Premium in the K1600GT

The Federal Trade Commission asked the oil companies to prove their assertions that premium is better, which led to the ending of advertising of premium, because they could not prove any benefit.

The relative small amount of gasoline I buy for the motorcycle keeps me using premium. Somehow I doubt that the volatile components which make premium a higher octane remain in the gasoline for the duration it resides in the underground tank. I suspect that premium sales have plummeted to the point of hardly selling at all.

In my car, which the manufacturer says required premium, I only use regular. Premium is unnecessary and because of the knock sensor and car computer is compensated for just fine.

 

I am with RL on the Premium for the Bike.. Don't need too much at fill up.. I am still running Premium in both cars for now as reccomended.. I do notice a drop in MPG when I tried Reg in my last car that used Premium.. If the price keeps going up I may have no choice but to swap to reg for the cars....

 

I do notice a drop in MPG when I tried Reg in my last car that used Premium.. .

You will lose 1 mpg. Disconnect the battery for several minutes to reset the computer. The HP loss will not be noticed.

Ed Wallace here tests a lot of cars, as part of his work. He never buys premium, even for Porsches. Never a problem.

Do the math on 1 mpg vs. the price difference.

 

I use premium. I don't know that I'd buy the idea that premium loses a lot of octane in storage. It's been awhile since I worked for a gas station but we turned over the tanks about once a week. Fwiw

Now the big question I have is if you're actually getting premium as some unscrupulous stations will put standard grade in the tanks. It's illegal to do but. . .

I see about 1-2mpg better mileage on premium and a bigger jump when I can get premium w/o ethanol

Just my .02


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There is a lot of mis information out there. The main difference is burn time. Premium burns longer. At altitude it takes more oxygen to completely burn the gas so you end up pumping gas out of the tail pipe and washing the cylinders off of the oil. So over 5,000 feet I use regular. If you hear a rattle or ping you do not have the right octane. Or have a read here.
http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Gasoline.html

 

Just go with whatever the manufacturer recommends. They always have actual data to back up their recommendation. Its not like they have a stake in the gas companies. If that was the case then every manufacturer would only recommend premium.

 

+1
manual says use 89 octane so I buy the mid-grade and have had no problems

 

I just buy the highest octane available at the station. The cost difference over 5-7 gallons isn't worth the potential problems being cheap could cause

Pete

 

Well, for local rides, I'm fortunate enough to live within 5 miles of a popular Marina that sells a lot of fuel, much of which is ethanol-free premium (read: fresh). I try to make it my last stop of the day.

Another advantage to that is ... the next time I find myself ready to head out for a nice ride - I already have a full tank. And no delays to deal with. :k16:


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My motorcycle prior to the K 1600, the Victory, as well it was recommended to use Premium, however the mechanic told me that if I wanted to try to run regular I could try to step down one grade at a time, if it knocks at any point then to return to the previous grade. I run regular in it as I know it's not a high performance motor and have had no issues.

With the K 1600 I will run premium in it as this engine runs at much higher RPMs, both have computer mapping for fuel control and I am sure I could run regular in it but it's not that expensive to run premium getting over 40 mpg as often as I travel putting miles on it. I want this bike to last a long time so I am going to 'give this girl' the best.

My $0.02 worth.

 

In the bike I usually use mid grade or premium. Im 09 GMC 2500HD I use regular even though premium is recommended by GM; however, when towing the 5th wheel I always use premium. It has a noticible difference in power and mileage wth premium vs regular.
We go to northern New Mexico a few times a year and I have noticed even without the 5th wheel the truck gets better mileage with premium; however, not enough to warrant the extra cost.
Gas prices are forecast to go up soon......as in by April they are saying $4.50 for regular.

 

Ok,
Will one of you whizz's tell me how the "knock sensor" compensates for compression related pre-detonation that the higher octane fuel is made for?


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Ok,
Will one of you whizz's tell me how the "knock sensor" compensates for compression related pre-detonation that the higher octane fuel is made for?

Retards the timing of the spark to later in the compression cycle.

 

I agree with Pete. Using regular gas would save about a buck for a fillup. It would cost a **** of a lot to repair the bike !!

 

Bike cost over $25k plus TTL and accessories on top of that. I am not going to worry about 8 cents a gallon difference between gas grades. BMW says premium, I'll use premium.

 

Over here the regular is octane 95, so that is what I usually use.

 

I would just use premium. Not because people say you get better mileage. Not because people say it makes it run faster. But mainly because most premium gases don't have ethanol mixed in. Also premium gases can remain stable in your tank way longer than regular gas. Meaning if ever for some reason you're unable to start it up for a long time it wont gunk up the fuel lines.

 

I didn't know it used 89.. I will start using that. Thanks.
I've heard if you use a higher octane then necessary it will cause carbon to build up.

 

Higher octane does not cause excessive carbon build up.

 

European reg octane is 95RON, premium 98RON. I notice absolutely no difference when flat out accelerating - fun )). The ole 1600 goes like a bat outa the hot place, regardless. What a fantastic engine!

 

At most gas stations, regular is used the most, the high test, second and mid grade, usually 89 the least. I have not used it, as I think it most likely to be the oldest gas at almost every station. Any tank truck drivers or gas station owners out there?
Perhaps it's unfounded, but at $.70 to $.80 per fill up difference, I think I will stay with the highest octane.

 

I've always thought mid grade was a 50/50 mix of regular and premium.. When a station runs out of regular they also put a out sign on mid grade..

 

When the price from Regular to Mid grade is $0.10 and Regular to Premium grade is $0.20 and getting a full tank typically 6 gallons that is only $1.2 more for the Premium. I always do that. If they are gouging Premium buyers or there is no Premium, I am sure the regular would work fine. The bike adapts.

 

It is just about compression ratio. If the compression is over 11:1 is need to use high octane gas, but the explosion will happen before the full piston compression.

The compression ratio of K1600 is 12,2:1, than, no doubt the premium gas is indispensable.

Of course the engine will work with regular gas because the electronic compensates the amount of air in the mix, what causes power looses.

 

New guy here and I just read all your comments. I do not yet have a K1600 but my intentions are to purchase one as soon as my current bke sells. It's a high performance V8 Chopper. It has a high compression V8 engine on the bike and makes about 420 hp. I can tell you from my research about octane that Eder's post above is closest to the truth.

Gasoline in it's natural state contains Heptane (sp?). Heptane is the flammable part and what makes gasoline a usable fuel source. BUT, heptane is unstable and will explode without a spark, ON IT'S ON, when compressed (as in a engine cylinder). Octane is a heptane stabilizer. It enables the compression of gasoline without premature detonation. Octane does NOT create more power. If anything it robs power if more than is needed to stabilize the fuel is used.

NOW. If not enough octane is used in the mix, over a period of time, engine damage WILL occur. The only way this is incorrect is if the timing can be corrected to compensate for the early detonation. The amount of compression used in an engine along with the specific timing determines the needed octane rating. I STRONGLY suggest you follow the manufacture's recommendations.

 

Regular 95 Ron in Oz is $1.45 per Litre, Premium 98 Ron is $1.55. I haven't run bike on Regular, have only ever used 98 Octane. My little Honda R type is run on 98 RON and performs like a dog on 95 RON. The motor is specifically tuned for high Octane fuel. When married had a Chrysler Voyager whoes engine management system was able to compensate for different Octane fuels with no apparent/discernable difference.

 

Just filled up at a station that had a separate island for non ethanol gasoline. It was mid grade octane of 89. The price was a healthy $4.28 per gallon.

When I lived way out west, the highest octane available was 91. So modern cars and bikes are designed to run well on lower octane fuels. The computer just adjusts the timing to suit the fuel vs. load demand. Use whatever you wish but don't worry about using low test because it will not harm your engine at all. Regular actually burns faster than premium. It exhibits a faster flame front when ignited. But it is irradic in its speed. Premium burns slower but in a more uniform manner. Hence, knocking (pinging or preignition) is minimized and timing can be more advanced which produces somewhat more power.

Unfortunately, common public knowledge about fuel grades has been largely manipulated by oil company advertising which is naturally designed toward making high margin high test fuel more appealing vis a vie the alluring promise of better performance and superior cleaning agents. Remember...."it pays to advertise."

 

My bike has a little sticker next to the gas cap that says to use 89 so that's what I use. There has been a time or two where 85-87 is all that is available so it's either that or walk. I don't lug the engine when running the low octane gas.

 

running premium in all vehicles except Ford Ranger and lawn mower. never a problem with faulty fuels. always seek top tier brands and busy stations (higher stock turnover).

discussion of cost differences is moot - $25K bike. really, now ...

 

If you ride very cautiously you can get away will regular and no problems. If you ride like most, and use regular, you can eventually experience engine damage from detonation. The electronics will compensate as much as they can but damage is very possible and you will not hear the damaging detonation. Also, using regular will increase exhaust emissions and likely fail a CA in-use test.
BMW recommends Premium to deliver maximum power, durability, and comply with CA emission requirements. There are EPA rules for what and how gasoline is recommended by OEMs based on emissions and mpg tests but using regular and riding agressively can lead to engine damage.
Frankly, I can't imagine why anyone would risk damage and use regular gas and/or a non-approved oil.


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Couldn't agree more. I appreciate all the well thought out arguments regarding potentially unnecessary expense from using higher octane than necessary, or using a premium brand, or which oil is acceptable. However, I don't want to rationalize my way into an unnecessary problem (I bought convenience store gas back in the 70's and it contained water which resulted in a $2000 repair bill - in those days I couldn't afford that expense). I figure if I can afford a farkled out GTL, I can afford the extra 10 cents per gallon to run premium gas from a top brand.


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