87... as stated in the manual. Even Sportrider magazine did the octane test and the Premium only netted 1 hp and that's within the margin of error.
I remember trying premium for a couple tanks to see if I get better mileage. Got the same amount as Regular. My Butt Dyno didn't notice any increase either... the only time you should be using premium is if you changed the compression of your bike (600) or if you specifically tuned it for that gas...
If want to put in premium go right ahead. It's your bike. But don't use premium just because you think it will boost the bikes performance.
I agree. One hp one way or the other is meaningless, and a two or three octane points won't make a measurable difference anyway.
The manual and the stickers on my 04 750 say that you need 91 Minimum. No one sells 91 anymore which leaves you with the few gas stations that sell 93.
You might want to double check your manual - I'm pretty sure 04/05 is specified for 90 or greater. At least my 05 750 is. But your point is well taken - you obviously should use the next grade up that's available in your area. Our choices are 87, 89 or 91 but no 90 so I run 91. By the way, if gasoline in your area is oxygenated (i.e. 5-10% ethanol), your actual octane runs a couple points higher than its rated octane, so you could actually get by with 87 or 89 if you are using oxygenated fuel. Yes I've done it.
:arsenali use mid-grade because i feel like it
Well okay then. How do you argue with that.
I guess we are morons a whole 75 cents more per tank. I'm no mathmatcian but 75 cents won't bankrupt. Most of us
The cost isn't really the point. I would agree with you that 75 cents more a tank is nothing if it actually results in a benefit to your motor, but it doesn't. In fact, it is a disbenefit. As the octane rating increases, the burn rate of the fuel decreases. A higher octane fuel than is specified for your bike will result in less complete combustion, less efficiency and power, and more tendency to foul, and it will not result in increased protection from detonation and pinging. Of course, two or thee octane points isn't going to make a measurable difference in power and efficiency and yes you would rather err on the high side, but if you use a substantially higher octane than your bike requires, you will see fouling and deposition in the plugs and combustion chamber over time.
As mentioned, many times in fact in various octane threads, high octane gas does NOT contain any more energy content than standard gasoline. It does, however, allow the use of higher compressions and/or ignition timing advance. If you want to actually see an increase in power by using a higher than specified octane, you must either mod the engine to increase the compression ratio, or advance the timing.
