Fuel efficiency/dependency?

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Anotherbikerbabe
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Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by Anotherbikerbabe »

Fuel dependency? I have a sneaky suspicion my bike prefers to run better on posh fuel! Is there such a thing? can your bike become fuel dependent if ran purely on the Super stuff as opposed to the norm unleaded? Dave seems to think my bike prefers the super unleaded but I am not sure! Anyone have any experience of this and found their bike runs smoother/performs/behaves better on superior fuel or is it all a myth! I personally thought it made no differccne after seeing/reading current reports on the fact it makes no difference!! :confused :confused
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skyman
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by skyman »

i use the shell super stuff on the storm and i didnt believe it but it does seem to run better, could be imagineing it but it does seem to be less lumpy and pulls better
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Anotherbikerbabe
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by Anotherbikerbabe »

skyman wrote:i use the shell super stuff on the storm and i didnt believe it but it does seem to run better, could be imagineing it but it does seem to be less lumpy and pulls better
Thanks, I think what my Dave was meaning was that if you run it from say you get it or it was previously ran on super unleaded and you suddenly change etc? Marravtr might be able to help me as I bought it off him so don't know if he ran it on super or simple unleaded and for how long etc as he doesn't have a VTR anymore..
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zims123
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by zims123 »

My old girl chugs like a choking ferret on the posh stuff......along with the usual airbox cough it was not a pleasant experience.........

Go cheap to avoid disappointment.......!!! :Argue 1:
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Ckennedy
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by Ckennedy »

It is a strange thing fuel. I tried the super stuff in mine and she hated it. Runs best on the cheap stuff from super markets rather than the same stuff from BP or Shell. Then again she also does more miles per tank when being thrashed :crazy: :think: :problem: :eh: Figure that one out.

I do not see why it would become dependant on it but it may be the same theory as why when you start a car with easy start a few times it then will not start without it :?:

It may just be a mental attitude to the subject and there is no real difference. I know I didn't like paying the price of the super stuff but it really didn't feel the same with it. I won't be using it again.
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seb421
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by seb421 »

It depends what you run in it when you Jet it to suit
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VTRDark
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by VTRDark »

If your VTR is an addict I recommend you ask Frank :lol:

Seriously though Super unleaded/higher octane should only make a difference with engines that have been highly modified, higher compression. It does no harm to put the odd tankful in now and again as the super stuff contains a lot more cleaning additives. But notice how the petroleum companies marketing pitch for this stuff is not on performance boost but cleaning additives.

But as CK said it is strange thing fuel. My bike also is better on economy the more I thrash it. It does run better on regular unleaded but strangely enough my old Fazer runs better on the Super.

Timing and tuning may have something to do with it because I think that higher octane tends to burn faster which sort of advances the ignition. I have known bikes to get that pinging sound you get from to far advanced timing with Super in the past.

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callam_nffc
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by callam_nffc »

I once saw a really in depth study into whether it works etc and it was so marginal, really not worth the extra money at all performance wise

Personally if I could water petrol down to make it cheaper, I would haha
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Stratman
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by Stratman »

My old girls loves a glug of Optimax (or whatever it is called now) but I don't think it's worth the exorbitant cost per litre.
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lumpyv
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by lumpyv »

I think mine goes a little further on a tankfull of the good stuff. it could be a coincidence though cos I do different trips on every tankfull anyway . I have read (on here) that the optimax will stay fresh for longer so I use it in the winter when I do a lot less miles. probably all a load of tosh !

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popkat
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by popkat »

High octane fuel is beneficial on high comp engines with the ignition advanced to suit. my old BMW r1200s was designed to run on the higher octane stuff and it did run much better on it than on the normal stuff, it had a knock sensor which advances the ignition accordingly, it was noticeably less smooth on normal stuff and had a bit less performance. strangely though when I bought it the dealer said not to run it on shell optimax as they'd had lots of customers bringing their bikes back running crap on the stuff.. The firestorms as with all jap stuff will run just the same on both types of fuel, there's no advantage to using the higher octane fuel, in Japan the octane is higher at around 100-102, but they're designed and set up to work on low grade/octane fuel as they're made to work in lots of different countries. Imported Scubbies and gto's etc that are jap market cars need to use octane boosters to run properly over here as the fuel is lower octane or they have to remap for lower power, nothing to do with bikes but mildly interesting maybe ? :think:
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ging500
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by ging500 »

cybercarl wrote:If your VTR is an addict I recommend you ask Frank :lol:

Seriously though Super unleaded/higher octane should only make a difference with engines that have been highly modified, higher compression. It does no harm to put the odd tankful in now and again as the super stuff contains a lot more cleaning additives. But notice how the petroleum companies marketing pitch for this stuff is not on performance boost but cleaning additives.

But as CK said it is strange thing fuel. My bike also is better on economy the more I thrash it. It does run better on regular unleaded but strangely enough my old Fazer runs better on the Super.

Timing and tuning may have something to do with it because I think that higher octane tends to burn faster which sort of advances the ignition. I have known bikes to get that pinging sound you get from to far advanced timing with Super in the past.

(:-})
You better economy from the storm when you thrashing it because you are keeping the carbs on the main jet for longer. You find with carbs, as move from the first jet to the main, there is a surge of fuel (I think this is done by a third jet) which uses more fuel
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seb421
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by seb421 »

ging500 wrote:
cybercarl wrote:If your VTR is an addict I recommend you ask Frank :lol:

Seriously though Super unleaded/higher octane should only make a difference with engines that have been highly modified, higher compression. It does no harm to put the odd tankful in now and again as the super stuff contains a lot more cleaning additives. But notice how the petroleum companies marketing pitch for this stuff is not on performance boost but cleaning additives.

But as CK said it is strange thing fuel. My bike also is better on economy the more I thrash it. It does run better on regular unleaded but strangely enough my old Fazer runs better on the Super.

Timing and tuning may have something to do with it because I think that higher octane tends to burn faster which sort of advances the ignition. I have known bikes to get that pinging sound you get from to far advanced timing with Super in the past.

(:-})
You better economy from the storm when you thrashing it because you are keeping the carbs on the main jet for longer. You find with carbs, as move from the first jet to the main, there is a surge of fuel (I think this is done by a third jet) which uses more fuel
More wrist twist = more fuel

My best ever economy was had at 55 - 60mph in 6th gear managed to get to 140 miles before red light came on (16ltr tank)

wombles boring mind but I was skint and needed the fuel to go as far as possible at the time


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callam_nffc
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by callam_nffc »

Well I'm going on a longish journey tomorrow so will aim to get close to that record, sitting at 70 on the motorway though :cry: yawnnn

I don't like taking the bike down the motorway usually anyway because of it squaring tyres off
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Rampant Lion
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Re: Fuel efficiency/dependency?

Post by Rampant Lion »

Ckennedy wrote:It is a strange thing fuel. I tried the super stuff in mine and she hated it. Runs best on the cheap stuff from super markets rather than the same stuff from BP or Shell. Then again she also does more miles per tank when being thrashed :crazy: :think: :problem: :eh: Figure that one out.

I do not see why it would become dependant on it but it may be the same theory as why when you start a car with easy start a few times it then will not start without it :?:

It may just be a mental attitude to the subject and there is no real difference. I know I didn't like paying the price of the super stuff but it really didn't feel the same with it. I won't be using it again.
A wee point here...I've delivered fuel as a job and the tankers which supply fuel to the supermarkets get their fuel from the same storage tank as BP etc. You didn't think that Tesco, morrisons and the rest had their own oil rigs, did you ?

Same fuel, only cheaper at the big stores..
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