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265
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6/5/2017
Location
Somerset, NJ
US
Edited Date/Time
4/18/2018 10:58am
I have a 15 kx450F that is still runnng the stock compression ratio. I have run vp T4 in the past but the price and availbilty in NJ has turned me back to running 93 pump gas. I have a small regional airport 10 mins from me that sells 100LL avgas for $4 a gallon. Does anyone has some experience running avgas? I am mainly looking into this to find a cleaner burning fuel, IMO the gas coming from the pumps these days is complete garbage.
If you have a road racing track near you, look around for a speedway gas station that sells cam2. Its sunoco 110 race gas. Its $7/gal here and works great in my kx450.
The Shop
These things aren't as evident in small engines like we use in motocross. However in my other hobby drag racing, ive see plenty of motors wear out or lose power based on fuel.
I want the most bang for my buck, paying almost double for fuel that gives no performance gains (ik some will argue there is gain but to that I say prove it. Unless OEM calls out for it, stock motor does not need higher octane and it can actually rob power due to insufficient burn. My kawi 09-11 manual does not call out octane level and therefore is designed for standard octane fuel) and doesn't increase reliability (again can be argued, but if engine on pump gas still exceeds what the OEM service intervals calls out are then it should be changed regardless) just doesn't make sense to me.
Just my opinion of course
For a stock compression motor, you shouldn't need to run it. Sure, avgas is a lot more consistent than pump gas and is a relatively cheap race gas. However, you'll lose power vs using 91 or 93 pump gas. If your stock bike is pinging using pump gas, go ahead and put a splash of avgas in it to mitigate that.
Pit Row
Also, I like the snappy throttle response & the hole-shots I’m getting. I don’t get popping or bogging and I don’t EVER have fuel pump issues. My valve-trains have lasted longer: that’s considering BOTH adjustments and parts durability.
I’ve been testing T4 w/ pump gas mixed at 2:1 (2 gal T4 to 1 gal pump 91).
Works really well and still getting excellent fuel system and engine durability.
Note: I add pump fuel through a fuel filter/fuel sock to keep any unknown crap outta my bike!
Don't rant the additives names either, I'm looking for actual studies that show how those additives create extra wear and cause premature failure or at least significant performance loss in dirt bike specific testing.
Maybe California fuel is horrible compared to Ohio, no idea, but I doubt it and I have never had a single issue, nor heard of anyone else having one either with any bike ever due to "garbage" fuel. Not saying its impossible, but I'd bet highly unlikely.
We just mixed it the same as we were with the race gas but just seemed like too much of a coincidence to blow one relatively new top and and then a fresh top end consecutively while trying the avgas.
Any mods to your bike? Such as high compression piston?
Its just a blend of the same things in all fuels in different amounts.
I knew a guy who blew up a bike on Av Gas,. Seized in about 3 minutes. Av Gas is Blue. His Oil was blue,. Guess what?
That blue gas had no oil. Pump gas is yellowish to clear.
Just remember throwing out the remaining AV gas that we had because it just didn't seem worth the fprice savings in fuel going with gas that's not intended for motorcycles.
Also, the mix/ratios of all those chemicals actually matters.
California pump fuel is ALL 10% (on avg) Ethanol ...or worse. There are Non-Ethanol fuels including some pump “93” rated fuels that are pretty good.
Downs Energy in Corona has VP 110 leaded in a pump for a pretty good price ($7-8 I think)
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