Is 110 Octane fuel safe to run in S&S Stock 117 Motor

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bigdogtech01

Well-Known Member
I always shake my head at the guy telling me they use racing fuel in their stock motor. Not only is it a waist of money, but it also in most cases decreases the overall power output of the motor. Unless you have over 10.5:1 compression (why would you on the street?) there's no need to run over 93 octane. Most likely the cause of your problem is either the Ignition (cheap dual fire), Timing, or possibly an intake leak. Upgrading to a good programmable Single fire ignition system will help to eliminate detonation.
If you are running over 10.5:1 you can use a product called Torco fuel additive Torco Accelerator - It's not just an octane booster It works very well and is easy to carry around in a bag.
Like stated above, you can also use Star tron Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - HOME I personally use this in my vehicles and it works great. They run smoother and I get 3-4mpg more in my truck using this.

Here is another good link to look at for Compression and octane levels Daytona Sensors LLC - Tech FAQ Engine Tuning
 
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sics6

Active Member
Okay my motor isn't stock anymore it's a 06 117 and is at 10.5.1 compression will any of these gases adversely effect my bike? I have the option of all three gases available to me. 100 octane racing fuel, 100 octane av gas, and 93 octane premium ( 93 contains 10% ethanol). I usually run 93 shell or bp, but a week ago I put 1 1/2 gallons of 100 octane racing gas in my bike and I swear my bike rode smoother and the motor was livelier. Less decel popping also, I have short pipes so I do usually have some decel pop ( grumpys twisted sister exhaust ). The racing fuel is expensive like 7.75 a gallon, but the av gas is like 5.75 a gallon and I was always curious about av gas. The 93 premium around here is like 4.25-4.75 it's always fluctuating. So I'm seriously considering trying the av gas. My bike is basically a barhopper. What are your thoughts or real life knowledge and experience with my scenarios and options?
 
Dark Knight

Dark Knight

Member
I appreciate all the advice and experience in your comments. I only ran the 110 once wont do it again will run /the 91/93 recommended fuel. Damage to the liner in the fuel tank has come up on this topic couple times.
Just got the Bike off to a rough start having the ECH replaced as we speak, Primary Cover Gasket and ignition module and plugs replaced.

Transmission possibly has a bad primary gear shaft wont know until ECh swap is complete. I am having a hard time shifitng to neutral while at a light then the bike stalls in third gear. I will keep you all posted it has a Baker 5/6 speed transmission 06 Big Dog K9. Which had issues i read in the transmissions post forum on here. So i hope life gets better with the bike after these things are replaced it only has 4,700 miles so seems a littel scary
 
Th3InfamousI

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
Some of the aviation guys on the forum probably know better, but there is quite a high lead content in AV gas. I would be concerned about buildup around the valves, but for a bar hopper you might not put enough miles on it for it to be a problem. I also think the AV fuel absorbs water at a much higher rate than normal gas, so if the bike sits for a few months out of the year you would probably have to drain the tank. I believe airplanes if they sit have to drain it and filter out the water, especially due to condensation absorbed changing altitudes.

I think 93 gas is expensive already, I don't want to spend +$5 p/gallon but if you got the money to spend that on gas go ahead.
 
BigDogBro1

BigDogBro1

Made in the USA
I copied this correct information from another blog to answer your question.

What is octane? Octane cannot be seen, but it is of utmost importance when it comes to gasoline. One thing for sure, higher octane fuel costs more. Allot more!

Simply put, octane is a measure of gasoline's ability to resist detonation, which you hear as pinging and knocking in your engine. The higher the octane the more the fuel can be compressed without detonating before you want it to. Detonation, ping, knock, whatever you want to call it, occurs when the air/fuel mixture ignites before the spark plug fires. The mixture ignites from compression and not from the flame of the spark plug. In other words, the higher the octane the less likely it is to ignite prematurely. The only benefit to a high octane fuel is that it allows an engine to run at a higher temperature and with a higher compression ratio without pinging. Higher octane fuel does not provide more energy, more power, better mileage, more torque, burn cleaner, clean your engine, and is not better for the environment.

If the engine is pinging when using the correct octane fuel, then it may be necessary to move to the next higher octane to prevent pinging, and damage to your engine, unless there is another problem. If you are using higher octane fuel for any of these reasons, STOP, you are throwing your money away. Also, never use a lower octane fuel than is recommended by the manufacture. If the manufacture recommends 89 octane then use 89. If they recommend 87 then use 87. The key is what was the engine designed to run at to achieve optimum performance and mileage? One exception is when you are towing a heavy load with a vehicle designed to run on 87 and you experience pinging. In that case it may become necessary to switch to 89 while towing. In conclusion, race car engines are designed to run on high octane fuels due to their high compression engines. You cannot make your engine a race engine just by upping the octane. Save your hard earned money, and use exactly the octane you need.

Over 10% Ethanol is a bigger problem!
 
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ksmike

ksmike

Active Member
john sachs said:
Never heard of such a thing............. :rolleyes: :(
Explain how that can happen. :confused:
John
Click to expand...
What John said......

I personally try to never use premium with ethanol in it. In my opinion it is just bad news..and it is not required for all stations to state that their fuel has ethanol in it. In my area I have found some BP and Phillips stations that sell premium without ethanol in it. I am at the point that I test the fuel myself to see if it has ethanol in it.

I mix 91 premium and 102 race gas 50/50. My bike probably makes a little less power with this mix, but I don't have to worry about the pinging. It sure would be nice if you could still buy 93 or 95 octane pure gas at the pump.
 
Chillin

Chillin

Active Member
My 03 LOVES the avgas 100LL BUT mileage is down by 30%. must be twisting a little more :)


F the EPA and treehuggers, I'm out for POWER NOW not in my next life.
 
Chillin

Chillin

Active Member
WAIT A MINUTE!! avgas does NOT absorb"water" any moron who doesn't check for moisture in his tanks
is a bigger fool then anyone I know. It's called "condensation".... look it up before you give some BS
from who knows who or another forum.

BIgDog rider, mechanic and, x-PILOT ...... yes as in aircraft..... Quad by pass killed the pilot hood
 
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Sven

Well-Known Member
I pulled this one out of the BS science of the house of junk.

Kinetic = So I run up the cylinder wall and all that compression is someplace it is going to peak at the K and Key BOOM!

Detonation = Key word is K-Boom.

Pre-ignition = I have so much carbon built is I need a de-coking of my piston domes, glowing carbon spots is going to pre-ignite my fuel before the spark timing. KEY boom word here is "Glow" plug scenario.

Octane = I suppress fuel from firing under kinetic.

Lead = I am a valve seat pillow. I last and last and last but the environment won't.

AV Gas = I may become a fungus in the line, flow canals, flow no mo.

Race Gas = I too have a growth [some fuels] and should be drained when not in use, to immediately.

Additives = I may grow rubber material. I may also etch jet needles and anything of brass.

Corn = I add oxygen, but I eat material like brass too so look out for carbs, epoxy in the injectors like additives would do.

Regular = I have a high compression engine and use the faster igniting fuel is low octane. Why, I run regular to speed up the flame front you are going to lose with slower igniting premium you get out the pink slip I'm gonna getcha!
 
john sachs

john sachs

Well-Known Member
If your bike is tuned properly, you should/will have NO problem with hi-test pump gas.
Anything else will eventually cause problems down the road.
Of course there are "naysayers" who believe otherwise. Time and mileage will tell.
John
 
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Fitzy

Fitzy

Member
Been running avgas for 5 years no problems if I need gas on the road I use 98 if I use 91 pings its head off no ethanol
 
john sachs

john sachs

Well-Known Member
For all those that think they are doing their engines a favor, you should read "Racing Gasoline" on "Speed Talk". It should surley enlighten you.
John
Search Racing gasoline Speed talk. Read the 2 sections listed.
 
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Moespeeds

Moespeeds

Well-Known Member
Leaded gas won't hurt the motor nor will running higher octane but it is a waste especially 110. Our motors are actually pretty similar to the air cooled flat 4s in most light aircraft and they all burn 104 LL fuel. It won't build up on valves but it will kill o2 sensors if you're running FI. Now someone please explain to me how the hell you burn a valve?
 
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