Just wondering what brand everybody is using, those of you who do use it? I'm wondering if any particular kind is better or more economical to use.
thanks
thanks
Octane booster
- Thread starter hARLEY jOE
- Start date
Last year at Maggie Valley OL Bandit told me he used StarTron Enzyme fuel treatment. It Disapates the water in gas, and prevents ethanol fuel problems. He gave me a bottle so I could find it. It treats 1oz to 6 gals of gas or desiel. Ol Bandit said he got better fuel milage. I tried it and I do get better fuel milage and the trike seems to run better. Around here it costs $7.99 for an 8 oz. bottle.
If the engine is pinging on the fuel grade recommended by the engine manufacturer, I would suggest finding and fixing the problem rather than relying on an octane boosting additive except in an emergency.
rmrc51
Lost In The 50's
Here's another vote for StarTron Enzyme fuel treatment. ThumbUp
My service manager recommended it along with the Power equipment repair facility in town who service tractors, mowers and other gasoline engine power equipment.
My service manager recommended it along with the Power equipment repair facility in town who service tractors, mowers and other gasoline engine power equipment.
To answer the OP's question, back in 2010 when I was running the SE255 cams in the 2010 Triglide I owned I carried 108+ octane booster and had to use it on several occasions because I could not get the correct fuel and my choice was 87 octane or nothing.
On a day to day basis I would not run octane booster just for the heck of it, I do however run Startron in both my 06 Ultra Classic with a 120" engine and my 2012 GL1800. As Rod69 says its a fuel treatment, its not an octane booster. I use it for its fuel stabilizing properties because there are times where one bike or the other may set for a few weeks while I'm riding the other.
On a day to day basis I would not run octane booster just for the heck of it, I do however run Startron in both my 06 Ultra Classic with a 120" engine and my 2012 GL1800. As Rod69 says its a fuel treatment, its not an octane booster. I use it for its fuel stabilizing properties because there are times where one bike or the other may set for a few weeks while I'm riding the other.
Never used any kind of fuel additive except StalBil when I use to store the bike over the winter years ago.
I've never used anything other than 87 octane fuel and during the winter I may go 2,3 or 4 weeks before being able to go for a ride. I have never had a problem. Gas is already too expensive so I'm not going to add any more cost to it.......IF I don't have to. ThumbUp
Many times I've used gas (lawn mower-snowblower and even my TG) stored in a 2 gal. or 5 gal. container that was at least a year old and never had any problems.
I guess I'm just lucky when it comes to fuel. :Angel:
I can't remember ever having fuel problems of any kind.......other then running out of it a couple times.
I've never used anything other than 87 octane fuel and during the winter I may go 2,3 or 4 weeks before being able to go for a ride. I have never had a problem. Gas is already too expensive so I'm not going to add any more cost to it.......IF I don't have to. ThumbUp
Many times I've used gas (lawn mower-snowblower and even my TG) stored in a 2 gal. or 5 gal. container that was at least a year old and never had any problems.
I guess I'm just lucky when it comes to fuel. :Angel:
I can't remember ever having fuel problems of any kind.......other then running out of it a couple times.
I have found stations that sell E 0 fuel and I use that when I find it . as luck would have it the "ENERGY" station just across the street from my development sells Ethonol free fuel as High test The mid grade is 5% Ethonol I use that in my cars and Bikes and yes I get better fuel milage then if I us E10. It cost about two bucks more per fill up but the exter milage I get is worth it.
Never used any kind of fuel additive except StalBil when I use to store the bike over the winter years ago.
I've never used anything other than 87 octane fuel and during the winter I may go 2,3 or 4 weeks before being able to go for a ride. I have never had a problem. Gas is already too expensive so I'm not going to add any more cost to it.......IF I don't have to. ThumbUp
Many times I've used gas (lawn mower-snowblower and even my TG) stored in a 2 gal. or 5 gal. container that was at least a year old and never had any problems.
I guess I'm just lucky when it comes to fuel. :Angel:
I can't remember ever having fuel problems of any kind.......other then running out of it a couple times.
I agree, I have always used 87 octane fuel and have not had a problem...
Only time I was ever able to run 87 octane was in my 05 Electraglide which at the time was still 88", I could run it in the cooler weather. Once the ambient temps got into the mid 70's the bike would kick back on the starter and start hard. If running 87 just be aware you can have some pinging going on and never hear it until the damage is done. The shock waves from the pinging weaken the casting of the piston which can lead to it cracking.
This piston was damaged from inaudible pinging.
msocko3, how long will it take to do that kind of damage?
Like I've said, I've been using 87 since forever and not had one engine problem.
Never used premium, never will.
Maybe some day I'll have a problem, but that's something I'll have to live with IF it happens. I have a stock engine with no mods - if I did I'd probably have to use a more expensive fuel. That's why I stay stock. ThumbUp
Like I've said, I've been using 87 since forever and not had one engine problem.
Never used premium, never will.
Maybe some day I'll have a problem, but that's something I'll have to live with IF it happens. I have a stock engine with no mods - if I did I'd probably have to use a more expensive fuel. That's why I stay stock. ThumbUp
There is no telling when it will happen, it may happen within miles or it may never happen, its just the luck of the draw. That is one reason some builders use forged pistons in higher compression builds, there is a chance of pinging which may not be heard. A few years ago I saw a picture of a cast piston which had the ring lands broke from pinging, the owner said he never heard it ping.
I've used either TTS or the old SERT data logging to chase down any stray pings in a build before, found hits where the ion sensing caught it and pulled some timing and I didn't even hear it happen. The down side is by the time ion sensing catches it the pinging has already taken place. You could look at your spark plugs periodically for freckles like the one pictured below, you'll normally catch them on the porcelain.
sportytrike
40+ Posts
I'm not trying to be smart or anything but the little bit extra it costs to put premium in a motorcycle tank seems small to me when compared to the chance you take with additives. If you factor in the cost of the additive itself it's even smaller.
If you have pinging and must run booster, I try to find a product which uses a metal additive such as TEL (tetraethyl lead). Boosters which use petroleum distilates only, usually only boost a minute amount. One common misunderstanding when choosing boosters is what a "point" is. If it raises your octane six "points" that is actually .6 octane. So 87 would go to 87.6. Also be aware running some high performance boosters can upset O2 sensors.
I wouldn't put anything like tetraethyl lead in with O2 sensors or a cat ! It will mess up both in a heart beat !
I run Lucas booster, or 104 booster. Both are compatible with the O2"s.pepper
:Agree: Lead will give a cat lead poisoning and kill the O2 sensors pretty quick. Folks want to always read the lable on octane boosters to make sure they are O2 sensor safe.
- Thread starter
- #16
thanks for all the good info. I appreciate it.
sportytrike, you make a good point. That's why I don't use anything other then straight 87 gas - no additives.
msocko3, The computor will adjust any pinging problems so I'm not worried about unheard pinging.
msocko3, The computor will adjust any pinging problems so I'm not worried about unheard pinging.
I will try to attach the article in MCN on octane boosters and other additives.
Here is the article - hope this works
Guess not - I'll try again
Guess not - I'll try again
Tried again nothing. It says the file is too big at 817k and all we have a paltry 19k limit - ridiculous.
No problem on other forums.
It's just a single page - how can it be so big - or why is this forum so small?
Oh well, I guess you'll just have to buy the mag or go on line to Motorcycle Consumer News.
No problem on other forums.
It's just a single page - how can it be so big - or why is this forum so small?
Oh well, I guess you'll just have to buy the mag or go on line to Motorcycle Consumer News.
I started to just move on because it feels like I'm beating a dead horse, but I can't. The computer isn't the know all be all automatic adjuster, it will only compensate so far. I several examples of the computer only compensating so far. In 2008 my 06 Ultra started pinging in areas it never pinged before, it would do it time and time again. I hooked the lap top to it and started doing some data runs using the SERT it had been tuned with. When reviewing the data I found multiple hits where it was pulling timing due to pinging, some places it was taking 10 degrees out, and that wasn't stopping the ping. I ended up chasing it down to a bad plug wire, strangest damn thing I ever saw but new wires and all the ping was gone. The computer wasn't smart enough or couldn't compensate enough to keep it from happening.
2010 my dad and I are out west both riding Triglides, his 09 and my 10, both running SE255 cams. Around home with 91 - 93 octane fuel no issues.
Got out west and all we could find at a couple stops was 89 octane with 10% ethanol, they both pinged like crazy until we dosed them with octane booster.
Once again the computer wasn't able to make compensations for fuel which didn't have the capability to support the CCP and timing we were running.
Now I could have neutered the performance and pulled a boat load of timing out but that would have came with more of a penalty than just a power loss, it would have created more heat which would have lead to more pinging, the perfect storm.
2011 once again my dad and I are out west with the Triglides, this time running Wood TW555 cams. I was able to run that 89 octane with 10 ethanol and not have any issues, my dad on the other hand had a pinger. The computer didn't compensate for it, it couldn't, it just pinged and pinged and pinged up every hill. I finally was able to tweak the timing a touch and solved the problem.
Moral of the story is the computer can only go so far. Just like the fallacy magazines have a lot of people believing they can install exhaust and air cleaner and the computer will compensate, its not so. Anyone who tunes these things and has witnessed what the AFR looks like while on the dyno knows its not so. Its not uncommon for air cleaner and exhaust changes to have 17.1 AFR in some of the areas of the tune, the computer just can't compensate without a little help from a tuner to educate it a little bit.
:Agree: Mike you need to make a copy of your post & you won't have to type it all again. You know you will have to say it again !
People believe what the book says until it costs a few thousand ! Never has & never will replace experience !!
:Trike1:
I hear you. Sure the computer adjust a little bit, it just can't make large adjustments plus it starts from scratch on the next key on cycle. If the computer had the capability to compensate for to aggressive timing or not enough or too much fuel I wouldn't have to data log for spark retard activity or check AFR to get the VE's right.
I use nothing but 93 in my scoot and still get occasional pinging.I wonder sometimes if the gas is really 93 and also how long it's sat in that underground tank.There isn't many vehicles out ther using high octane anymore so i would think the gas has a better chance of being stale.I also read somewhere that a test was made at some stations and found that the 10 percent ethanol was as high as 25 percent.I don't know how true it is but i wonder.
So the way i understand it is ethanol will lower the octane rating so 93 with higher than 10 percent isn't really 93 then.:Shrug:
Yes, I use StarTron in every other tank of gas, when I pull my trailer I use StarTron in every tank, seems fuel mileage picks up between 8 and 12 miles per gallon, and it seems to pull hills better. Just my 2 cents! Last check with StarTron I was at 44 miles per gallon without the trailer
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