Fuel Type - anyone use ethanol and any problems?

[PR Spyder rt]

Fuel pack/Power cmdr/Juice bx

How many SL members have altered their Spyders Intake ,Exhaust and Cat Converter and have not had to add a fuel management system to the bike.just trying to figure out which route if any should I take . Thanks in advance for your help in this matter...Ps my baby is a 2012 RT Ltd Se5

 

[michrick]

I add a little Star Tron Enzyme Fuel treatment to every tank. Just a little extra peace of mind.
:agree::agree::agree::agree:

Run un it in my scoots and SXS

 

[rcturner]

All vehicles that use Ethanol fuel have 'Issues'. less horse power,

Actually, ethanol raises the octane slightly and also horsepower. E85 is not apples & apples but, E85 raises the octane to about 106 and on my truck, the horse power increases from 355 to about 385. It also runs really well but gas mileage drops a bunch. BTUs with ethanol are down and as such it takes more fuel to produce the power. Overall, I feel that ethanol in any concentration is bad.

 

[Firefly]

I've run many different intake systems, ran a juice box and then power commander, different exhausts, etc. The engines can pretty much handle whatever you change.. intake.. exhaust.... octane and adjust on the fly.
Yes, the manual calls for higher octane... but I've never noticed any difference in performance or MPG in the 100,000 miles I put on my first two Spyders (2008 GS and 2012 RT).
I expect the F3 to be the same. 3,000 miles and most of it running plain old regular.
Additives are usually a ripoff with the exception of octane boost for engines that truly need it. HD riders claim they don't run well on lower octane even though they're lower compression.... so they'll use a booster.
I tried Star Tron and there was zero difference in Performance or MPG.
If anyone tells you they can increase MPG with an additive they're pushing snake oil.
Also remember that higher octane usually sits longer at the station... and thus loses octane... so you might be paying for nothing.
Run what you want, but you're not going to damage anything running the lower octane... the engine will adjust as necessary.
Just my .02.


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[Bob Denman]

Dan,
Your GS WAS set up to run on 87 octane.
(only a 10.8:1 squeeze on that piston...)
Rotax builds some pretty nice engines, and they've got all of the electronic wizardry to compensate for fuels that don't actually meet the requirements as set forth by the engineers. :clap:
Your RT might have done better on high test... nojoke

 

[2dogs]

Octane....

Octane simply lowers the ignition temperature at which the gas ignites. With higher compression engines like the 1330 octane keeps the gas from pre igniting and causing what is called 'engine knock," not a good thing. If you run regular gas it's quite likely your spyder's computer has adjusted it's self to compensate by reducing the timing at which the spark plug fires. (It's actually piston position) Not a bad thing. As far a moisture in the gas goes it depends on what you are putting in as to how harmful it could be. I remember running water injection on one of my earlier vehicles and it increased my MPG by 3 MPG. Fighter aircraft in WWII used to run water injection for short periods of time to increase power and speed when needed. Water injection assist has been around for a long time. With the new types of cars without carburation you won't see water injection any more.

 

[Firefly]

Ahhh... water injection...... reminds me of 1980's popular science classified ads......;-)


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[Firefly]

Dan,
Your GS WAS set up to run on 87 octane.
(only a 10.8:1 squeeze on that piston...)
Rotax builds some pretty nice engines, and they've got all of the electronic wizardry to compensate for fuels that don't actually meet the requirements as set forth by the engineers. :clap:
Your RT might have done better on high test... nojoke

I ran all different gases in my RT. Never noticed any difference. Biggest difference was always comparing highway to city... with highway being much worse on MPG. I could tear up the twisters in the smokies and get way better MPG than on the highway. Wind resistance .......


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[Bob Denman]

With the speeds that you like to run : I'm not surprised at all! :bowdown:

 

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

I have used all types of fuel in my bikes. I think the best mileage I have gotten is with fresh 87 octane gas. Doesn't matter if you use 93 or 87 if it has been sitting in a tank for a month. The worst gas I have gotten is 93 octane that I bought a little while ago. I am now running fuel injector cleaner in my tank because I am having a bit of trouble starting Cocaine every once in awhile. Not sure if the injectors are clogged or not, but old 93 gas is a heck of a lot worse than fresh 87. JMHO Plus, who really cares what kind of mileage we get. I run this thing as fast as I can, whenever I can. It's a heck of a lot more fun than worrying if I am getting 35 or 40 MPG's. PS....I usually get 35. Hard to hit higher than that doing 90 on the highway.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

GAS TYPE

I have used all types of fuel in my bikes. I think the best mileage I have gotten is with fresh 87 octane gas. Doesn't matter if you use 93 or 87 if it has been sitting in a tank for a month. The worst gas I have gotten is 93 octane that I bought a little while ago. I am now running fuel injector cleaner in my tank because I am having a bit of trouble starting Cocaine every once in awhile. Not sure if the injectors are clogged or not, but old 93 gas is a heck of a lot worse than fresh 87. JMHO Plus, who really cares what kind of mileage we get. I run this thing as fast as I can, whenever I can. It's a heck of a lot more fun than worrying if I am getting 35 or 40 MPG's. PS....I usually get 35. Hard to hit higher than that doing 90 on the highway.

I have been running 87 oct. 99.999 % of the time in my 1330 for 27,000 + miles and although I've been told many times here that I'm ruining my engine ( sorry but no one has proven this :dontknow: ) ... If I am loosing .05 % performance ...... so what .... my gas mileage is fine .......... As to your injectors being clogged :gaah:....I seriously doubt that, unless you accidently put some Diesel in it :shocked:........ which I doubt ....... What might be the starting issue is your Battery, the dealer didn't properly charge my Battery and it has been an issue from the day I bought it :gaah::gaah:......and I even ( must actually ) keep it on a maintainer when not riding it...... ANNNNND fresh is better ....... Mike :bbq:

 

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

I have been running 87 oct. 99.999 % of the time in my 1330 for 27,000 + miles and although I've been told many times here that I'm ruining my engine ( sorry but no has proven this :dontknow: ) ... If I am loosing .05 % performance ...... so what .... my gas mileage is fine .......... As to your injectors being clogged :gaah:....I seriously doubt that, unless you accidently put some Diesel in it :shocked:........ which I doubt ....... What might be the starting issue is your Battery, the dealer didn't properly charge my Battery and it has been an issue from the day I bought it :gaah::gaah:......and I even ( must actually ) keep it on a maintainer when not riding it...... ANNNNND fresh is better ....... Mike :bbq:

I never had any issues with starting until recently. Put some 93 in and since then, its been starting rough half the time. Some times it fires right up, others, it just turns over and over. Most of the time I use 87 from a high volume station and it runs fine. I never keep it on a maintainer. The only time Cocaine sits for longer than a few days is when I had a toe amputated, and that was only for a couple weeks.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

BAD GAS

I never had any issues with starting until recently. Put some 93 in and since then, its been starting rough half the time. Some times it fires right up, others, it just turns over and over. Most of the time I use 87 from a high volume station and it runs fine. I never keep it on a maintainer. The only time Cocaine sits for longer than a few days is when I had a toe amputated, and that was only for a couple weeks.

Run some Sea Foam thru it .......... that may fix the problem ...... the bike is too new for injector issues ...imho .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[Bob Denman]

Mike,
Back to your bike for a moment: who ever said that you were "ruining" your engine? :dontknow:

 

[Firefly]

Funny... most people have trouble STOPPING cocaine.... not starting it......;-)


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[BLUEKNIGHT911]

ENGINE DAMAGE

Mike,
Back to your bike for a moment: who ever said that you were "ruining" your engine? :dontknow:

Sorry Bob, but I didn't make a list. :banghead: ....................Mike :thumbup:

 

[dlby]

Again
I say fresh gas is best
Very few people use high octane & often my bike ran crappy.
Mid fuel usually fresher & our bike runs better
Sunocco & shell being usual exception.
Non ethanol is pretty good here bcuz of boating community so i run it in my boat as its in water all time.
Then use it in spyder if its going to sit. (Which is rare!)


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[I-Day]

Run some Sea Foam thru it .......... that may fix the problem ...... the bike is too new for injector issues ...imho .... Mike :thumbup:

Yes I only have 75 miles on it now but was just wondering about ethynol. My boat motor manual says not to run ethynol so I just wondered!

 

[GOZFST]

Just purchased a 2016 F3-t and the manual says high octane gas! My issue is I live in Minnesota and ALL gas here has ethanol in it at 10%. Does anyone use ethanol and any problems?

There are at least 584 stations in MN that sell non-oxygenated gas.
http://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=MN

 

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

Run some Sea Foam thru it .......... that may fix the problem ...... the bike is too new for injector issues ...imho .... Mike :thumbup:

I had run a couple of bottles of Star-Tron through it with no success. It's a hit or miss thing right now. Next it is to the dealer since it is under warrantee.