IdahoMtnSpyder
08-19-2014, 10:02 PM
Here's my experience with Premium vs Regular gas. It looks like, in my case anyway, premium does make a difference. There was 600 miles on my 2013 RT base when I got it this past winter.
I drove 3057 miles using regular gas, 87 octane, mostly ethanol blend. This is around town driving but mostly 2 lane and Interstate highway driving with much of it at 70 mph. I burned 125.5 gallons for an overall average near 24.4 mpg. The mileage settled in around this number starting at about 2000 total odometer miles, 1400 mine.
I then drove 2043 miles burning 76.6 gallons of premium 91 or 92 octane, again mostly ethanol blend. This mileage was almost all on my trip to Eureka for SITR, and mostly at 60 mph since Oregon and California 2 lane roads are almost all 55 speed limit. The first ~300 miles was the same type of driving as most of the regular gas driving, and the mpg was about the same. Overall though my mpg was 26.6 for the 2043 miles. How much the mpg increase is due to steady hour after hour driving at 60 vs. premium gas influence I'm not ready to say yet.
I just finished an 1123 mile trip to Salem, OR and back pulling my newly built tent trailer, which is not at all aerodynamic, using 49.5 gallons premium gas. My mileage dropped to 22.6. Guess I better see if I can conjure up some sort of aerodynamic nose piece for my trailer to improve that mileage.
By and large the bike seems to run smoother with premium, but gas from different stations is, I think, a bigger factor. Some tankfuls ran smooth, and other tankfuls seemed to cause hesitation and some rough running. I didn't keep track of what gas caused what issues. Gasoline is a fungible product and the only difference from brand to brand are the additives they dump in when the gas is delivered to a particular station.
I will update this info later, like maybe this winter when ryding season is done for the year here in Idaho.
I drove 3057 miles using regular gas, 87 octane, mostly ethanol blend. This is around town driving but mostly 2 lane and Interstate highway driving with much of it at 70 mph. I burned 125.5 gallons for an overall average near 24.4 mpg. The mileage settled in around this number starting at about 2000 total odometer miles, 1400 mine.
I then drove 2043 miles burning 76.6 gallons of premium 91 or 92 octane, again mostly ethanol blend. This mileage was almost all on my trip to Eureka for SITR, and mostly at 60 mph since Oregon and California 2 lane roads are almost all 55 speed limit. The first ~300 miles was the same type of driving as most of the regular gas driving, and the mpg was about the same. Overall though my mpg was 26.6 for the 2043 miles. How much the mpg increase is due to steady hour after hour driving at 60 vs. premium gas influence I'm not ready to say yet.
I just finished an 1123 mile trip to Salem, OR and back pulling my newly built tent trailer, which is not at all aerodynamic, using 49.5 gallons premium gas. My mileage dropped to 22.6. Guess I better see if I can conjure up some sort of aerodynamic nose piece for my trailer to improve that mileage.
By and large the bike seems to run smoother with premium, but gas from different stations is, I think, a bigger factor. Some tankfuls ran smooth, and other tankfuls seemed to cause hesitation and some rough running. I didn't keep track of what gas caused what issues. Gasoline is a fungible product and the only difference from brand to brand are the additives they dump in when the gas is delivered to a particular station.
I will update this info later, like maybe this winter when ryding season is done for the year here in Idaho.