What fuel for your motorcycle: SP95, SP95E10 or SP98?

Content

What gasoline to use for your motorcycle according to the year of its manufacture
Consumption
Pump price

What gasoline to use for your motorcycle according to the year of its manufacture

This topic sparked real controversy a few years ago as soon as we talked about it. There were pro "Seal" and pro "no Seal" and those who alternated. Since January 2000, there are no more questions to ask as there is only super unleaded. The old Super Plumb has been replaced with a super potassium supplement. Since 2011 the E10 has invaded service stations and it is now imperative for the old ones to switch to the SP98 ... while the most recent ones officially adopt the SP 95 - E10. There remains a case with bioethanol, which has not yet been adopted.

Since 1992, all motorcycles have been designed to run smoothly, and the owner's manual confirms this. Japanese brands (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha) were even among the first to approve lead-free ... since 1976!

Lead has been added to gasoline to easily get high octane ratings due to its anti-shock role. Its disappearance has led to the addition of specific additives to obtain the same octane ratings. Therefore, there are more of these additives in SP98. However, these additives of varying degrees of quality, depending on the refineries, tend to attack rubbers, plastics and elastomers of the carburetor rail or injector seals. This is even more true of the current "SUPER" called "potassium" which is actually SP 98 with added potassium (intended to protect the valve seats): therefore it presents the same hazards as SP 98.

Models that do not support lead-free communication
BMW	models up to 85 years old
Ducati	models up to 92 years old
Harley	models up to 82
Honda	models up to 74 years old
Laverda	models up to 97 years old
coffee	models up to 74 years old
Suzuki	models up to 76
Yamaha	models up to 74 years old
refer to user manual for confirmation

Do not believe that placing a SP 98 increases engine power, because the octane rating is higher, it is not that easy!

It all depends on the compression ratio of the engine, which itself depends on the volumetric ratio. The higher this compression ratio, the greater the overpressure, the greater the likelihood of an air-gasoline mixture exploding, without the need for a spark ... and therefore at the wrong time, there is a risk of engine wear. The addition of additives prevents the mixture from self-igniting while waiting for the spark generated by the candle to ignite the mixture at the right time.

Now there is the case of pre-1992 and especially pre-1974 motorcycles that do not support lead-free and therefore have to use the Super ... two more years. After that, you will need to make your mixture by adding additives yourself, like in the good old days of the crowd. !

Consumption

The motorcycle's consumption ranges from 2 liters / cent (for the 125, including those with Stop & Go) and over twelve liters for more movement on a sportier ride. Most of the 600 roadsters are pretty sober with a minimum consumption of 5 liters / cent, which helped from the moment the injection came in, which reduced consumption. You should be aware that even a small fairing or even a windshield significantly reduces consumption, especially on the highway (up to 2 liters, depending on driving). In the end, it depends on the type of driving (and the position of your tape type): when the knob is rotated to play in circles, consumption can be wild and fun to double the minimum consumption, especially in vapors.

Taking the original Bandit 600 as an example, consumption in the city is about 6-7 liters / cent, or 200 kilometers to reserve. Personally, I come across a reserve of about 240 km, which makes me consume 5,8 liters / cent. And once you're in reserve, there is a 50-kilometer wait; therefore, you must slow down and monitor the meter until you find the first available pump. However, some 600 Bandit N owners arrive on the reserve after just 150 km! Conversely, it is better to adjust after a short time spent by a good mechanic, the same bike with the same ride can save up to 20% gasoline. The same Bandit 600 can, after a major overhaul, move 260 km and have a range of 360 km.

A larger displacement like the Bandit 1200 is much more greedy with an average consumption of about 7-8 liters; however, many owners of the older Bandit 1200 also report consuming less than 6 liters at a driving speed of 5 to 6000 rpm. We are far from the 9-10 liters that some claim. It's just a matter of driving!

In general, reduced consumption, spacious reservoir allows easy access to roads with increased average autonomy. It looks like you can put more liters in the tank than the official capacity by moving very slowly over the last centimeters.

As for the new Bandit 600 and 1200 models, with one liter more tank capacity associated with the new carburetor, they extend the average range up to 300 km to a reserve of 650!