Which fuel

General discussion of the BMW R1200RT/R1250RT
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Windy
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Which fuel

Post by Windy »

I'm getting my r1200rt (2005) in a week just wondered if its better to run on premium unleaded or the standard stuff? Cheers
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David.
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Re: Which fuel

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Windy
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Re: Which fuel

Post by Windy »

David. wrote: Mon Feb 27, 2023 2:45 pm Image
Cheers. I was just looking for which people would recommend? Does the bike respond well to premium or not? In my experience some vehicles thrive on it and some don't.
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Re: Which fuel

Post by David. »

Windy wrote: Mon Feb 27, 2023 2:59 pmI was just looking for which people would recommend. Does the bike respond well to premium or not.
Most of the time, I use Tesco Momentum 99 (E5). IMO, it's unlikely you'll feel any performance difference but may see better MPG. Then there is the debate between supermarket fuel and branded (E5 or E10).

Some further discussion in this Fuel Grade thread, viewtopic.php?t=1252&hilit=fuel+grade
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Steve398
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Re: Which fuel

Post by Steve398 »

I used the posh stuff until the prices went crazy then I went to standard, tbh I don’t notice the difference other than at the till!
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David.
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Re: Which fuel

Post by David. »

AFAIK, the standard stuff is recommended for a Wethead.
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sakm
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Re: Which fuel

Post by sakm »

Run on normal E10

Your bike needs to be tuned to 99 octane fuel to get the best out of it

I have used both and can tell no difference
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David.
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Re: Which fuel

Post by David. »

sakm wrote: Mon Feb 27, 2023 5:40 pmYour bike needs to be tuned to 99 octane fuel to get the best out of it.
What does that entail.
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Re: Which fuel

Post by sakm »

David. wrote: Mon Feb 27, 2023 5:50 pm What does that entail.
A full tank f high octane fuel and a day on a dyno and someone tweaking the fuel maps and timing to get the best out of the fuel and bike

But for our bikes it's not worth it as the gains for road use are not really seen
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David.
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Re: Which fuel

Post by David. »

Just dug out some guidelines I was given before taking my Camhead to be remapped.

"Super unleaded fuel - unless your bike's manual specifies that the engine will give maximum performance on super unleaded, there is no benefit to filling up with super unleaded before your visit. We tune to standard 95RON fuel as it's commonly avialble. That doesn't mean you shouldn't use super unleaded where possible, as it often has other benefits such as better detergents and less ethanol than standard fuel, but you won't get more power with our tune from doing so."

Other engine tuners may have a different opinion.

AFAIK, octane rating is determined by the engine compression ratio and doesn't enhance performance. However, using a lower than specified octane ratio may cause pre-ignition/pinking. Modern bikes have anti-knock sensors, hence the Camhead and Hexhead being capable of running on lower octane fuel.
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