Bike fuel

Product Details

The Right Kind Of Gas A Motorcycle Needs

If you’re reading this, you’re probably stuck wondering what the best type of gas is needed for your motorcycle and if it really matters if you choose the right one. Most people assume that as long as the motorcycle has some type of gas, it’ll get them from point A to point B and that’s all the really matters.

There are some things added to fuel by oil companies that is intended to help us out in the long run. But sometimes those additives can actually impact our motorcycles in a negative way. It’s important you know exactly what you’re putting into your motorcycle so you can better care for it so it will better care for you.

Motorcycles need to use ethanol-free higher octane gasoline. Motorcycles that have a carburetor especially need to use ethanol-free gas because ethanol is a gasoline additive that boosts the octane of gasoline. But when it’s in small tight places, such as your carburetor, it can gum up a lot faster than gas that has no ethanol in it.

About 90% of gas stations use ethanol in their gas. That’s why you see a sign at the pump that states “May Contain Up To 10% Ethanol.” The catalyzing effect ethanol has on octane helps it to maintain it’s burning efficiency.

It’s a type of hydrocarbon that oil refineries use to bump up their octane numbers so they can meet government regulations on gas emissions. Lower octane fuels aren’t going to burn as well and they’re going to burn off more noxious gases.

Motorcyclists need to be specific about the gas station they go to and find a gas station that states it has ethanol-free gas. That’s not to say that if you are left with no choice but to use gas with ethanol your carburetor will gum up immediately, just make it a habit of normally using ethanol-free gas. Ethanol-free gas is a little more expensive because it has higher value product that goes into it.

While you’re at the pump, you need to choose the highest octane rating available, meaning choosing the highest number. For example, you may be presented with Regular which may have an octane rating of 87, Plus which have an octane rating of 89, and Premium which may have an octane rating of 93. In this case, you’ll want to choose the Premium gas because it has the highest octane rating.

Fuel injected motorcycles tend to not gum up like carbureted motorcycles do. But still be wary of what gas you use because most new motorcycles are fuel injected and most of them still have a high compression ratio. If you have a high compression ratio, manufacturers generally specify that you should use a premium, non-ethanol gasoline.

So no matter what type of motorcycle you have whether it be carbureted or fuel injected, it’s better to use a higher octane (91 or higher) fuel that is ethanol-free for all motorcycles.