What octane gas are you using ? 87 89 91

[jbig31]

thanks

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

oh, my, god.

Search "octane".

Don't run anything other than 87.. it's a waste..

[frankieG]

oh, my, god.

Search "octane".

Don't run anything other than 87.. it's a waste..

i agree....what is next synth oil ?

[ohgood]

Since there is a poll, 87.

No, I wouldn't burn anything but 87, and 83 if I could pay less for it. It's only fuel.

[bigfatcat]

89 'cuz haynes says run 'mid grade' ... 89 being between 87 and 91 y'know and i figure i wouldn't hear any knocking/pinging if it did, so to be safe 89.

(now i realize mid grade in the uk might be different where haynes is published like iirc they have star ratings  - one star, two star and so on for gas ... besides it's kinda cool to pay over $ 3 a gallon "don't worry baby I can afford it "  LOL )

[werase643]

I run 114....with this high compression tuned to the hills monster

[Chuck]

Don't forget that octane means something slightly different in every country.  So do you mean MON, RON or (R+M)/2?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

[Jake D]

I'm adding you to my buddy list.   

[Trwhouse]

Our wonderful little GS500's only require 87.
Don't waste your money on more than that.
Instead, invest your savings in good tires and Progressive fork springs.
Best wishes,
Todd

[cerius]

I use the 91 just because its only 6 bucks for me to fill it up every two weeks anyways cause i dont go past 100 miles before i fill it up

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

I use the 91 just because its only 6 bucks for me to fill it up every two weeks anyways cause i dont go past 100 miles before i fill it up

That's a stupid reason.

[cerius]

I use the 91 just because its only 6 bucks for me to fill it up every two weeks anyways cause i dont go past 100 miles before i fill it up

That's a stupid reason.

well it can't hurt anything its not even expensive for me at all

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

I use the 91 just because its only 6 bucks for me to fill it up every two weeks anyways cause i dont go past 100 miles before i fill it up

That's a stupid reason.

well it can't hurt anything its not even expensive for me at all

Actually, it can be bad. Too high of an octane means you're getting incomplete detonation, causing your engine to produce less power, and leave more deposits in your cylinder. The engine was designed for a certain octane. Running higher than that does no good. Adding octane booster from 7-Eleven does no good. Run it on 87, like the manual says.

[CirclesCenter]

Also temperature and operating conditions must be taken into account.

For example, stop and go in 110+ heat does not make for a happy GS on 87.

[ben2go]

I strictly use clear Amoco/BP 93 octane.If I'm away from my village(  ) I use the highest octane at the regular pumps.Some of my local stations sell a 108 or 110 octane for the dirt track racers around here.I dunno if it's alcohol or methynol so i don't use it.My reason for using the higher octane is,my spark plugs seem to stay cleaner longer and they keep a uniform color longer.

[bosozoku]

Also temperature and operating conditions must be taken into account.

... and jetting ...  The GS runs lean from the factory, AFAIK.  Correcting that might allow the motor to handle a lower octane without pinking.

-b.

[Oklahoma_Mike]

Also temperature and operating conditions must be taken into account.

... and jetting ...  The GS runs lean from the factory, AFAIK.  Correcting that might allow the motor to handle a lower octane without pinking.

-b.

And most importantly! Timing, nothing affects the octane grade you should use more than compression and timing. If you have done the mod and advanced your timing ahead of stock you should be aware of the fact that the stock recommendations of octane become just that a recommendation. Depending on the tuning of you bike and the relative climate you may need to go up a notch on octane from 87 if you are running above stock advanced timing. Higher octane as stated can harm an engine. The only way you can get more hp is if you can better utilize the higher octane. Example: advance timing enough, bump up compression ect.

[cerius]

I use the 91 just because its only 6 bucks for me to fill it up every two weeks anyways cause i dont go past 100 miles before i fill it up

That's a stupid reason.

well it can't hurt anything its not even expensive for me at all

Actually, it can be bad. Too high of an octane means you're getting incomplete detonation, causing your engine to produce less power, and leave more deposits in your cylinder. The engine was designed for a certain octane. Running higher than that does no good. Adding octane booster from 7-Eleven does no good. Run it on 87, like the manual says.

ok that's legit evidence for me to use it. lol

[ABSOLUTNATI]

I've been putting 91, and sometimes 93. I haven't had any problems, but I also haven't seen any improvment. Does anyone else agree that higher octane could DAMAGE your engine? I have a some pretty steep hills to go up on the way home, and don't need the engine to knock on me. I thought that I had heard it doing that before, but that was when I first started riding, and I could have been in too high of a gear.

[ivany]

Run 87. Guys, c'mon, your 8:1 compression engine from the 70s isn't going to ping. Many 600s now a days with 12:1 and higher run 87. You think your GS needs better than those?

However, you won't HURT anything by running higher compression. Since gasoline engines don't rely on the mixture to detonate by heat/pressure alone (they use a spark to ignite) higher octane will not hurt you. But it does absolutely nothing....