Either or. Recommended just meand optimal performance but you wont get the pings. You'll be fine with 87 don't worry. Now many do run 91 just because its a smaller tank, better MPG's. Its up to you...
That's a good question, when I was at the dealer I told them I only burn premium gas in all my motorcycles. In fact I only burn premium gas in my lawnmower, weed whips and leaf blowers too. Most premiums here (Chicago land) have additives in them to help clean fuel injectors which the streets are fuel injected. So therefore, I'll stick with the premium gas and pay the few extra cents more.I'm getting conflicting information as to what kind of gas to put in my new Street 750.
The dealer told me to always put in premium, however the manual states "87 (91 RON)" which would be standard gasoline. The HD website however says "Recommended 91 octane or higher fuel (R+M)/2." (See Street 750 | Liquid-Cooled | Harley-Davidson USA )
So what is the appropriate fuel for my new Street 750?
A very good point that you bring up, but companies like Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only burn premium in their automobiles if you do not, you void the warranty on the engine. In fact, right in the instruction manual it will say if you have to put anything except premium in the car only put as much gas in the car to get you to the next gas station to fill up with premium only.The octane debate.
Premium does not really mean anything better.
Octane is representative of the level at which the gasoline will ignite under pressure with no spark. Commonly called pre-ignition. No octane level is better than any other from a gasoline quality standard. So octane has to do with the engine compression and the altitude you live and drive at. I run 87 in all 4 of my bikes. Vrod to the buell.
I live at 5000 asl so no chance of pre-ignition with that octane here.
The 750 at sea level will not pre-ignite with 87.
"Won't hurt anything"but your wallet to run 91 but in many cases it is not necessary.
Just don't use 91 because it is said to be premium. It is actually worse than lower octane since they add alcohol to change the ignition pressure.
A very good point that you bring up, but companies like Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only burn premium in their automobiles if you do not, you void the warranty on the engine. In fact, right in the instruction manual it will say if you have to put anything except premium in the car only put as much gas in the car to get you to the next gas station to fill up with premium only.
With that said, there must be something premium does that the other two octanes don't do, that Mercedes-Benz feels that you will destroyed their engines if you don't use it, It voids out the warranty! Food for thought.![]()
I never look to the owners manual to tell me about gasolines. I look to the owners manual to tell me about what is recommended at SEALEVEL for octane.As per the HD Owner's Manual....for years....it has stated to use a minimum Octane Rating of at least 91. This is due to HD using a med/hi compression ratio and that the engine is air cooled, the higher Octane Rating will decrease pinging, also, especially critical on the newer fuel injected bikes like the Street 500 & 750, Premium Gasoline contains additives that lower grade gasoline doesn't have that help keep the injectors and fuel filter clean.
The information listed above is from one of Harley Davison’s mechanical engineers that I talked to. So, for the extra $1.40 more for a tank of gas in the Street: Is it really worth to cheap out? Stay with what is recommended by the manufacturer and you’ll be safe.
Saw this thread and found it interesting. So, I called H-D Tech Service and discussed the conflicting information with them. Received email this morning: "87 or higher for fuel rating."I wouldn't say I'm trying to cheap out, I just want to make sure I'm buying the correct octane for the bike. In theory, using higher octane that recommended is actually causing your engine to produce less power and use more gas.
My car requires 91 octane by the manufacture. The problem is the conflicting information given by Harley. The manual given with my bike states 97 octane, the website 91 octane, and the dealer 91 octane. If it really is 91 octane they should update the US manual.
For now I've just been using 91. The bike has been running fine and just hit 175 miles (Not bad for a week of ownership.) I'm glad to hear that a HD mechanical engineer recommends 91, it puts my mind at ease.
Well at least that matches the owners manual. I figured it was more likely the manual to be correct than the website. Most of the dealers around here haven't even seen a street yet.Saw this thread and found it interesting. So, I called H-D Tech Service and discussed the conflicting information with them. Received email this morning: "87 or higher for fuel rating."
The Streets are different... We've been through this... wheres DT!!!???Harleys are old & antiquated Push-Rod bikes with low compression ratio. They don't require high octane numbers to run. Fill the Tank with Kerosene and still they would run fine.
We appreciate the articulated elucidation but the persiflage is a bit muchOkay, I’m a synthetic microbiologist that depends on scientific facts not placebo science like Lysenko did. Anecdotal information is not science, but only what one thinks and/or accounts as science as truth without scientific facts to back up theories and no accountability for their actions.
Quote: Do what the book says... but for those that can understand the science... educate yourself and save...
Please inform all of us of the scientific facts you’re talking about and the test that were conducted to prove what you say is factual and not some anecdotal account? After all you brought up about the science so please enlighten us and give us your references please. So we all can be educated ourselves as well as you are. Only scientific facts and testing please.
Quote: Free warranty hint...... something does go wrong... fill the **** thing up with 91 before you take it in and practice the "I know nothing" speech.....
So now you’re admitting your own doubtfulness on this subject with this quote and you what all of us to… lie? Did you know there are some younger forum members that could be reading this and now you just told them to lie and cheat their way into life! I’m I understanding this correctly?
If there is any scientific fact, and if Harley-Davidsons’ engineers don’t have an inkling what they are talking about, have you then tried to educate them on this subject? Are you a metallurgist or a quantum mechanical physics professor on the combustible engine? Did you ever think that HD is covering all bases with all people no matter were their geographical location is are the topography of their landscape above or below sea level when they say use premium gas…well they are and Victory Motorcycles does the same thing. For the few pennies you’re saving it’s not worth the trouble to not do what the owner manual says. So maybe you’ll have to forgo that Café Latte at Starbucks and just get the cream and sugar instead.
Quote: I am not posting to convert, I just want the information out there that "PREMIUM" is a marketing ploy; the gasoline's octane level has not one thing to do with quality... Premium is used to make people believe they are getting something better... they are not... because of the prevalence of injectors now all quality gasolines are detergent and all from a single manufacturer contain the same amount of detergent.
Okay, so now premium gas is “Dr.Oz’s” newest placebo that’s being sold under false pretenses for all these years? We’ve been bamboozled into believing that we’ve done something good, when all along we have done nothing for the betterment of our combustible engines? The petroleum companies are not only polluting our oceans but our minds too! The inhumanity of it all! So when BP cleans their premium gas to a micron filter clear state instead of that Carmel color that’s all just a ploy?
By the way: Is anything that is said above in this quote, has to do with that “science” you were talking about? Do you really think people on this forum have the education of a June bug?
Quote: I never look to the owners manual to tell me about gasolines. I look to the owners manual to tell me about what is recommended at SEALEVEL for octane.
I do care about what Gasolines I am running in my bikes. And since HD does not make gasoline I look to the Gasoline companies for guidance....
Really! You never look at the owners’ manual for petro suggestions? Then I suggest you stay away from BMW’s, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguars, Porsche’s, or any other high-end automobile because all their owner manuals say what kind of gas to use and if you don’t …then your warrantees is void! Also, not one of these companies make gas for their own automobiles, but they do have the MIT engineers that designed those engines in those cars tell them what to use in their cars for best performance. But I’m sure those MIT grads know that premium gas is only a placebo so why recommend it in the first place…right!
Do you really think the HD engineers are standing around with a piece of straw hanging out of their mouths and barefoot and saying Heehaw and they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about? Give me a break!
There are 2 Rules in this life, 1: Never reveal everything you know, 2:.....So now you’re admitting your own doubtfulness on this subject with this quote and you what all of us to… lie? Did you know there are some younger forum members that could be reading this and now you just told them to lie and cheat their way into life! I’m I understanding this correctly?
You know what, if I was big oil I'd take advantage of these people everyday just the same. Big Oil isn't polluting our minds, but they're certainly maximizing the fact that logic seems to of been shot."I’m a yogi eco person," she told Marketplace. "I don’t know if it’s true or not, but in my mind, I believe it’s true that if I buy the higher-grade gas, it burns cleaner."
She was shocked when she learned the results of the testing.
"I'm speechless," she said. "Now I’m driving my car knowing it has premium gas in it, wondering if my emissions are higher than if I was driving my car with regular gas."