Gen 3 vs. European Racing fuels (low or no Ethanol % and high Octane ~100)

[Solyom]

Dear experienced Gen 3 riders in Europe,

I would like to seek more understanding related the mentioned so called "racing" fuels. Do you have any experience of using them? Any comparison between the normal 95? From gen 1 and gen 2 there are related threads, but mostly from the USA (where the fuel market and the portfolio is not the same) and anyway I guess the motor management and internal components changed in comparison with gen 1 and gen 2.

Cheers,
Solyom

 

[Procrastinator]

Hi,

Could you elaborate what you mean by racing fuels. Here in UK the normal petrol/gasoline is 95 Octane and the more premium version is 99 or 97 Octane, varies by brand.

I honestly cannot tell the difference between 95 and 99 Octane.

 

[Solyom]

Hi,

Could you elaborate what you mean by racing fuels. Here in UK the normal petrol/gasoline is 95 Octane and the more premium version is 99 or 97 Octane, varies by brand.

I honestly cannot tell the difference between 95 and 99 Octane.

Yes, sure, I am curious only for commercially available fuels on normal roadside accessible fuel stations. I think this is the same here in central EU as well. Normal is the 95 octane (with E10 - 10% ethanol in percentage), so called premium depends on the brand but 99/100 octane (with E5 or synthetic substitute where national legislation approves or decided by the brand). It can be additionally on the fuel stations some 95 with brand specific cleansing formula or similar bogus (or not) and same applies for Evo/Racing (just marketing label, nothing to do with the real racing fuel) for extra bucks.

So I would like to know that have you experience with it, more octane, or brand specific marketed "better" formulas regardless of octane?

 

[sixpack577]

FYI
U.S. 93 octane is the same as Euro/Aussie 98 octane

 

[pcs]

unless you are tuning your engine for racing fuels you probably wont see any difference in hp if that is what u are looking find out. the oem tune is conservative and as long as you are running the minimum octane rating its not going to make a noticeable difference regardless of what part of the world you are located.

 

[Solyom]

unless you are tuning your engine for racing fuels you probably wont see any difference in hp if that is what u are looking find out. the oem tune is conservative and as long as you are running the minimum octane rating its not going to make a noticeable difference regardless of what part of the world you are located.

I think your comment is a very valid one: What I am looking for? Hp? No and I don't think so I will pursue more hps in the close future. I am looking for a way to avoid particle build ups on places in the engine and its parts and same time to provide the powertrain any additional supplements for the engine to preserve it as it is.

 

[Cruising180]

The Gen 3 was designed and manufactured with ethanol added gasoline in mind. The only real problems are gas with ethanol goes bad faster and attracts water. If you're going to have the bike sitting for a long time fill the tank all the way up and add a fuel stabilizer. Other than that just get fuel from reputable busy stations and you'll be fine.

 

[sixpack577]

You can have The Best fuel in the world in the tanker truck, but, once it gets delivered to the gas station...you are at the mercy of the in-ground fuel tanks.
Do the tanks leak, have sediment or water in them?
Many do, and the contaminates are minimal, but build up slowly over time, which is the crud in the fuel filter in your fuel pump.
Don't overthink it.

 

[pcs]

no way around contamination when dealing with pump gas. u can run fuel system cleaners periodically. the fuel system can be serviced if an issue was to arise from contamination.

 

[sixpack577]

I can buy 5 gallon cans of leaded or unleaded 100 to 115 octane, for around $100, lol, pricey stuff.
I have bought it in the past(was $75 then), and only to use for starting a couple of old, bolt-on bikes, with no need for it...other than me knowing it was clean fuel, and any issues would not be the fuel itself (I have chased that gremlin, lol), and to know it's running on good gas when I sync throttle-bodies or carburetors.

 

[Solyom]

... so just use it, maybe not like if I stole it, but as "ordered" (so on pump gas). Then spend the spared money on more pump gas, tyres and insurance.

Storytime:
Once I had been told by Volvo mechanics during an annual checkup how I can prevent the actual presented problem which was found by them. (that some pipe which is bringing back some of the exhaust gases to reuse them leaked and it put exhaust carbon to the air filter and it was black as f*ck) They said I should have run it on higher top speeds frequently. Okay... The funny thing was I have used that car mostly on Autobahn between 100-140mph (top end of that poor 2.0 inline 4 diesel), so I guess I should have some more punchier one to "prevent" the issues. I have not shared that with them.

 

[sixpack577]

... so just use it, maybe not like if I stole it, but as "ordered" (so on pump gas). Then spend the spared money on more pump gas, tyres and insurance.

Storytime:
Once I had been told by Volvo mechanics during an annual checkup how I can prevent the actual presented problem which was found by them. (that some pipe which is bringing back some of the exhaust gases to reuse them leaked and it put exhaust carbon to the air filter and it was black as f*ck) They said I should have run it on higher top speeds frequently. Okay... The funny thing was I have used that car mostly on Autobahn between 100-140mph (top end of that poor 2.0 inline 4 diesel), so I guess I should have some more punchier one to "prevent" the issues. I have not shared that with them.

View attachment 1675385

Why not like you stole it??
That's the only way to ride.
Most every street rider is using basically the same fuel anyway.
And, if you did have bad fuel, and you were trying to run the bike hard, and it wouldn't...then it wouldn't...it's not going to harm anything(it would just be a drain and refill).
Use the highest octane for regular cars available at the pump, so Euro 98, ride the bike without reservations, and forget about it.
It's not worth the concern.