fuel grade?

[justmount1]

hey all i was just wondering what kind of fuel grade you guys use for your gs's. whick is the best to run to get optimum performance and economy?

[8trackmind]

hey all i was just wondering what kind of fuel grade you guys use for your gs's. whick is the best to run to get optimum performance and economy?

Commuting, I use cheap 87 octane stuff. On the highway (or "spirited" riding) I run 89 or 91 octane. Both my bikes seem too get better mileage with the higher octane rating.

[chuckycheese]

Reg

I use regular unleaded (87 octane), which is well within the recommended range. I get almost 45 MPG and my bike runs really well.

[80GS1000]

I get a "seat-of-the-pants" performance boost by going with 91 from Chevron or Exxon. Brand seems to matter too - not all gas brands seem to have the same amount of energy per unit of measure.

[Grandpa]

Strictly 87 octane unleaded regular gas. Brand does not matter.

If your bike is a stock unit, it should be able to run fine on regular 87. Anything else is a waste of money. If a stock bike is properly set up and maintained, it should run on 87, particularly the 8-valve bikes. Can't speak for the 16-valve GS bikes.

Mine is a 1984 GS1100GK with 118K miles, of which 93K are mine. Nothing but 87, any brand. Before that, I had four consecutive stock GS850's, going back to 1986. Nothing but 87 octane, regardless of brand.

The idea that fuel mileage increases with use of high test is inconceivable to me. This subject has been debated time and again on this forum; chances are this ain't the last time.

[justmount1]

i was just wondering because i am getting about 37miles a gallon but i don't know if i am done tweeking the idle yet or not.i think i am going to run some sea foam in her too maybe that will get it cleaned up a little better to get better milage.

[marvinsc]

i was just wondering because i am getting about 37miles a gallon but i don't know if i am done tweeking the idle yet or not.i think i am going to run some sea foam in her too maybe that will get it cleaned up a little better to get better milage.

What Bike?

[justmount1]

bike type

i have a 80 gs550L

[marvinsc]

You should Be doing Better than 37 mpg Unless the Bike is Modded (4 into 1 and Pods with Jetting Changes) or You REALLY Like Twisting Your Right Wrist.:-D I don't think the Grade of Fuel will have any Real Effect on Your Net MPG.

[8trackmind]

i have a 80 gs550L

35 to 40 is all my 80 GS550E ever gets.

[tconroy]

Sumin's wrong!!! i get 58 on my 650 all the time .Clean carbs and synced with clean air filter and getting on it all the time.Check you plugs to see if your running rich.

[brveagle]

a gs550 should have no problems getting 50 mpg on 87 octane..

However i give my bike a healthy dose of anything from 91 octane to 100 octane and get around 35 mpg

[SabreJim]

I usualy get around 37 mpg with regular unleaded on my GS1000L. The smaller engines should do much better.

[txironhead]

I never like to run anything but Plus in any of my bikes. An ASE certified mechanic showed me the difference, it's not mileage, it's carbon buildup. They put more additives to prevent buildup in the higher grade gas. At least they used to, who knows now. I was forced to run Regular unleaded in my Shadow once and definitely felt a difference. The Sportster didn't run worth a crap regardless of what kind of gas you ran, I think it would have run better on diesel just to **** me off.

Regardless of what you run, MAKE SURE it's a reputable station. I prefer Chevron or Valero myself, but I try to stick to the well-maintained stations no matter what brand. Where I used to live we had a chain called Pronto and they sold the worst gas I've ever seen, sickly brown color and smelled like a sewer. I don't know how many times a friend's car or bike would break down right after filling up there, which led to draining the tank (bike, easy. F250, don't get me started, 25 gallons is heavy!) and changing the filter, minimum.

I'm sure someone's going to give me grief over the whole additives thing, but I've seen the evidence and with Plus being a whopping dime more a gallon you're not going to change my mind. Premium may be best, but since every bike I've ever owned was 15+ years old I think Plus is just fine.

[ikazuki]

justmount1: octane level along with anything else it may mean determines flammability of the gasoline. the higher the number the less flammable.
engines need high octane to compensate for the additional heat made by the high compression occuring in the combustion chamber. since i drive a car that requires high octane fuel i can personally attest to a difference in performance when using any gas other than what is recommended by the owners manual.
good luck, be careful and keep us posted on what you find. ikazuki