Gasoline in general

Hrvstmn31 · 03-05-2013, 09:03 PM

So I have a question naturally several actually about gasoline brands,and octane content(levels?) so here it goes.
So is there any pluses to using one gasoline brand over another and since a gz250 is pretty easy to fill up to full
what would the benefit of higher octane gasoline be?

JWR · 03-05-2013, 09:53 PM

I'll just say this, regular will be fine.

We have one member, alanf, that will tell you what a GZ will really run on.

Water Warrior 2 · 03-05-2013, 10:03 PM

Buy an 87 octane from a major producer such as Shell, Chevron who will be adding a portion of Techron to their fuel. Techron or it's equivalent is a cleaner and is needed for fuels that contain alcohol. The best place for alcohol is in a glass.

alantf · 03-06-2013, 05:16 AM

Cats piss? :lol:

JWR · 03-06-2013, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alantf

Cats piss? :lol:

:2tup:

mrlmd1 · 03-06-2013, 12:59 PM

High octane gas is not only unnecessary but it is meant for high compression engines (not the GZ) to prevent pre-ignition of the fuel during the compression phase, and has additives in it that make it ignite or burn slower and it will actually give you less power and worse gas mileage, and will also waste your money on the extra expense of it. The myth that higher octane fuel is better than regular is just that - an urban legend that just won't die.
If you want the best fuel, look for ethanol-free gas. And to keep your carb clean and avoid problems, every 3 or 4 tank fillups, put in 1 oz of Berryman's B12 Chemtool per gallon of fuel and you'll be fine. Just get regular 87 octane gas, no need for anything else.

burkbuilds · 03-06-2013, 08:26 PM

mrlmd1 pretty much said it all. I'll second what he said. In our society everyone seems to think a higher number is a better quality, but when it comes to octane ratings that is not necessarily true. Think about what they used to put in gasoline to raise the octane number, lead, not exactly a combustible substance.

Now, having said that, if you have a very high compression engine, which the GZ does NOT have, then a low octane fuel is not what you want to use, because it is much more volatile and it will explode before the spark plug fires just from the high compression. That might not sound bad, but when it does this it explodes before the piston reaches the top of the stroke and the explosion actually wants to push the piston back the wrong direction. That's called pre-detonation and it is bad for your engine, causes that "knocking" or "pinging" sound you've probably heard in other engines and can actually cause a lot of damage if it is bad enough.

Since the GZ is not a high compression engine, if you put high octane fuel in it all you've accomplished is lightening your bank account while supplying a lower energy fuel to your engine and probably reducing your gas mileage a little to boot.

Years ago, it was often true that only the high octane gas had "cleaners" added to the mix, but current legislation in the U.S.A. requires all gasoline to have at least a minimum amount of these cleaning additives in them. If you need more than what's in the fuel already, buy it at the auto parts store and add it yourself.

5th_bike · 03-07-2013, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alantf

Cats piss? :lol:

How about:
[attachment=0:208wrd8m]beepee.jpg[/attachment:208wrd8m]

**jonathan180iq** · 03-07-2013, 01:48 PM

That. Is. Awesome.

**jonathan180iq** · 03-07-2013, 01:58 PM

Honestly, all gas comes from the same place. There are only a handful of producers in this country. The places that offer fuel at lower prices generally have blended mixes and the sources all have different ages. There is really no difference between the additive packages from one brand to another. There are some proprietary additives added directly to the pure sources from the big companies, (ie; Chevron/Shell/younameit) so that they can claim that their gas is different from the competitors. But gas is gas.

If you are lucky enough to have a local station that sources 100% gasoline (ie; not E10 or gasoline that contains a certain percentage of ethanol or some other oxygenate) then buy that. To see if one of those stations is near you, you can check this website: http://pure-gas.org/

You have to be careful though. Just because a station advertises that it's gas is 100% ethanol free does not mean that it is. The quickest test is to ask an attendant where their gas comes from. Most of them will say "Well, it's Chevron gas, which is ethanol free." This is false. Chevron does no produce or distribute ethanol free fuel. There are testing kits, if you really care about it. Even ethanol free fuel will contain cleaners, but it's always a good idea, in a vehicle and an engine as picky with the carb as the GZ is, to add an aftermarket cleaner every couple of tank fulls.

Lots of people like Berrymans. It's strong, but cheaper than Seafoam (like 1/3 the price) and does the same thing. I personally prefer Marvel Mystery Oil. Why? Honestly, just because it smells like cherry peppermint and it's a nice scent to have coming out of the engine every now and then. Plus, the marketing makes it look old. Old retro stuff is cool

All that being said... Just buy 87. Add some cleansers every now and again. You're good.

03-05-2013, 09:03 PM	#1
Hrvstmn31 Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 35	Gasoline in general So I have a question naturally several actually about gasoline brands,and octane content(levels?) so here it goes. So is there any pluses to using one gasoline brand over another and since a gz250 is pretty easy to fill up to full what would the benefit of higher octane gasoline be? Login or Register to Remove Ads
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03-05-2013, 09:53 PM	#2
JWR Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Louisville, TN Posts: 1,413	Re: Gasoline in general I'll just say this, regular will be fine. We have one member, alanf, that will tell you what a GZ will really run on. __________________ Jerry Truth is there are lots of great bikes available and not nearly as many good riders out there riding them... "A man's got to know his limitations..."
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03-05-2013, 10:03 PM	#3
Water Warrior 2 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Squamish B.C Canada Posts: 11,409	Re: Gasoline in general Buy an 87 octane from a major producer such as Shell, Chevron who will be adding a portion of Techron to their fuel. Techron or it's equivalent is a cleaner and is needed for fuels that contain alcohol. The best place for alcohol is in a glass. Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

03-06-2013, 05:16 AM	#4
alantf Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tenerife (Spain) Posts: 3,720	Re: Gasoline in general Cats piss? :lol: __________________ By birth an Englishman, by the grace of God a Yorkshireman.
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03-06-2013, 12:59 PM	#6
mrlmd1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Crawfordville, Florida Posts: 2,853	Re: Gasoline in general High octane gas is not only unnecessary but it is meant for high compression engines (not the GZ) to prevent pre-ignition of the fuel during the compression phase, and has additives in it that make it ignite or burn slower and it will actually give you less power and worse gas mileage, and will also waste your money on the extra expense of it. The myth that higher octane fuel is better than regular is just that - an urban legend that just won't die. If you want the best fuel, look for ethanol-free gas. And to keep your carb clean and avoid problems, every 3 or 4 tank fillups, put in 1 oz of Berryman's B12 Chemtool per gallon of fuel and you'll be fine. Just get regular 87 octane gas, no need for anything else.
	0

03-06-2013, 08:26 PM	#7
burkbuilds Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shannon, Georgia Posts: 1,268	Re: Gasoline in general mrlmd1 pretty much said it all. I'll second what he said. In our society everyone seems to think a higher number is a better quality, but when it comes to octane ratings that is not necessarily true. Think about what they used to put in gasoline to raise the octane number, lead, not exactly a combustible substance. Now, having said that, if you have a very high compression engine, which the GZ does NOT have, then a low octane fuel is not what you want to use, because it is much more volatile and it will explode before the spark plug fires just from the high compression. That might not sound bad, but when it does this it explodes before the piston reaches the top of the stroke and the explosion actually wants to push the piston back the wrong direction. That's called pre-detonation and it is bad for your engine, causes that "knocking" or "pinging" sound you've probably heard in other engines and can actually cause a lot of damage if it is bad enough. Since the GZ is not a high compression engine, if you put high octane fuel in it all you've accomplished is lightening your bank account while supplying a lower energy fuel to your engine and probably reducing your gas mileage a little to boot. Years ago, it was often true that only the high octane gas had "cleaners" added to the mix, but current legislation in the U.S.A. requires all gasoline to have at least a minimum amount of these cleaning additives in them. If you need more than what's in the fuel already, buy it at the auto parts store and add it yourself.
	0

03-07-2013, 01:48 PM	#9
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	Re: Gasoline in general That. Is. Awesome.
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03-07-2013, 01:58 PM	#10
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	Re: Gasoline in general Honestly, all gas comes from the same place. There are only a handful of producers in this country. The places that offer fuel at lower prices generally have blended mixes and the sources all have different ages. There is really no difference between the additive packages from one brand to another. There are some proprietary additives added directly to the pure sources from the big companies, (ie; Chevron/Shell/younameit) so that they can claim that their gas is different from the competitors. But gas is gas. If you are lucky enough to have a local station that sources 100% gasoline (ie; not E10 or gasoline that contains a certain percentage of ethanol or some other oxygenate) then buy that. To see if one of those stations is near you, you can check this website: http://pure-gas.org/ You have to be careful though. Just because a station advertises that it's gas is 100% ethanol free does not mean that it is. The quickest test is to ask an attendant where their gas comes from. Most of them will say "Well, it's Chevron gas, which is ethanol free." This is false. Chevron does no produce or distribute ethanol free fuel. There are testing kits, if you really care about it. Even ethanol free fuel will contain cleaners, but it's always a good idea, in a vehicle and an engine as picky with the carb as the GZ is, to add an aftermarket cleaner every couple of tank fulls. Lots of people like Berrymans. It's strong, but cheaper than Seafoam (like 1/3 the price) and does the same thing. I personally prefer Marvel Mystery Oil. Why? Honestly, just because it smells like cherry peppermint and it's a nice scent to have coming out of the engine every now and then. Plus, the marketing makes it look old. Old retro stuff is cool All that being said... Just buy 87. Add some cleansers every now and again. You're good.
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