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2022 Speed Twin fuel octane

5K views 24 replies 21 participants last post by  Ericd10563 
#1 ·
Sent an email to triumph after sales team asking what octane fuel is recommended in my new 2022 Speed Twin. Received an email from triumph after sales team stating the minimum octane is 87. They recommended I change brands or go to a higher octane if I experience knock or ping. The manual states minimum RON 95 which equates to 91 octane. I live in Lancaster, Pa. What octane do the rest of the Speed Twin riders use? Some stations near me sell multigrades from 87 thru 93. Costco sells only 87 and 93 octane. I buy only top tier fuel. Curious to hear from my forum mates.
 
#9 ·
I currently have 2 triumphs(900&1200cc). I’ve run everything through them over the years & have settled on Exxon 90/0E as a good compromise between performance & cost. We have one & that is “Top Tier”.Here in the Lehigh Valley we also have a number of Wawa stations that sell 89/0E. Not Top Tier, but he trade off vs 0 ethanol is worth it to me- especially for winter storage. The bikes definitely run better on 0E & you get ~10% better range.
 
#10 ·
I use 91 octane because that's the only ethanol free choice in Canada currently. However the first year, other than the last 2 fillups of the season I used 87 octane. I noticed no difference, however 6 months of winter before the next ride makes it difficult to notice differences.
 
#11 ·
Picked up my new 2022 Speed Twin today. Rode 75 miles back roads, stop, let it cool down and ride again. It rides and sounds beautiful. Dealer filled tank with 87, I’m going with 91 octane top tier fuel. Throws a lot of heat which will be nice in cool/cold weather. Awaiting my Dart Flyscreen to arrive. Ordering a battery tender cable connector to mount permanently. Very happy with my bike.
 
#12 ·
Depending on the price, I run Shell 87 or 89. I don’t think there are any ethanol-free gas stations within reasonable distance of my house, so I go to a station that stays pretty busy in the hope that at least the gas will be fresh. Also, it’s silly how much heat the bike produces. I’m hoping that getting rid of the catalytic converter will help.

Here are the notes I have on the first handful of fill-ups. My commute is mostly stoplight to stoplight with a small amount of time on the freeway thrown in.

Miles - 122.1
Gallons - 2.387 Shell V Power Nitro (93)
51.15 mpg

Miles - 138.6
Gallons - 2.796 Shell 87
49.57 mpg

Miles - 137.6
Gallons - 2.742 Shell 87
50.18 mpg

Miles - 141.8
Gallons - 2.845 Shell 89
49.84 mpg (500 mi. service included)

Miles - 136.1
Gallons - 2.550 Shell 87
53.37 mpg
 
#13 ·
My previous 2019 Kawasaki 900 ran hot. I flushed the original coolant and used Engine Ice. Also, I had Ivan’s Performance in South Carolina do a stock ECU reflash. Both lowered the operating temp but the reflash totally transformed the motor. Opened-up the motor, faster, smoother, it ran like a beast. Scary fast.
I don’t feel the need to do any re-programming, but will definitely investigate cooler operating temps. The bike has 110 on the odo and the weekend is going to be hot and humid. Not sure if I’ll ride today. I’ll take my salesman’s advice and keep everything stock for the first 1500 to 2000 miles.
 
#17 ·
Many factors significantly increase an engine’s octane requirement. ‘I’hey include a higher compression ratio, a bigger cylinder bore, leaner mixtures, higher coolant and intake-air temperatures, dry air (low humidity), higher barometric pressures, altitude closer to sea level, and more spark advance. Also, cast-iron heads need more octane than aluminum heads. As engine temperatures increase, a higher octane gasoline is needed.

The benefit to using a 100-octane gasoline in high-performance engines goes beyond the octane number. The distillation curve of the gasoline defines the temperature at which various amounts of gasoline are evaporated. Gasoline must be in a vapor form to burn, so the more readily it vaporizes (within limits), the better it will work in your engine. This can be a performance benefit in some engines because of the ability of the gasoline to evaporate more readily, contributing to more complete burning, which in turn leads to greater efficiency and power.

Many manufacturers put knock sensors on engines. When the knock sensor senses detonation, it sends a signal to the main computer, which retards the spark timing until detonation ceases. This can cause spark-timing retard, which reduces horsepower and fuel economy. Detonation normally occurs in one or sometimes two cylinders unless a serious fuel-starvation problem exists. Most engine-management systems reduce the spark timing in all cylinders, although some reduce the timing in only the cylinder that is detonating. Using a gasoline high enough in octane to satisfy the engine under all types of conditions will ensure maximum performance from all cylinders.

via: totalmotorcycle.com
 
#20 · (Edited)
I live in the literal arm-pit of the US, in Northern NJ. It’s above 90°F from what seems like May thru mid September, and always, AWLAYS Amazonian humidity and miserable. And the nice Spring & Fall are literally about 15 minutes long each... I’ve ran my Thruxton R 1200 HP Engine on the 87 Octane that the manual recommends (US), and only that, for the entire 8+ years I’ve loved owning it… I have Arrow de-cat racing headers paired to Vance & Hines US Spec slip-on’s w/ optional baffles removed, and the stock OEM ECU tune (*Euro-4)… Runs brilliant with zero MPG concerns, and I’ll blow the doors off anyone on this forum on it… Fun-Fact: Triumph motorcycles don’t have doors.
#TheMoreYouKnow💫
Cheers!
 
#21 ·
Runs brilliant with zero MPG concerns, and I’ll blow the doors off anyone on this forum on it… Fun-Fact: Triumph motorcycles don’t have doors.
#TheMoreYouKnow💫
Cheers!
I'd like to fit doors to my machine just to see whether you can blow them off :).
 
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