octane is an anti-knock rating and is harder to light and once it is lit burns slower-so lower octane has a bigger bang to it but does no good if it is lighting to early and causing a knock situation.however this is not your problem---you need to look in your owners manual not only will it give you a minamum octane that your bike requires but it goes into great detail about setting up your carberator as well as your choke---my guess is that your choke circut is to lean---read your owners manual,it is full of important information you need to know so you can set the bike up properly and it gives you service intervoles so you know how often to do what-this information is not found in the service manual you shold have both--set up right your bike should start in one to three kicks