What octane gas do you run in your GS?

[che mike]

Ethanol being totally renewable? and Carbon neutral.

don't be fooled, my friend. the modern corn industry (and agribusiness in general) consumes more energy than it produces, in the form of fertilizers and pesticides especially. promoting ethanol as an alternative to gasoline would only add some steps between digging the oil from the ground and getting fuel for transportation.

the same thing can be said of biodiesel: once it's industrialized it could do more harm than good. people will cut down old-growth rainforest to grow palms that can be turned in to biodiesel. and unless someone tells them not to they'll end up using more energy in the form of fertilizers etc than they'll get out of the biodiesel.

[LimaXray]

my reason for wanting 110 octane fuel is to squeeze 400+ hp out of a 1.8 liter engine with a 9:1 CR

and the whole thing about ethanol taking more energy to produce is bs... that 'study' was financed by some oil company... with modern technology ethanol can be made from almost anything, include garbage, and results in a lot more energy then it takes to make... it really is the way of the future

[che mike]

my reason for wanting 110 octane fuel is to squeeze 400+ hp out of a 1.8 liter engine with a 9:1 CR

and the whole thing about ethanol taking more energy to produce is bs... that 'study' was financed by some oil company... with modern technology ethanol can be made from almost anything, include garbage, and results in a lot more energy then it takes to make... it really is the way of the future

true, ethanol CAN be made from many things, but the current push in the united states is to make it out of corn. whether it results in more energy than it requires to make depends in how it is made and what it is made from.

[LimaXray]

i agree that focussing on corn isnt the best idea... there are far better, higher yeilding, and easier to grow crops that could be used... hemp for example is one of the best energy producing crops out there... unfortunately its illegal because many people in our government are ignorant to its uses

[aqxea2500]

I converted mine to steam powered. She pulls like a train now! 

[Recreational_Anxiety]

They don't make gasoline with a high enough octane rating to suit the super-high- performance engine in the GS500.  That's why I just fill my entire tank with octane booster.  It still doesn't completely unleash the full power of the GS, but it will have to do until the gas companies come up with 250 octane fuel.
If you feel the need to use high octane fuel, try this next time - fill up with 87 octane and leave a few dollar bills loosely dangling out of your pocket; drive on the highway for a few minutes until all the bills have disappeared.  Your bike has now performed exactly the way it did before, you still have the same amount of money; the only difference is you've made a few people happy with the money they've found, instead of giving it to the gas company.
These octane threads amuse me.

[galahs]

water in the gas?  from a gas station?

I seriously doubt there is much if any water in my tank.  she's my daily driver. if she don't go I don't.    rain or shine.
unless I'm haulin stuff. 

oh well..

My mate has a water catch can in his car and it gathers at least 100mls of water a week.

[LimaXray]

theres nothing wrong with a little water in there... a lot of people inject water right into their intakes, its called water injection... it instantly vaporizes and doesn't hurt anything

it think gasoline is a little hydroscopic too so theres no getting around having a little water in your fuel

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

They don't make gasoline with a high enough octane rating to suit the super-high- performance engine in the GS500.  That's why I just fill my entire tank with octane booster.  It still doesn't completely unleash the full power of the GS, but it will have to do until the gas companies come up with 250 octane fuel.
If you feel the need to use high octane fuel, try this next time - fill up with 87 octane and leave a few dollar bills loosely dangling out of your pocket; drive on the highway for a few minutes until all the bills have disappeared.  Your bike has now performed exactly the way it did before, you still have the same amount of money; the only difference is you've made a few people happy with the money they've found, instead of giving it to the gas company.
These octane threads amuse me.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!! 

[Crim]

LOL just checked back on the forum, didn't mean to make a 5page thread about octane ratings.  I'm fully aware of the advantages of running higher octane fuel.

The stock CR is something like 9:1 correct?  I can't see any reason to run 91octane gas in it with such a low CR, or anything higher for that matter on a stock internal'd GS motor.

So is this 91 requirement just ignored by most (except for those who've swaped in high CR pistons)?

[galahs]

Did you read the threads 


the 91  you've seen is a RON (Research method) octane rating used in Europe, Japan and Australia.

its different from the rating used in the USA (who uses MON I think?).


Just fill her up with 87 (MON) 

[Royer Destroyer]

you blokes need to clme to Australia, our lowest fuel is 91, and I would only use it my lawn mower.
I never put anything but 98 pctane in my gs500 parallel space time thruster mobile.
Been thinking about trying an octane booster on top of the 98.
I've done it before in my cars,  get extra 80 100km .
I've only just gotten my first ever bike. I saw the gs500 and got hard immediately,  I mean, fell in love. Auto correct....
Had her for a year now. I've been reading on this forum about everything on the gs500.
Thanks for all of the information.
Come to Stralia...
Maybe after covid

[user11235813]

@Royer Destroyer,

The experts say that putting anything over 91 in your GS500 which is designed to run on 91 here in Australia, is literally just burning up money for no reason, it has no effect. Although it's good to put a tank of 98 through occasionally because it will have better quality cleaning additives, whether that makes any difference I don't know.

[sledge]

This an other argument that runs and runs

"My bike has more power, runs smother and returns a better mpg on 98 than it does on 91"

I say....."If it makes such vast improvements why are Suzuki saying run it on 91?" 

If the GS5 engine was a modern, liquid cooled, fuel injected, emission sensitive design with a compression ratio of about 11.5 or higher instead of an archaic 45 year old air cooled, carb fed lump with a compression ratio of 9-1 and clearances you could drive a bus through then yeah......go for it......91 it is.



I think the bottom line here is....if you believe it makes such a significant difference......you carry on 

[Bluesmudge]

an archaic 45 year old air cooled, carb fed lump with a compression ratio of 9-1 and clearances you could drive a bus through

I want to get that on a sticker!

I agree, extra octane does nothing (it literally can't do anything) and the only reason to run premium is for the extra cleaning agents. I only run premium when I can find non-ethanol fuel, which seems to only come as premium around here.