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Premium gas?

7K views 47 replies 25 participants last post by  Fatjock 
#1 ·
Hey all!

I am looking to get some info on if it is needed to use premium gas or not for my 2015 Burgman 400. The dealer said I should, but I have also heard otherwise. Thanks!
 
#5 ·
Buy the cheapest gas you can find.....
after all, it's not a Bentley.
Well...maybe it is.
 
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#6 ·
Lesson on dealership knowledge. Take it with a grain of salt.
 
#8 ·
The story I heard is that premium gas contains hydrofluoric acid and other additves that prevent varnish build-up in carburetors and injectors. So the cleaning that we used to do is not necessary with premium.

It is not easy to get any info on the quality of gas that we all use, or see reports and studies of different brands.
 
#13 ·
The owner's manual for my 2015 400 recommends 87 octane fuel.


In Alberta, most premium fuel does not contain alcohol so that should give marginally better fuel economy, but probably not enough to justify the extra cost.


I put premium fuel in my Burgman and my Triumph sports car for winter storage so that I don't have to worry about the alcohol separating out over the winter. I also use fuel stabilizer.


Neil
 
#14 ·
Alberta: The owners manual for my 2014 400 recommends a minimum of 87 octane fuel. Is that just a case of a dropped word by mistake, or was there a change in something for the 2015 model ?

Also, California scooters and their manuals are a little different than others. So you are limited to 87 octane but I can use premium if I want !!
 
#15 ·
I find that my B400 runs best on Shell or Chevron. But always low octane. It gets the same MPG so why spend more? Now you might get better MPG if you KNOW there is premium in there. Psychology at work.

Premium gas burns slower, when high-compression engines are fed low octane gas, it ignites early in the compression stroke. We don't need it.

Plus, I owned a Shovelhead for about 5 years and had to use premium. In a machine that could be outun by 150 scooters :laugh Never again.
 
#17 ·
What about non-ethanol gas. We have that here in Kentucky. It's almost $3.00 a gallon and I have noticed a difference in how my mower, blower, weedeater runs after using it. They all start easier. And run smoother. I figure I can fill it up every 3rd or 4th fill up just to let it help clean the system. It's still cheaper than a $9.00 bottle of seafoam. Do you have opinions? Please share. You can even call me names. I'm a police officer so I'm used to it...
 
#18 ·
Yes you can, you can use jet fuel or racing gas if you want also but why would you use anything but the cheapest gas of the octane the manual says?

"Also, California scooters and their manuals are a little different than others. So you are limited to 87 octane but I can use premium if I want !! "
 
#19 ·
Cost savings aside, why not use premium BP in the scooters? One caution I'd have is that nobody else using it...old gas sitting in that underground tank?
$8000+ scooter....a few pennies extra for more nutritious gas does not seem a bad idea, unless it is actually bad for the engine and its systems.
Funny how on the forum of one of the world's most expensive scooters - so many get exercised if one mentions using something other than the cheapest fuel, filters, oil, belts, rollers, etc !!
:)
Just a thought....
Stig
 
#20 ·
Why spend the most you can? Most riders on two wheels have economy as a one factor in their transportation decision. Like it or not, the world's most expensive scooter is still cheap compared against many other transportation options. Others, like myself, ride for the manly raconteur image it provides. Nothing says macho like a 400cc step through with all weather protection.


"Pay more because it won't hurt you" is not a persuasive argument. A better argument (also presented in this thread) might be "pay more for a good tier 2 fuel product" but the most persuasive is probably "pay what you need to, to get what you want"
 
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#24 ·
I have converted a number of gasoline powered AC generators to run on LPG and am curious as to what changes were needed for the '400 Burgman?

Obviously your need a pressure tank to hold it; what is the tank's capacity, what sort of range does that provide?

Converting small engine generators (10 to 20 HP) to use LPG down-rated their output by 10 to 12%, sometimes more--what changes were needed for the EFI system to properly meter the fuel and retain power output with the LPG's lower energy density?
 
#25 · (Edited)
+ 1 on Cliff's remark, I've been using LPG on my Lexus RX300 for 11 years and on my Jag XJ6 4ltr Sovereign for 5 years before that, both run happily on LPG and as petrol (Gas) prices have risen the installations have paid for themselves several times over.

On the Burgman 400 about the only place for a tank would be in place of a Top box and it wouldn't be very large.... Was this fitment a 'Kit' or a DIY invention and fitting? What about balance... The extra weight of LPG must make the bike top heavy... I love saving money but on the Burgman to my mind, it's a NO NO.

Jim
 
#28 ·
@cliffyk / Squar.
It is a 10 liter tank which is placed under the seat. So the weight is no problem at all. I drive 140 km before it's empty and then its full after tanking exactly 7 liters.
So it's 1:20. Which would be 47 miles a gallon I think.
How it is done I dont know. I bought the burgman with everything installed already. And since it's working I'm not going to fiddle around with it.
It was build in by a german company (mizu.de) as a test project, but they dont do it anymore I think. I mean it will cost around €1500,-- to build it, so you would have to drive (in the netherlands atleast) 40000km before you have earned it back.
But I bought it with 8000km on it for the same money as the ones without LPG. So basicly a free installation and with the 30000km a year I drive I can't stop smiling when I think of the money I have saved so far. :)
I will upload a few pics later this week.
 
#32 ·
Please read this Octane 101 primer.

From paragraph 1:
"The octane number of a gasoline IS NOT a measure of its hotness or coolness in the burning process, nor is it a measure of how powerful it is—it is simply a measure of how good the gasoline is at resisting detonation (knocking/pinging)."

There is no reason to use higher than needed octane gasoline in any internal combustion engine. Also contemporary formulations of E-10 will not hurt any modern vehicle (MY 2000+); not its engine, not its fuel system nor its exhaust system. The only effect will be 3 to 5% higher consumption (reduced mpg)...
 
#31 ·
That settles it ! From now on I'm going to use 89 octane and pay less than I would for premium... and at the same time I'll have the satisfaction of knowing that I am not using the cheapest stuff in my precious 400.
 
#33 ·
Not being an expert or scientist on Octane effects and not being well read on the subject, only what I heard and I believe is:

An engine designed to run on lower octane is a lower compression engine (high compression engines require higher octane to reduce pre-ignition).

SO, running higher octane (which has less energy per unit because of additives) does not burn completely (resulting in even less efficiency and harm to the engine, like wash down on cylinders).

A lot of people think if it costs more it is better. What can I say, have at it. :crying

Worried about ethanol (never bothered me - never had a problem), if I was worried I would buy regular with no ethanol not premium (I am not worried about it and neither are worth the money difference).
 
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