Does anyone run with higher octane fuel, and if so can you tell me the pro's and con's of doing so?


Cheers

Gary

The engine has been designed to run on the specified octane rated petrol. No point in using higher octane whatsoever.
You would be both metaphorically and literally burning your money.

I'm sure I should know this but I'll ask anyway. What is 'standard' octane rating. Around here we have regular unleaded at 87 and usually premium at 92 or 93. I'd gotten so used to putting premium in the BMW I've been doing it on the Tiger.

Kurt

Mine runs sweetly all day in the 100+ deg. days.
Waste of money to use higher octane than necessary to prevent pre-ignition which is the only advantage to boosted octane fuel..

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Tim S

Mine -05 runs on 95 and yes it runs great. Here in Sweden we have 95 and 98 octane. Does this mean that they have different settings for each country or is the system made so it adjust itself?

Does anybody know if our loved bike have a knock sensor?

If there is a knock sensor the ignition system will adjust for different octane quality gasoline. I think all cars have knock sensor as a part of the ignition system. High octane gasoline can take early fire and will give more power.

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Anders

The answer to the original question actually varies from country to country and from brand of fuel. And it is not as simple is just the octane rating of the fuel. It is very complex and fuels may have detergents, ethanol and other additives that affect how it works in different motors.

I disagree that what is called high octane unleaded fuel is a waste oif money. In OZ, high octane unleaded (98 octane) is actually better in my 02 955 Tiger. The bike runs better - very subjective) but also gets better ecomony ans is actually cheaper per KM than cheaper unleaded fuel. This of course depends on the bike, the tune, the pipe and the rider.

Check it out for yourself and choose. Just don't use shell Optimax. At least in Oz, it is known to carbon up high compression motors (like Triumph motorcycles) if used a lot.

TimTiger
You are right of course. I forgot to look at the country of origin of the question. Here in the states we take two ways of measuring octane of a particular grade of gas then divide the sum by two for the octane posted at the pumps.
All are now unleaded, regardless of it's octane, typically 87/89/93 octane here in Arizona, USA..
Our 05 Tigers are able to run on the 87 octane all other things being equal.
In my younger years we hotrodded V-8's and anything with a compression ratio approaching that of the Tiger's required the higher octane to avoid knocking. Technology has come a long ways with more accurate ignitions and better head designs not to mention cooling systems.
This is what I was basing my remark on. Like oils, there are a lot of missconceptions about octane including the one that says that there is more energy in a drop of higher octane than in a drop of lower octane gas.
The pros of running the higher octane fuel are that it may help prevent knocking caused by "compression ignition". This occurence could be a warning of a mechanical problem in an engine designed to run on low octane fuel.

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Tim S