How far do you take it?

You see, had we had those kind of price differences here it would be a no-brainer. At the moment 98 is about .5 AUD more than 95 here, at just over 3 AUD a liter
 
As a new r3 owner and a relatively new contributor to this forum I have read a bit about the dodgy aftermarket fuel gauge and the inaccurate fuel warning light. Mine comes on with approx 15litres of fuel left (more than half) and my gauge is all over the place so Im in the process of calculating what mileage I can safely get out of the bike. My second tank has me at 6.3l/100kms not bad and I got 240kms out of it until the light came on. Then it took 15lts onboard. So Ill take it to 300 this tank and see how much it allows. Then....its Kramer territory.
How many kms do you usually go before filling her up again? Note I use 98 octane fuel.

...my '09 R3T is my main commuter vehicle.....plenty of around town and stop-go stuff....I usually hit the gas station around 150-160 miles (240-260 km) and put in 4.2-4.5 gal...out on the road, I'll get over 200 miles....
 
If the motorcycle is correctly timed for the higher octane you can theoretically get better gas mileage with a higher octane fuel due to more power that can be produced. Higher octane gas burns over more degrees of crankcase rotation then lower octane fuel therefore giving you the ability to produce more power with the same amount of fuel.

That's pure BS.
 
Prices in Norway on anything are exceptionally high, but on the other hand so are salaries, and the nation's finances are no doubt in fine shape thanks to all the taxation... it's all about priorities. Gas needs to be super expensive, in order to drive people away from cars to cleaner options. 1 in 3 cars sold in Norway today are electric. There's a reason for that - strong incentives, but also expensive gas.

Finland is currently at about $2.40 AUD or just under $1.8 US for a liter. The difference here between 95 and 98 is fairly minimal. The only reason I'm vacillating between them at all (the bike doesn't need more than 95, and not even that, considering the relatively low compression) is that they only sell the 95 with 10% ethanol. **** ethanol. That **** has no business being in gas, especially as it gives no ecological upside. What minimal gains are made at the point of use are eaten up by the process of creating and distributing the stuff.
 
No detonation, no need for higher octane fuel.

Higher octane fuel is harder to light and burns slower. It has to be lit sooner via advanced timing. When it is lit sooner it begins to burn and build pressure BTDC, trying to push your pistons down while they are coming up on the compression stroke.

You need and want maximum pressure ATDC to exert as much pressure ass possible pushing the piston down.

If you have detonation, you need higher octane fuel but then you also have to advance to timing to get max pressure when you need it on your pistons down-stroke. Advancing the timing also starts building pressure before you want it ... when the piston is still trying to compress the fuel and air mix for combustion.

Our engines have some pretty efficient combustion chambers that pretty much eliminate any need for premium fuel is naturally aspirated trim.

Carpenter's run 11.7 CR pumping out 240 HP on cheap 87 octane fuel.

87 octane fuel also has more BTU's than 93. More BTU's = more power, as long as you can control combustion.



Simply going to a higher octane fuel when you don't need it and then advancing the timing to compensate for the slower burning fuel does not make more power. That is a common myth.
 
So it appears that using 98RON in a bog std R3 wont give me better economy or performance. It will however keep the insides clean according to the Neville Lush comparison therefore may provide 'some' longevity. If so, and for $1.20 a tank, I still might continue to use 98 as it cant hurt. Remember this is a weekend toy for me not a daily ride.
 
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