Fuel....

OK here's what I found. http://thinkypedia.com/question/60174/ and https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...ile/232126/petrol-protection-extention-ia.pdf. So it would appear that the supermarkets ues a basic petrol and the fuel companies i.e. BP, Shell etc use the same basic petrol and put their own additives in. That would go some way to explain the difference in performance between branded and supermarket fuel. Need to watch the ethanol % too, the "super" branded fuels have little or no ethanol at present. Especially pertinent to early MultiStrada 1000 owners with plastic tanks.

 

This is even more bizarre. Never have I said, suggested or implied that "all fuels are exactly the same". Still, if it amuses you to make up idiotic views and misattribute them to me, fill your boots.

 

Fuel upto and including 5% Ethanol does not have to be declared by law.
Anything over has to be declared in the name using the same size font with the percentage, for example if it was 10% Ethanol it must be called "Unleaded E10". It will be *very* obviously if you're putting anything with more than 5% Ethanol in your tank.

 

It is true beyond doubt that petrol from different tanks, different garages, different refineries, and different petrol companies varies; the ingredients are, obviously, not the same and some formulations may well work better than others in a given engine. But the original question seems to relate to the proposition that fuel from all Shell branded stations is better than fuel from all other stations.

I have doubts. Let me give an example. The nearest petrol station to me has just been totally refurbished. The old tanks with all their water, rust, and crap were dug up and hauled away, and brand new tanks were installed at great expense. I could be persuaded that the fuel I buy there now is less likely to be contaminated than previously. And if that is true, it remains true regardless whether it is a Shell branded garage or some other brand.
http://www.tescopfs.com/our-fuel/specifications
Here are some specifications for a type of Tesco fuel. Is anyone suggesting there is something wrong with this specification? Is it alleged that Shell fuel is in some respect better? If anyone can explain why, I might believe them. Otherwise, all we seem to have heard is anecdotes and old wives' tales.

 

I have always had poor fuel consumption (-10%) with Tesco's high octane stuff (that is on an Impreza, a 3.0 Alfa, a Lancia and on the Ducati) so I avoid Momentum 99 RON. No such problems with Sainsbury's and the branded fuels >97RON from Shell, Esso or BP. I have to say I thought all petrol had to have 5% ethanol in it these days but I may be wrong. Also with cars the affect of a different petrol cannot really be judged until after the engine has adjusted itself through the feedback from the Lamda sensor which can take a couple of hundred miles on an older system. On bikes I have found that in standard set up a change of fuel can improve bottom end and make top end worse. The bottom end performance change is most noticeable and gives a false impression of teh effect. For me you should try to run the bike on the fuel you had the engine mapped with if you care that much, otherwise use what you can and enjoy the ride more by not wasting your time worrying about it.

You can check the specs of your fuel from most brands by looking online; for example:
Sales Specification for Tesco Momentum 99

Research Octane number (RON) 99.0 EN ISO 5164
Motor Octane number (MON) 87.0 EN ISO 5163
Lead content mg/l 5.0 EN 237
Density at 15oC Kg/m3 720.0 775.0 EN ISO 12185
Sulphur content mg/kg 10.0 EN ISO 20846
Oxidation Stability minutes 360.0 EN ISO 7536
Existent Gum (solvent washed) mg/100ml 5.0 EN ISO 6246
Copper Strip Corrosion (3hrs at 50°C) rating Class1 EN ISO 2160
Appearance Clear & bright
Olefins %(v/v) 18.0 EN ISO 22854
Aromatics %(v/v) 35.0 EN ISO 22854
Benzene content %(v/v) 1.0 EN ISO 22854
Oxygen content %(m/m) 2.7 EN ISO 22854
Oxygenates Content EN ISO 22854
Methanol %(v/v) 3.0
Ethanol %(v/v) 5.0
Iso-propyl alcohol %(v/v) 10.0
Iso-butyl alcohol %(v/v) 10.0
Tert-butyl alcohol %(v/v) 7.0
Ethers (5 or more C atoms) %(v/v) 15.0
Other oxygenates %(v/v) 10.0

 

So the perceived improvement might be psychosomatic?

 

With such a volatile concoction of chemicals, it makes you wonder how stable it is over time and temperature.....I would think there are variables, even comparing like with like.

 

Maybe we need two identical bikes one filled with v5 the other standard and let Hutch test them. If the difference is as obvious as being described it should be obvious which is which.
I am going to try a tank myself but don't think I'm a good enough rider to be able to tell the difference.

 

Or just use the same bike, run one, drain tank and purge fuel system, then load up with the other.

 

That would work so long as Hutch doesn't know which is which - bring it on!

 

Personally, If I had the choice i'd pop shell V power in the big bike, mainly because I believe all the marketing bullshit they send out (plus I got cheap lego Ferrari toys last year - bonus). For convenience Ive been using the Tesco around the corner. Do I notice a difference? certainly not in town riding, but when out and about I get a slight economical gain on V power, but as I only put a max of 14 litres in the tank, the gains are negligible
The best thing to do is fill up from a busy station. The fuel is rarely old as its always being replaced

 

a few years back i had a pegaso from new. if left for 6-7 days it wouldnt start and the only way i could get it to start would be to drain the left carb. i think the fuel was going off. it did this for the 10 years i had it. i did notice improved starting if the premium fuels where used. but would still have to drain that left hand carb if sat for a week or two.

 

Just to reiterate that when it comes to quality of fuels my right leg says otherwise....absolutely definitely easier to start (this is my KTM660) with the shell VPower fuel in there. With the Tesco's stuff it was hit or miss if I could get it started (lucky I live at the top of a hill!) with the vpower stuff I could kick it in usually 3 kicks. Once running with the Tesco's stuff I could "feel" the engine a lot more while riding. The vpower stuff lessened that a great deal. Ive never used any premium fuel ever before as I believe as others on here would say that its just fuel. End of. Since I got rid of the KTM and now have the hyper and RSV4 I tend to just follow the same theory - the fuel must be better for the engine.

I did hear Chinese whisper stylee that cars, if you fill em up with the cheap supermarket stuff have got more of a tolerance and the engine will adjust and allow for it. Don't know if that's the case with bikes although Id say with my hyper no, as its been dyno'd and the o2 sensors blanked off within the ECu and removed.