Tested: VP Racing Fuel Comprison 12

If you're like me, I'm sure you've questioned whether race fuel and its higher price is worth it when compared to pump gas. But in recent years, I've adopted the regular use of race fuel. Why? Well the added performance is definitely a plus. The other reason (actually the main one for me), is the consistency and higher quality of the fuel. Pump gas seems to consistently become worse for our bike's engines. The fuel additives included for automobiles doesn't agree too well with our small single-cylinder engines and their EFI systems. In a few cases, I've had the fuel injectors become clogged with the run-of-the-mill fuel. The last thing you need is a fuel injector to choke up on a jump face. I've been there, and it's not fun! Also, the higher compression levels of the newest models don't always agree with pump gas. With certain mapping, I've found that most stock EFI four-strokes will suffer from detonation on a warm day. Even two-strokes aren't immune from this as I discovered after I spent a few weekends helping a friend piece together his son's 85s, which had wounded themselves through detonation.

When I show up at the track, I have friends and acquaintances that ask me why I'd buy race fuel, how much it was, and what kind of gains it offers. Sadly, I couldn't exactly offer up data to back this up. Then of course I received this question, "How do you know your getting your money's worth?" Well I decided it was time I had an answer. VP makes different fuels to cover the need of every gearhead, so we grabbed four of their most common race fuels and headed to a shop that has quite a few years of experience with horsepower and race fuel, Pro Circuit. The crew at PC was kind enough to let us take over one their dynos for a few hours, this way we could test the fuels back-to-back and get an idea of what you're really getting for your money.

So how'd we go about this test? We took our 2014 Yamaha YZ450F, which was equipped with a Pro Circuit high-compression piston, Ti-6 exhaust, and a GET Ignition box. These were three simple mods that would not only improve performance with stock fuel, but give us improvements with the race fuel as well. For fuels, we tested the bike with 91 octane pump gas, then VP Racing Fuel's T4, U4.4, MRX02, and MR12 blends. All of the VP fuels we tested are oxygenated and are set at different price levels that increase along with the potency of the fuel. After each run on the dyno, we dumped the remaining fuel out of the tank. Then we poured in the next fuel and ran the bike long enough to make sure that any remaining fuel in the line from the previous test was burnt off. This test was aimed more towards a consumer, so we didn't include MR-Pro6, which is VP's unleaded/oxygenated AMA Pro Racing legal fuel. This fuel doesn't necessarily add as much power as some of VP's other fuels, but was produced to meet the strict Pro racing standards.

Below, you'll find dyno charts of each fuel, a comparison chart, and a small bit of detail for each fuel, including the pricing for a five gallon pail. If you want more detailed spec sheets on each fuel, you can visit VPracingFuels.com/motocross. After we were done with our test, we sat down with Pro Circuit's Mitch Payton to get some of his opinions and a bit of insight on race fuel in general, which you'll find in the slideshow when you press play.

Mitch Payton: Chatting about Race Fuel — More Motocross Photos

VP's T4 is an unleaded and oxygenated fuel that has a R+M/2 octane of 100 (this is the same rating system that you're used to seeing a gas station for pump gas), the motor octane is rated at 93. Price per 5 gallons: $55.00 - $61.00

VP's U4.4 is a leaded and oxygenated fuel that has a motor octane is rated at 103. Price per 5 gallons: $80.00 - $92.00

VP's MRX02 is a leaded and oxygenated fuel that has a motor octane is rated at 100. Price per 5 gallons: $145.00 - $167.00

VP's MR12 is a leaded and oxygenated fuel that has a motor octane is rated at 87. Price per 5 gallons: $135.00 - $150.00

Blue Pump Gas, Red T4, Black U4.4, Green MRX02, Yellow MR12

While we stand behind the dyno results reported here, one should keep in mind that the results only reflect the gains for this YZ450F. There are more mapping adjustments available (or jetting in the case of carbureted bikes), which can maximize the gains for each fuel. Along with modifications and other factors that would change the differences in the gains between each fuel. If you want more info on which fuel will suit your needs and more in-depth specs, you can contact VP’s Tech Support staff at 812-878-2420.

Prices can vary by dealer/distributors and other factors. To find VP in your area and find out the current pricing, check out VP's dealer list at VPracingFuels.com/vp-racing-dealers

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