The Prophet

Next time you fill up with gasoline, you may want to consider this...

Top Tier Gasoline

One that I don't see is BP (British Petroleum).

Your personal choice of course, but merely food for thought. We often see interesting (for some!) conspiracy theory stuff on these bike forums about things like all the evil petroleum companies drawing off the same exact tanks, but yet you never see any creditable proof of those wild theories. Kind of like Bigfoot, Space Aliens, or the Loch Ness monster.

As always, it seems like if you stick with known, reliable, proven players who have credibility and a solid background, good things seem to happen.

To add a few more "tips" (always debatable of course, and your choice to accept or not):

• Try to buy gas from a station that sells a lot of it. This ensures fresh gas, less evaporation of the chemical make up, and little sediment.
• Try not to fill up while the underground tanks are being filled by a tanker truck. The filling process may stir up bottom sediment, and this may get pumped into your bike.
• Unless you have very, very seriously modified your bike's compression ratio, stick with the OEM's recommendations for Octane Rating. This "High Octane" is merely anti-detonation (knock) control for higher compression engines, and has absolutely, positively zero to do with any "power" improvements, burn rate or fuel efficiency. It is chemically impossible, so folks are merely spending a lot of extra money for nothing.

Please add any additional creditable tips to help other riders, thanks.

Ride Safe!


Bob

__________________

• A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu
• Motorcyles are not my whole life, but they make my life whole. ` me

The Prophet

Octane Explained.

A good laymen's term article around what the Octane ratings really mean.

The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline

Google "Octane Explained" and there are tons more. Depending on how scientific you are, these are fascinating. Beware of the Conspiracy Theory ones, and check out the author's credentials and background carefully before buying into anything.

Oil Company Marketing folks don't help the false image by calling the higher octane blends "Premium", "Power Plus", "Hi-Test" and so on, intimating that you get more power by using it. They are more concerned with profit than your bikes performance, or how you spend (or save!) your money.

On the other hand, if you do the math, and if you ride say 10,000 miles a year. Theoretically:

Assume 45 MPG fuel usage

10,000 miles divided by 45 MPG = 222 Gallons of fuel used/year.

Lets say 92 Octane costs 20 cents / Gallon more than 87 Octane.

222 Gallons X $0.20 more per gallon = $44.40 a year extra. Not exactly a fortune, but maybe a new pair of riding gloves ?

Ride Safe (and smart!)

Bob

The Prophet

Try this:

GasBuddy.com - Find Low Gas Prices in the USA and Canada

You should be able to simply insert your Zip Code #, and the site tells you the competing gas prices of your local stations.

Seems to work for my area.

Ride Safe!

Bob

The Prophet

Another very well written article around Fuel, and some truths about how it's made, and why.



AutoSpeed - Petrol and Driving Performance

Ride safe(and smart)1

Bob

Forchetto

I'm afraid I've seen that with my own eyes, at least in the UK when I lived there.
We were on a long ride and stopped for a smoke in a place with a good view of a sort of refinery or storage depot.
Tanker trucks from different companies were driving in and out. Apparently what makes the difference is the additives they put into their own tankers afterwards.

I have since learned that Major brands, minor brands, supermarkets - all go under the same loading bays and draw the same basic products that meet the relevant European Standards. The refineries / storage depots do not hold different tanks of different grades of the same fuel. The only difference is in the additive-package which is stipulated by the buyer and added from a separate tank at the loading bay. These additives cost approximately 0.9 pence per litre.

The Prophet

I agree. The Bulk Terminals distribute the Petrol, but as you noted each different Company (Shell, Chevron, BP, etc.) specifies whatever additive blend they have devised, and via computer the metering of the blended additive package is distributed in predetermined portions from the various holding vessels. Pretty simple, makes sense, no trickery, foul play or mystery involved as far as I can see.

Personally, I use nothing other than Shell, but wouldn't care to get into a "this un's better n' dat one" arguement, as those are endless on any interent forum, and attract sad flamethrower types. As we all agree, this Forum does not like, or intend to dictate or push any products or services one way or the other, just present as much factual material as possible (with some solid back-up data hopefully) and the readers and members can make their own calculated decisions. I've always felt that this is where many of these "Bike" forums go bad: Aggressive "Know-alls" attempt to "force" ideas and products (and Mod's!) on other members, then get bent waaaay out of shape if anyone disagrees. I like Shell, the next guy likes Mobil, sounds good to me!

Realistically, I personally doubt that the big, established companies like Shell and others would risk the public outrage and scandal of trying to cheat, or selling low grade swill for additional profit. They make plenty o' profit as is!

I've tried to do some unbiased research to get some verifyable background data. It's difficult. Either you get interesting, but "fluffy" reports like this:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2007-06-13-bad-gas-usat_N.htm

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/05q3/your_car_is_a_temple_so_put_in_the_good_stuff.-column

Or else there are TONS of "Conspiracy Theory", "Big oil is out to rule the world", "Klu Klux Klan Nazi's dominate the oil industry", and so on style blarbs, which are extremely humourous, but alas painfully incorrect in content and/or accuracy. Do these guys know that their... 'studies' come off as parodies of actual journalism? Reading some of these... I'll lean towards the findings of actual scientists and researchers from accredited, well known Universities, etc., and Trade Organisations such as "Top Tier".

The other factor affecting any sensible discussions around "Octane" and petrol are the odd "testimonials" presented by some. Most often these begin with "All I know is.."

As in: "All I know is that when I put 95 Octane in my stock Bonneville, it goes a lot faster, gains a lot of horsepower, and I get 10 MPG increased fuel economy!. Triumph doesn't want us to go fast, and are in league with the Big Oil executives, so they specify a lower octane in the Manual"

How many times have we heard stuff like that! Priceless.

Realise the thousands of suspect "Testimonials" out there in overall cyberland over magnets in fuel tanks, mind reading powers, ESP, UFO sitings, Elvis sitings, Sham-wow cloths, "get rich working from home", and a ton of other strange and mysterious products and services. That said, simple "I tried it and it works" proclamations have run their course, and no longer hold much weight.

In the end, I use Shell, it works fine, and it makes me feel younger, and better looking as well. Now where did I put those miracle fuel pillls?

In closing : Safety Tip of the Week - Don't smoke next to Oil Refineries!!

Ride Safe!

Bob

The Prophet

A good write up on "Octane", and cylinder head development. A very good read...

[url=http://www.roadrunner.travel/article-6005.php]If octane is good, is more better?

If octane is good, is more better?

Gasoline:


Have you ever taken your baby to the gas station and decided to treat her? (I'm talking about the bike, of course.) So you pull up to the pumps and go for the highest octane you can get. After all, nothing's too good for your bike, or is it?
What's special about higher octane fuel? More power? Better gas mileage? Longer engine life? Most of us know that you need a higher octane fuel if you get "knocking" (detonation) or "pinking" (pre-ignition) in your engine; but is there any benefit in using a higher octane fuel than your engine needs? Conventional wisdom held that the higher the compression ratio, the higher the octane you needed to avoid detonation. So how do modern fours with 12:1 compression get away with regular gas while my '70 Bonneville at 9:1 needs 94 octane?
Early motorcycles weren't designed with efficient combustion in mind: fuel quality was poor, and compression ratios were as low as 4:1 to avoid detonation. In England, Harry Ricardo carried out the first scientific examination of combustion efficiency. By incorporating an inspection "porthole," Ricardo was able to observe the flame path inside the combustion chamber. His experiments led him to recognize the importance of combustion chamber turbulence in promoting efficient combustion and preventing detonation. An engine so designed could run with higher compression (and therefore more efficiently) on the same fuel. The earliest motorcycle incorporating this concept is the 4-valve Triumph Ricardo of 1921.
Along the way, Ricardo also discovered that the more iso-octane in the fuel, the more resistant it was to detonation, and developed a scale to measure detonation resistance: the octane rating. Gasoline made up of 100 percent iso-octane was given an octane rating of 100.
But producing a fuel with 100 percent iso-octane was impractical and expensive. Thomas Midgley Jr, working for DuPont in the US, discovered that different chemicals added to gasoline would prevent detonation, therefore increasing the "octane" rating. Of the compounds he tested, tetra-ethyl lead, TEL, was the most cost effective to produce. Alkyl halides also added to the fuel avoided lead buildup in the engine by combining to form volatile lead halides, which went out the exhaust.
TEL had other advantages. The lead acted as a metal lubricant, preventing exhaust valves from "welding" themselves to the soft iron valve seats then in use, and so preventing valve seat erosion. But it had one big disadvantage: Lead is extremely toxic, especially to children, and the high levels of lead in the air around major highways became associated with a number of illnesses. As a result, lead has been banned as a fuel additive in most jurisdictions. It's been replaced with a swath of other octane boosters, like toluene, xylene, ethanol, methylcyclo- pentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT), methyltertiarybutyl ether (MTBE) and more.
Meanwhile, developments in cylinder head design were improving combustion efficiency also, allowing higher compression ratios and therefore more horsepower. In the UK, Harry Weslake discovered that creating "swirl" in the combustion chamber improved mixing and combustion efficiency increased, while also reducing detonation. The best-known example of Weslake's principle is the "bathtub" combustion chamber used in the first-generation Minis.
But there was another important feature of Weslake's design. Although the combustion chamber was heart-shaped, the piston crown was, of course, round. This meant gases were "squished" back into the combustion chamber. This forced unburned mixture back toward the flame front, improving combustion efficiency further by "scavenging" these gases. Squish became the holy grail of engine builders and led to some innovative designs, such as the wedge combustion chamber (Erling Poppe's Sunbeam S7 for BSA), and the in-piston combustion chamber (the Moto Morini "Heron" cylinder head).
Until the 1970s, most motorcycle engine designers stuck with the hemispherical combustion chamber, which offered high volumetric efficiency (good gas flow) and therefore, high performance. But it had two major drawbacks. First, for increased performance, larger valve sizes, valve lift, overlap and higher compression were all needed – but the geometry of the design limited these. Second, combustion efficiency was low, also limiting compression ratio and generating higher emission levels.
Formula 1 has often been the proving ground for new ideas, and so with combustion chamber design. Around 1966, Frank Duckworth (the "worth" in Cosworth) designed a new four-valve cylinder head with a shallow combustion chamber and narrow included valve angles for the Ford-Cosworth F1 car. The Cosworth DFV V-8 became the "winningest" F1 engine ever with 167 Grand Prix victories. It's still the basic blueprint for all modern high-performance four-stroke engine design.
All of these developments allowed the use of higher compression ratios without detonation by improving combustion efficiency, so that now a modern high-performance sportbike with 12:1 compression can run comfortably on 87-octane gas.
So back to the original question. Given the advances in engine design, is there any benefit to using higher-octane fuel? First, always use as a minimum the octane rating recommended by the motorcycle manufacturer. And also bear in mind that octane is measured differently in different countries. Triumph, for example, recommends 95 RON octane for its bikes, but in most of the US, the highest octane you'll find is 92. Turns out that's quite OK. In the UK, octane is measured by the "Research" method (RON); while in the US, we measure the average of "Research" and "Motor" octane ratings (R/2 + M/2). US ratings are typically five points lower on the scale, so UK 95 RON is roughly equivalent to 90 octane US.
The higher the octane rating of gasoline, the more detonation inhibitor compounds it contains. Most of these compounds have lower heat content – combustion energy – than the alkanes in the fuel they displace. So, in most cases, the higher the octane, the lower the combustion energy. Not only are you wasting money buying higher octane fuel, in most cases you'll be getting marginally inferior performance too.
Bottom line – stick to the manufacturer's recommendation!

(I couldn't get the link to work, so I just copy/pasted from the forum. Credits go to RoadRunner Magazine forum.

Ride Safe!

Bob

The Prophet

I'm not necessarily sided yet one way or another about Ethanol, but...

Here's a handy list of Stations in your area that sell Ethanol free fuel.

Just click on your particular state at the bottom, and a list will pop up.

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

Ride Safe!

Bob

The Prophet

Copied and pasted from "Snowtech" magazine, a fantastic rag all about snowmobiling, etc. Actually an excellent source of info, the majority of which pertains directly to our bikes.

Anyway, a good read on Gasoline, and the effects of long term storage in our bikes... Just substitute "Motorcycles" wherever is states "Snowmobiles"!

Read on...

Every year, a number of snowmobilers are surprised to learn how quickly gasoline deteriorates in their snowmobile. Either the sled doesn’t start after a ‘normal’ period of storage, or it won’t idle (or run properly) after coming out of storage, or the sled doesn’t start as soon as it gets cold out.
Here’s why. Gasoline can stay fairly fresh for a while, if stored in a sealed, non-vented container. This is to keep the gasoline’s ‘light ends’from evaporating. The light ends are what allow the fuel to ignite easily at first start-up when the engine is cold.
A snowmobile’s gas tank and fuel system is vented to the atmosphere, so it is far from sealed. This fact means the gas in your sled is really only ‘good’ for about 30 days in this type of storage medium, an unsealed container. Sleds are usually stored from Spring to late Fall, usually in warm and humid conditions and under wide temperature swings. This is why a sled typically experiences some of the worst fuel-related problems in all of motorsports when the fuel is left in it for extended periods of time.
How does this happen? The tank actually breathes during the wide temperature swings. Light ends evaporate and saturate the air inside the tank. The tank warms, and the air-fuel vapor is pushed outside the tank through the vent. Then the tank cools, and draws back in fresh air. The cycle repeats the next time the fuel warms up, light ends evaporate, saturate the air in the tank, vapor is pushed out the vent as it heats, then fresh air is drawn back in as the tank and gas cools. Slowly, the gas goes ‘flat’.
This means that keeping the tank full and reducing the temperature swings (store at a stable temperature) will minimize the loss of light ends. Minimize, not eliminate.
The other problem with evaporation of the fuel is crap known as ‘soluble gum’. When gas evaporates, this is the sticky goo left over that plugs carb jets. It is formed by oxidation of certain hydrocarbons that combine slowly with oxygen in the air and form gum.
Fuel manufacturers are required to contain a deposit-control additive. If the gasoline contains a lot of soluble gum, then the normal amount of additive may not be enough to clean away the left over gum from storage. This is why you might need to treat the first tank of the year with an extra dose of cleaner if a machine displays drivability problems after being stored. From a reactive stand-point, we’ve found a product called ‘Schaefer’s Neutra’ to really do the job when you need to clean the fuel system. A 12 ounce bottle added to 10-12 gallons really makes a difference. Dissolving and removing the gum, varnish and internal residue is where this product shines. It’ll take a lot of the carbon off the power valves as well and out of the combustion chamber, but should be used as an occasional cleaner rather than on an every-tank basis.
From a proactive stance and as a preventative measure, placing a Fitch Fuel Catalyst into the fuel tank will keep the fuel fresher longer, continually ‘cracking’ the longer chain hydrocarbons down into ‘light ends’ so the fuel stays able to easily ignite after periods of storage.

Note: I'll include some links to the various products they mention, but caution members to use their own judgement here. Maybe it's good... maybe it's voodoo! You be the judge. Interesting at any rate. That "Fitch Catalyst" device looks like something to ponder over.

http://www.schaefferoil.com/neutra_fuel_stabilizer.html
http://www.fitchcatalyst.com/details.php?prodId=44&category=30
http://www.fitchcatalyst.com/images/reviews/rev_rec_HotBike2000.pdf

Added later: Actually, this stuff pertains more to us "northerners", some of whom store their bikes during the winter (November to March) snow and ice season.

That said, I'll repeat once again that the best storage method is: No storage at all! Get out and ride even though it may be cold. Ton's of gear and stuff out there for cold weather riding!!

Just make sure your riding skills are 'up to snuff' (seriously), and the streets have been thoroughly cleared of ice and snow.

Ride Safe!

Bob

The Prophet

A nicely done write up on fuels, your bike, octane ratings, ethanol, etc.

Bad Gasoline

Especially interesting is the comment on the Ducati running and starting better by switching from Premium (High Octane 93) to Regular grade (89 octane) gasoline.

Kinda makes sense, as the compression ratio, ignition spark timing, etc are all very carefully and specifically designed to spark and begin the fuel charge burn at a certain rate. If you tamper with that design by introducing a different, slower burning fuel charge, the motor will obviously start and run worse... not better.

"Fuel" for thought for all those who loudly proclaim that "Higher Octane makes by bike go faster!!"

Think about it...

Ride Safe!

Bob

A good and timely footnote to add here is that - contrary to a very common belief - the gas/air mixture in our combustion chamber(s) doesn't explode (BOOM) as many incorrectly think, but instead burns. Fuel - air - a means of ignition (spark) occur, and a controlled burn - flamefront - occurs.

Think "Burn" and "Flame" instead of "Explode" or "Boom" and you'll have the foundation for a better understanding of the combustion (Combust!) process than most. Pistons and rods wouldn't last very long at all if big, endless 'explosions' were happening over and over. Myths are hard to break.