Gas grade for V7

[slowmover]

I’ve always used the mid-grade for my 2013 and can’t remember why even though it’s worked well.Do I need to?

[rocker59]

I’ve always used the mid-grade for my 2013 and can’t remember why even though it’s worked well.Do I need to?

Have you referred to the recommendation in your owners manual?

LOL

[slowmover]

Yeah and the manual also said it takes 2 liters of oil a lot of which showed up in the air box until I started putting in  1.7 liters .

[Dirk_S]

Yeah and the manual also said it takes 2 liters of oil a lot of which showed up in the air box until I started putting in  1.7 liters .

Odd. Are you riding the bike around first to heat up the oil? The manual recommends 10 miles.

[twowheeladdict]

The warmer the temps and the more stop and go traffic you are riding in, the higher the octane needed. 

Here is an interesting article about midgrade.
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/the-myth-of-midgrade-gas/

I always start out with non ethanol 93 fuel in my V7III.  If I need to top off during a ride so I know I will get home near empty to top off with the 93 non ethanol, I will top off at about 1/2 a tank with 87 octane 10 percent ethanol.  That way I am only at about 5% ethanol, and 90 octane. 

[Kev m]

Yeah and the manual also said it takes 2 liters of oil a lot of which showed up in the air box until I started putting in  1.7 liters .

Is your point therefore "everything is suspect"?

If so ok, but the first response was right.

I'll add that a good place to start is the OEM recommendation, then try slightly higher or lower based on initial results.


Lowest that doesn't ping is the perfect answer.

[kingoffleece]

Notwithstanding anyone else's empirical experience, I avoid e10 at all costs unless no other alternative exists.
Time spent in a professional shop watching techs clean/rebuild dozens of fuel delivery systems is all I needed to see.

When away from home I carry single use pre-measured Yamaha engine Rx for E10 fuel.  One per fill-up and at least I can avoid any long term exposure to E10.  It's a fun challenge to arrive back from a ride-away with JUST enough left in the tank to get into the garage.

I know, I know; "I've used E10, never did anything, and had no issues since, well, ever."  Good for you.  Carry on.  I've seen otherwise so many times.............. ................... .....

I don't expect this to be universal.

[Kev m]

Notwithstanding anyone else's empirical experience, I avoid e10 at all costs unless no other alternative exists.
Time spent in a professional shop watching techs clean/rebuild dozens of fuel delivery systems is all I needed to see.

When away from home I carry single use pre-measured Yamaha engine Rx for E10 fuel.  One per fill-up and at least I can avoid any long term exposure to E10.  It's a fun challenge to arrive back from a ride-away with JUST enough left in the tank to get into the garage.

I know, I know; "I've used E10, never did anything, and had no issues since, well, ever."  Good for you.  Carry on.  I've seen otherwise so many times.............. ................... .....

I don't expect this to be universal.

I literally want to be supportive to you but jezzssussss keeyyyriiist  I've not just "used E10 and was fine a little bit" I've used basically nothing but in half a dozen or more cars, half a dozen or more bikes, a couple of boats, a generator.... SMH anything else I've fueled in the past decade or two.

I get that you've seen some odd shit in some seasonally used old shit. I even accept that it has caused some problems, mostly in really old shit.

But the holy crap man. I'm telling you, at least in this part of the country, people haven't had a choice 99% of the time for decades. And shit isn't breaking down all over.... You'd think from your paranoia the highways would be apocalyptic graveyards.

That is all ...

[Dirk_S]

E10's probably the reason that Goldwing didn't make it over the bridge.

[Kev m]

E10's probably the reason that Goldwing didn't make it over the bridge.

if by that you mean the rider had consumed Ethanol, I'm sure you're right. 

[xackley]

E10 works ok if used within a few months. If a machine is going to sit idle for months, non-ethanol gas does make a difference. Non-ethanol gas for the last tank before winter is a good thing for a motorcycle.
Non-ethanol gas is good for mowers, snow blowers, and any other engine you start every once in a while.

Edit: as to grade I use  USA grade 87 octane, (R+M)/2, in all my motorcycles without a ping. Some actually perform better and have higher MPG with 87 than when I tested 93 octane.

[Kev m]

E10 works ok if used within a few months. If a machine is going to sit idle for months, non-ethanol gas does make a difference. Non-ethanol gas for the last tank before winter is a good thing for a motorcycle.
Non-ethanol gas is good for mowers, snow blowers, and any other engine you start every once in a while.

I'm sure it's not bad or at least better for that use

But again, I mean it, decades .. Everything.... No choice.... No problems.

Granted, I DO drain my generator after each use. And I would run my boat tanks down as low as I could go between seasons (especially since E10 was all at could get on most cases).

I actually hate E10 for other reasons (inefficiency, mpg, bureaucracy etc) but I think the troubles with it, though potentially real, are still overstated. 

[kingoffleece]

no harm, no foul.  I'll just have to support myself.
As for future long travel, it'll have to be that 1000mile extension cord then,eh?

[Kiwi_Roy]

I only use gas without Ethanol, on a trip it can be a little hard to find but before its put away it gets a tank full of Chevron 94
The corn farmers can go screw themselves.

[mechanicsavant]

Unfortunately E10 is all we got around here,no issues so far (10’s of k miles) . That said don’t be throwing shade on my sham-wow’s . Vince wouldn’t misrepresent!

[twowheeladdict]

I'm in the no issues from E-10 camp and even when E-Free is available I typically skip  it as its typically  much more expensive I have to wonder if the turnover is there. I'll take fresh E-10 over old E-free and I'll take either over pushing the bike because it ran out of gas.

Now onto fuel treatment AKA magic in a can. Does it actually do anything other than lighten your wallet? My favorite is Startron "enzyme" fuel treatment. I use it on cheap cuts of meat (one ounce to 1 pound) to tenderized them. Since there are no proteins in gasoline (the only thing enzymes break down) having enzymes in a "fuel treatment" are about as worthless a wiping before you poop.

Stabil is another favorite. A mixture of Napata and kerosene dyed red used at a 1 ounce to stabilize 321 ounces of fuel it mitigates the effects of up to 32 ounces of ethanol. Now that is some powerful I mean powdered unicorn horn powerful stuff. Heck it borderline  Sham-Wow amazing in its claimed abilities . You know the as seen on TZV towel that could soak up 3 billion times it own weight in liquid.

I always talk to the station attendant and most say that the turnover is there for the non-ethanol.  When I was camping in the north georgia mountains there was a non-ethanol pump about 10 miles away and every time I went there I had to wait to use it.  When available people tend to buy it for their yard equipment and other small engines.  If it is 93 non-ethanol the pony cars usually use it. 

[kingoffleece]

Next big group ride will be split into two.  Those who stop for e10 and those looking for e0.  Perfect.

[egschade]

The lowest grade of fuel that does not ping/knock is the right grade fuel for your engine.

Do this. The hotter it gets the higher the octane needs to be to avoid ping/knock. In NJ the cost difference is minimal between mid/hi so it regular in the cool months and premium when over 70F.