*In Japanese standards, Regular fuels have a RON value of 86 to 95, while High-Octane fuels have a RON of 96 or above.
*RON: Research Octane Number
You really shouldn't do that.
When regular gasoline is used in a high-octane motorcycle, it could negatively impact the engine.
Oh, really?
But, gasoline is gasoline, right?
What's so different about them?
The difference between regular gasoline and high-octane gasoline is what we call the “octane number.”
This is one of the most important indicators of gasoline performance.
“Octane value”? Never heard of it.
For example, in Japan, regular gasoline has an octane number of 89 to 95, while high-octane gasoline has an octane number of 96 or higher. Some countries handle octane numbers slightly differently.
However, it’s very likely that high-octane gasoline will always have a higher octane number than regular gasoline, no matter where you go.
The higher that octane number is, the less likely it is that abnormal combustion will occur when gasoline is burned in the engine.
As you can see from the illustrations below, normal combustion starts from the spark of the plug and spreads from there, but in the case of abnormal combustion, combustion spreads from other places, which can also cause damage to the engine because of the rapid rate at which the flame spreads.
It is kind of scary to hear how my engine could be damaged.
So what can we do to avoid damaging the engine?
It's about choosing the right gasoline for the motorcycle you're riding.
Motorcycle manufacturers use the appropriate gasoline to make motorcycles that achieve normal combustion without abnormal combustion.
You might find it helpful to check the appropriate gasoline for your Honda motorcycle at the following website!
That’s very informative. I guess I should pick the right gasoline for my motorcycle.
Exactly.
You might have noticed a new kind of ethanol-blended fuel has come out lately, and some new motorcycles are capable of using this fuel.
I'm aware of this!
It's a fuel composed of gasoline and ethanol, right?
Exactly! For example, "E10" fuel is made up of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline.
Brazil, which has the world's largest sugarcane harvest, is well suited to producing ethanol from sugarcane, and sells highly concentrated ethanol fuel, like E100.
So they could use entirely ethanol fuel derived from plants, instead of gasoline derived from fossil fuels. That’s pretty cool!
That’s right. However, ethanol has some properties that are different from those of gasoline, such as weak starting in low-temperature environments and low energy density.
Therefore, if ethanol is used in a motorcycle that is only compatible with gasoline, the engine will not start, and even in an ethanol-compatible vehicle, if E100 ethanol is used in a motorcycle that is compatible with up to E10 ethanol, the engine will not perform as well as it should.
I get it. I guess it is important to use the right fuel for your motorcycle.
That’s right. If you use the right fuel for your bike and take good care of it, you can have a long and enjoyable motorcycle life!
The price of fuel has really been going up lately. My motorcycle says it's designed for high-octane gasoline, but that’s so tough on my wallet...
Can’t I save a little cash and just put in regular gas?
That’s what I'm wondering about.