What Octane in a 220???

[Tom Ludolff]

Hey y'all!!! What octane gas do you all run in your 220's??? I have been running 93. However, I can run the snot out of the thing, stop dead, and take out the spark plug and hold it in my hand!!! That tells me it runs a little too cold!!! My father-in-law told me I should run a lower octane gas to bring the temperature up some, and I would get more power also!!! Does this sound kosher??? He said higher octane gas runs colder than lower octane gas. How much colder from 93 to 87 octane???

 

[trailryder]

manual says to run at least 90 octane. Are you sure you got the right spark plug in there ?????

 

[Jon K.]

If you can run the "snot" out of the thing on 87; and it doesn't ping or knock, you should be fine.

I may be wrong, but I don't think octane has much to do with operating temperature unless detonation sets in. Then all bets are off.

Detonation bad!

I would think your thermostat (hmmm . . . . do KDXs have thermostats?) would be more suspect if the engine never comes up to temperature.

 

[canyncarvr]

Temperature of an IC engine isn't governed by changing fuel octane...that's not the method you use to change/effect temperature.

Yeah...fuel octane does effect temperature..but that's not the point of choosing an octane (hopefully the point is chosing the octane that fits your IC engine).

I hope this guy's daughter is a whole lot brighter than he is. ;)

From here:

'Octane is a measurement of the knocking characteristics of a gasoline...'


So, from that you can figger that the reason a higher octane fuel makes more power is its ability to resist detonation under higher combustion pressures (only partially related to mechanical/static compression ratio) and more advanced spark timing.

Higher octane fuels do burn slower (than lower octane fuels).

From that you can figger that the use of a higher octane fuel than the engine requires will actually make it run worse!

So...what you want to use is the minimum octane fuel that satisfies the engine's requirements.

What is the color of the insulator on this plug? THAT is the way you determine the proper heat range of plug (given that everything else is right..and that's a lot of 'things'...including jetting).


Maybe it just takes you a long time to get the plug wrenched out! ;)





If you want some light reading regarding gasoline...browse through this.

 

[Tom Ludolff]

Thanks for the responses you guys!!! I know I have the right plug: BR8EIX or BR8E...something, I forget which. It's the gold palladium or something like that. I know the stock was BR8ES. It's an '03.

CC: No, she ain't any smarter than him!!! and it only takes me a few seconds to get the plug out!!! Anyway, the insulator is always a nice light tan color, so it seems OK. That also contributes to my confusion. Oh well, I guess I may as well buy cheaper gas if it won't hurt performance any.

 

[canyncarvr]

The spec sez 95 research/90 average for octane requirements. The number on most pumps (that I've seen anyway) is an average number.

'Round here, that means you should run premium fuel..as 'regular' is 87, + is 89, and premium (ha..what a joke) is 92.

Take into consideration that they don't call detonation the 'silent killer' for nothing. You don't always hear it. It does destroy engines.

I'd err on the safe side and run over as opposed to under.

I do hear bad noises if I run regular pump gas.

..well, actually, since I had the thing ported, I pretty much hear it all the time, now. :(

A btw...I've been messing with Trick114 in different concentrations to get rid of the engine noise. I can get it gone. It runs terrific....above 1/4 throttle!

Below 1/4...the bike takes a pretty big hit performance wise. It runs much better on pump fuel down low.

 

[Jim Crenca]

I can't get as sharp a throttle response down low when using 108 octane, unleaded race gas either.
I was using Sunocco 94 octane pump gas but they just quit making it.
Went out to the country to ride last week and the high test out there is 92!
I think I had better throttle response with this than the 94, of course it was a little bit cooler and I can't remember humidity from ride to ride was so hard to say for sure. I have good luck with VP C12 but at $8 per gallon I thought the money was better spent on eating better and exercising more.

 

[Jon K.]

I have good luck with VP C12 but at $8 per gallon I thought the money was better spent on eating better and exercising more.

For 99% of us; truer words have never been spoken.

 

[Studboy]

Higher octane fuels do burn slower (than lower octane fuels).

From that you can figger that the use of a higher octane fuel than the engine requires will actually make it run worse!

Simply not true! Not all higher octane fuels burn slower.