Premium gas vs regular

[achtung3]

Ok! This may be question that has been asked a million times but I could not find in this forum.

What is the damage to my K75 if I keep using regular gas instead premium?

Please keep it simple on the answer I am not a mechanic or technical expert so i will probably get confused on a long technical scientific answer.

Thanks.

[lhead]

Most likely nothing. My 93 K1100 runs perfectly fine on regular unleaded.

Are you experiencing pinging under load? That's the classic symptom that an engine requires gas with more octane. Octane is simply the gasolines ability to resist preignition in the burn process. Pinging is a clue that preignition is occurring.

No pinging? No worries.

[TimTyler]

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=3724.0

[Lbyvik]

87 k100rs

I make regular runs to Pensacola, Florida to see my gf.  900 miles each way.  I've done this experiment, averaging about 65mph including stops.  Running about 80mph down the highway.  97% of mileage is interstate

93 octane w ethanol.  = 40 mpg
93 octane w/o ethanol when i can find it (about half the fillups) = 43mph

87 octane w ethanol = 42 mpg
87 octane w/o ethanol when I can find it (about half the fillups) = 44+ mpg

Then this during one 350 mile stretch with two fillups with 87 octane and NO booze!  48 mpg!!! And this is consistent EVERY time I go to Fla.

I get very similar results in my 2000 honda CRV when I make the same trip.  normally that vehicle gets about 25 mpg no matter what Im doing or running.  But I was able to do 500 miles with 87 Octane and w no boooze and got 30+ mpg!!  Same stretch between Atlanta and Motngomery to exit 69   :2thumbup:  to Flomaton.

SO!  will someone....ANYONE ....PLEASE Tell the liberal, sky is falling, global warming proselytizing, everyone's gotta feel good and get a trophy generation, that PLAIN OLE GASOLINE WORKS and Boozin our fuel up DOESNT SAVE GAS!!!!!   

[TimTyler]

I'm pretty sure they don't add the booze to save gas, they add it because they can make it locally from locally farmed corn.

[Grim]

I Just looked at a US riders Manual for K1100 and it said 89 AKI (US Mid grade rating).

 

[roninvt]

My bike likes gas, the octane is superfluous, though i think I get the best mileage on mid-grade. 

[wmax351]

It also depends on altitude. Lower octane is okay at higher altitude, as peak cylinder pressure is lower. Though I noticed in most of the central plains, the octane ratings are actually (in order of price) 87 (e10) 85 (e0) 91 (e10).

[Jeff Sichoe]

So 91 octane is the highest you guys can get at the pump in the States?

Here in NZ the 'Budget' Gas is 91, most places offer premium @ 95 and the odd place (where I usually fill up) has 98 at the pumps too.

Interesting!

[achtung3]

I think I got my answer from TTyler reply to my post.

I will look "under the seat" for the info on gas.
I've always thought that I was supposed to use Premium 91 octane, but I don't recall where I've heard that is ok to use regular once in a while. :riding: :riding:

[Grim]

So 91 octane is the highest you guys can get at the pump in the States?

Here in NZ the 'Budget' Gas is 91, most places offer premium @ 95 and the odd place (where I usually fill up) has 98 at the pumps too.

Interesting!

Our ratings are not the same. Our 91 is like your 98.

We rate in AKI I think you rate RON.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

[Grim]

I think I got my answer from TTyler reply to my post.

I will look "under the seat" for the info on gas.
I've always thought that I was supposed to use Premium 91 octane, but I don't recall where I've heard that is ok to use regular once in a while. :riding: :riding:

The 90s manual says mid or high octane. That's probably where you got it from. 

[Jeff Sichoe]

So 91 octane is the highest you guys can get at the pump in the States?

Here in NZ the 'Budget' Gas is 91, most places offer premium @ 95 and the odd place (where I usually fill up) has 98 at the pumps too.

Interesting!

Our ratings are not the same. Our 91 is like your 98.

We rate in AKI I think you rate RON.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

Ahhh yes! Makes sense!

ya learn something new everyday - Thanks!

[achtung3]

My K75 is a 1990, I will look in the manual.

My other bike says to use 97octane but I have not found a 97 here in California.

[Oma Aika]

I've been using Shell V-Power (99 plus some extra stuff) when near but if not, then 98 (5 % ethanol). I guess it would go fine with regular 95 (10 % ethanol) but at least theoretically it should run better with higher octane.

[Chaos]

My manual (1987) specifies 91-ROZ, a European standard roughly equivalent to regular 87 RON here in the states.  Mine does fine on regular.

[WayneDW]

Gas threads go like this: 
I say, "there is no reason to run a higher octane gas unless your engine pings.  Running a higher octane gas than needed just lightens your wallet. I have always run 87 with no problems." 
Next someone says "but my bike runs better on higher octane."
Then someone says "no it doesn't, you just think it does."
"Does to"
"Does not"
etc

[Chaos]

Gas threads go like this: 
I say, "there is no reason to run a higher octane gas unless your engine pings.  Running a higher octane gas than needed just lightens your wallet. I have always run 87 with no problems." 
Next someone says "but my bike runs better on higher octane."
Then someone says "no it doesn't, you just think it does."
"Does to"
"Does not"
etc

:clap:

[mystic red]

Smart phone ap called "Pure Gas"... finds gas with no corn. To me, that's worth the extra money.

[Grim]

Ran a couple of tanks of 89 today on a 300 mile round trip since the K1100 manual said it was acceptable.
1st tank.....it was noticeably not happy. It was a cheap gas station but I was stuck with stopping there not. It got 41mpg with Odometer error corrected. A good bit of the run was at 70+ about 30 miles was city.

That said Ive done 45mpg on 91.

2nd tank was from Pilot. It was noticeably better running as soon as I started it and i cleared the lines with the new fuel. Maybe that cheap station was stale or it was really 87.  It will probable be next weekend before I run through the rest of it. See how it does.

 

[atarifan2600]

The octane of the gas doesn't tell the story of how much energy is "in" the gas.  Octane is just a shorthand way of saying "how hard is it to get this gas to burn".


Gasoline will ignite if you vaporize it and compress it.  (Even without a spark plug).  The issue being that with high-output engines that rely on tight tolerances and high compression (turbos, planes, etc) some gas would ignite too early in the power stroke cycle- before the piston is fully compressed, and before the plug would spark. So the explosion if gas almost tries to throw the piston and shaft "the wrong way"- the cylinders all end up fighting each other. 


Higher octane gas won't ignite as easily.  Lower octane gas may ignite if you look at it wrong. 

It is completely true that ethanol has less stored energy than a similar volume of non-ethanol gas, though. (Independent of octane).

The thought on ethanol is that it makes the finite world oil reserves last a little longer.  The calculus of all the petroleum it takes to MAKE ethanol (transport, fertilizer, etc) and the reduced energy created by ethanol makes us come out ahead in the end?   That's above my pay grade. 

[Puccini]

Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait a minute guys.

Is this the Prius forum where every ounce of gas is sacred??
Nope,This is the BMW FORUM where all of us are high end bike owners.

All this angst about 1 or 2 miles per gallon is below us.

If I put 3 gallons of high test instead of low test gas in my K bike the difference is about 20-30 cents a tank. It's insignificant.

I bet that if the same cheapo's went into a good pub and saw a premium brew for $1. more than the
standard swill for just 12oz. there would be not problem forking out the extra buck.

Just go for the high test and forget the small stuff.

Theres more important things to ponder.

Like why when you say motorcycle to most people in the USA, they think Harley Davidson.
Well, these are the same people who elected King Barack, the emperor of the north, twice.

So I guess that why they do that.
Pity !!!!!!!
 

[Motorhobo]

Ok, then....

I've heard that Citgo has the lowest ethanol content of all major other brands and that convenience store gas is suspect for high water contamination. Octane is one thing but I want as little ethanol and water in my fuel as possible.

Btw Citgo is Venezuelan and the guys who told me that about the ethanol and water contamination are Apple Pie Americans who work At the local reputable garage -- not The Chavez-lovin' type.

[Grim]

Last tank of 89 was horrible. I usually hit 160 before I get the light. 140 I had the light and my MPG was 34.

Giving it one more shot of 89. This time with Chevron.


Correction 89

[johnny]

little story about gasoline...

i can comfortable roll 180 on a tank of gas... just about any gas... at 180 it takes approx 4.4 gal almost every time...

this summer i rolled the brick of the corn outta the garage... it had set in an non-heated non-airconditioned garage in wisconsin for 50 weeks full of ethyl no corn with some stabil in there...

on my way to indiana i almost ran outta gas... i always fuel by 180... i was at 140 and my 10 mile fuel light came on... i pulled over and popped the cap... o my... almost dry... it took 5.1 gal...

i barely made it to get some more ethyl no corn... on that fresh tank at 180 it took 4.4 gal...

so there you go... old gas... even if its ethyl no corn... just donts have the energy as fresh...

j o