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Message started by eronavbj on 12/22/04 at 10:48:27

Title: Fuel
Post by eronavbj on 12/22/04 at 10:48:27

Any reason to run a higher grade than regular gas in my 02 Savage? The dealer advised it and further stated that, "This will run on anything." All in all, it didn't sound very professional to me.

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by thehoghunter on 12/22/04 at 10:55:34

I've run on 87 octane with no problems on both our Savages (both 1996 models). Sea level - high humidity normally (Florida)

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by Savage_Rob on 12/22/04 at 11:12:35

Bottom line, no reason to get anything higher than 87 octane.

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by thehoghunter on 12/22/04 at 11:20:37

I have heard of folks using a higher octane - but I can't find the info (on this or Bert's site) and don't recall the reason for it - tapping noises or valves...something to do with one or the other. My wife use to use 90 octane (before she met me) on her 96 Savage. Once I let her know I had been putting 87 octane in, she didn't go back to the other.

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by Savage_Rob on 12/22/04 at 11:29:26

I think this is what you're looking for...
An interesting post for tweakers (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=RubberSideDown;action=display;num=1094908232)
There's a post by Paladin talking about preignition.

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by thehoghunter on 12/22/04 at 11:47:50

Yep, that's it. Should have done my search differently. Thanks! :)

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by rkutzner on 12/22/04 at 14:52:59

Misunderstood by most, lower octane fuel actually has a faster burn rate and MORE power. The idea is to run the lowest octane you can without detonation (commonly known as pinging). The reasons race or performance cars with superchargers use a higher octane is because of timing, higher compression, cam profiles etc which cannot run on lower octanes without severe detonation.

Picture detonation as the explosion happening BEFORE it's supposed to while the piston is still coming up...can cause big time damage.

So on a stock thumper that was built for 87, running higher is a total waste of money (if you want the supposedly better fuel system cleaners in the higher grades, get it at Walmart). If you ever build up your engine, especially with a higher compression piston, you will need higher octane. My Z400 with 12:1 compression needs 93 with a little octane boost on top of that!

Finally, not to beat a dead horse, but if you have ever run a stock motor with a higher octane and thought it was faster........it was in your head ;).....you were slower :-* !!!

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by Greg_650 on 12/23/04 at 04:37:48

You only need regular. The engine is only 8.5 to 1 compression and doesn't need the higher octane or the extra expense.

Dealers aren't necessarily professionals :o

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by Gargoyle on 12/23/04 at 06:15:18

Owners manual states use 87 or higher. 87 is all use in all my bikes.

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by gitarzan on 12/27/04 at 18:19:20

I tried different grades. 87 is all she needs.

Higher octane does not mean more go-go. It means less knock-knock.

Ingredients that increase octane decrease the gasoline's ability to ignite, in order to decrease ping in high compression engines. If you do not need higher octane, buying it does nothing to increase your performance and it may actually decrease it.

I once had a 2 stroke Yamaha that lower octance most definately provided more zip. I used to get the old 86 octane stuff at Sunoco for it. It loved the stuff. Same thing for an old Pinto. The lower grade the gas, the better it ran. Usually, however, I've seen a much lesser difference in most of my vehicles. I do have a 1986 V6 truck that prefers mid grade by far.

Higher grades of gas, however, do have additives that lower grades might not, such as fuel injector cleaners... Oh, you don't need that either! ;D

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by klx650sm2002 on 12/29/04 at 05:51:19

KLX likes low grade fuel also.

Clive W :D

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by tecleveland on 01/01/05 at 18:23:39

I know there was a reply about burning rate of lower octane fuel being faster, which I have heard means more heat. Because of this, I sometimes use higher octane during the summer if I think I might be in some heavy, slow, city traffic. I dont know how much good it does, I figure every little bit can help.

Title: Re: Fuel
Post by cphilip on 01/01/05 at 18:29:50

Actualy its flash point. Lower octane fuels have a lower flash point. So... basicaly ignite at a slightly lower temperature (ignites easier and at lower compression). However there is slightly more BTU's per gallon in a Higher Octane fuel...but it has to be compressed more to burn fully to be utilized at all. Takes some pretty high compression before it will even start to be so.

It would and does take some real high compression to actualy efficently utilize a higer octane fuel. Most of these, including the Savage, are far lower than that number. You would need to start pushing near to 15:1 or so before you could. Better still like closer to 20:1.... yea... that high even! Not many gasser motorcycles in that range. A few high compression race engines maybe. Mostly anyway. You will in fact run lousy with full high test in your Savage. Won't burn very efficently at all. Sometimes you might get by with mid range. But no real need.