer premium, especially on hot days (80F+), so that's what she gets. On cooler days ( below ~65F) I can get away with regular mostly.
My .02.....
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My analogy has always been...
Using higher octane than the level that prevents pinging & detonation is like overfilling a water canteen so you have 'extra water'.
That being said... if I have to fill up at a "no-name" gas station, I typically will go with 89 instead of 87 octane... or if I'm not in a hurry... a 50/50 mix of the two.
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if I have to fill up at a "no-name" gas station, I typically will go with 89 instead of 87 octane... or if I'm not in a hurry... a 50/50 mix of the two.
Hee hee. Why not a 75/25? Or a 89/11? Weird science, dude. If you don't trust the gas, why not just go with mid-grade for that particualr tank and be done with it?
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if I have to fill up at a "no-name" gas station, I typically will go with 89 instead of 87 octane... or if I'm not in a hurry... a 50/50 mix of the two.
Hee hee. Why not a 75/25? Or a 89/11? Weird science, dude. If you don't trust the gas, why not just go with mid-grade for that particualr tank and be done with it?
I don't actually measure the 50/50 ratio. More like a few bucks of 87 and a few bucks of 89. Think I've only done that a couple of times, anyway... so it's really a non-issue.
But the story goes that fuel that has been sitting for awhile loses octane.
I've experimented with all the grades available here (typically 87,89,93) and it seems like the Bandit runs best on 'good' 87. Also seems like the warm-up time is better as well. (As I understand it, the lower the octane, the lower the flash point.)
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(As I understand it, the lower the octane, the lower the flash point.)
Not quite...flash point is controlled by the lightest Hydrocarbon molecule in the blend. "Old" gas can loose a little vapour pressure, but flash point would be pretty similar, Premium or Regular, down around-40 (F or C) or lower. Can be market specific in the winter (as is RVP - Reed Vapour Pressure). Less light ends are blended into "summer" gas as opposed to "winter" gas. :stfu:
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Less light ends are blended into "summer" gas as opposed to "winter" gas.
So, Paul, what we REALLY need to do is to buy a tanker-load of winter gas and use it in our bikes through the summer. That way, we'd avoid all those nasty heavier/non-combustible ends.....and take advantage of cheaper winter prices, too.
What's not to like ??!!??
Although a guy would have to ride a lot to use it all up before it went off......:lol:....mind you, my H2 could certainly help out with that problem.....:lol:
I wonder if the neighbours would mind a tanker trailer parked in my cul-de-sac ??? :lol:
Hmmmm.....I'm starting to think like the late John Denver....but for different reasons.....so I'm probably okay.
:grin:
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Hey Rick
Nope, you need those additional light ends to vaporize and let the bike start in the winter. We usually see the reverse, as we head into fall, farmers who have had summer gasoline (low vapour pressure) sitting all fall start to have problems starting equipment as it cools off.
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Regular always. Rule of thumb (very roughly) is: multiply compression ratio by 10, then buy nearest grade of gas. For the 1200 Bandit, that's 9.0 x 10 =90. First try a tankful of regular 87 octane. If it pings, buy mid-grade. No need to waste money on high-test.
This rule may not be valid much longer as manufacturers figure out how to get more compression on the same grade of gas. Hemi engines have always been less prone to ping on a diet of low-grade fuel.
Herb
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I use 87 octane from a Top Tier gasoline station.
:beers:
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Weird, for some reason I have no voting buttons. Anyway I use the highest pump octane available because the anti-knock additives keep the possibility of engine ping at bay, especially in summer. Oops! Missed the part about voting closed.
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Mid-grade for me... 89-90. Seems fine; no performance difference than high test (91-93).
Maybe 87 would work.. haven't experimented enough.
PS.. here in China, you get 90.. 93.. and 97 as options, although who's actually measuring those octane levels here is unclear.
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Greg, I'm guessing China rates octane like Europe and uses only the RON number, not like the US (RON + MON / 2) and that's why you see higher numbers there.
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I can understand yawl up in that icy stuff resurectting the old here! Man Ice storms have got to suck! Hurricanes anyone! Ok back to octane, My Bandusa will drop 1 MPG if i use the Mid grade stuff. Use top grade and it runs and starts sluggish. Our winter Gas seems to not have the zip the summer stuff did! :roll: Am I still allowed A word here :lol:
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Greg, I'm guessing China rates octane like Europe and uses only the RON number, not like the US (RON + MON / 2) and that's why you see higher numbers there.
Oh... no kidding..? news to me..
Do you have any idea what that translates into, octane-wise? I currently put their mid-grade into my NC31 Honda (1997 CB400SF), which they advertise as "93"..(90 and 97 being the other options). Good old Iranian CRUDE here, Ayatollah..
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Just an guessitmate, but I'd say 93 RON is about the same as the US's 89 RM/2.
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87 octane - always.
Herb :motorsmile:
Lets not get into the octane debate, just vote what you use most often in your Bandit (any size, stock compression ratio).
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I RUN NOTHING LOWER THAN 90 OR 93
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Usa regular 87=euro 92
Usa mid-grade=euro 94
Usa premium 90, 92 =euro 95-99
source of inspiration:neste oil Finland
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87 per book and my poor pocketbook :bandit:
PS: paulVS: I'd like to have your "attendants" service me[uh, fill up bike] :wink: :lol:
Wally
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I RUN NOTHING LOWER THAN 90 OR 93
Why? Do you know you're wasting your money? Not trying to be a smart ass but the Bandit was designed to run on 87 octane....anything more than that does the engine no good and in fact may cause Carbon deposits to form on the engine due to the different burn rate of a high octane fuel. (I read this in a mechanic/engineering mag I forget which one)
that and you're just making the oil companies richer.
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Gas Octane? Easy. It's what it says in the user's guide and in the factory repair manual - 87 0ctane. I have a '99 Bandit 1200 and a 2007 Bandit 1255 and both seem to love the 87 octane stuff. The 1200 gets up to 46 mpg while the 1255 has given me 48.5 mpg. No sign of pinging in either one under any load/RPM combination. :thumb:
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95 E
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87 in my 2001 B1200, stage 1.
87 in my former 98 Bandit with 1218(IIRC) high compression JE pistons, head work, high performance Cam Motion cams. And it didn't ping that I noticed, but I used 12 volt muffin fans on the oil cooler to keep the oil temperature 240 deg F or below.
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87 octane. Top tier gasoline only. Interesting thread at this link http://www.toptiergas.com/ explains how it started,the benefits, and the brands that meet the standards.