Ducati Monster Forum

My local bike shop sells fairly high octane fuel in 5 gallon containers. The local gas station carries 91 as premium.  (probably with ethanol)

Do you accept pump gas as all there is, or do you go through the hassle of mixing.

The owner's manual calls for 95 "at least."

With the loud pipes and helmet, I don't think I'd hear any early detonation...

How do Ducati folks deal with the issue?

Thanks-

I believe that 95 is Ron.

Ron?

What's that?

different octane rating than US, unless you've high comp pistons or a sbk then 87 is all you need to run

Research Octane Number. Used in Europe

Interesting... I know a lorry is a truck, and an elevator is a lift; an apartment is a flat and a fag is a cigarette...

I guess I assumed octane is octane...

Thank you for the info!

Most people won't reply to you on this topic(some might even get rude), it has a been covered extensively. I will give you this, the US equal to 95 RON(European standard rating) is 90/91(RON+MON/2) American rating, yes includes Canada and Mexico!) pump gas in North America, so 89-91 is good for use in your Monster(favouring 91 as daily use and 89 in a pinch). Australia uses the "North American" rating, so regular 87 pump gas is equal to 91-92 RON in Europe. if you live in "higher altitude" areas, you can save your money and theoratically use the lower 89 as daily due lesser dense air.

Most of us have been running 87 with no problem.  Since your 796 is a new engine it may or may not like 87.  If the engine doesn't ping it doesn't need more.  You will probably hear the ping in spite of your loud pipes.  The mathematical averages don't really work out.  RON (research octane number) and MON (motor octane number) are derived using different test methods.  MON requires preheating of the fuel, higher RPM and variable ignition advance, RON does not.  MON is also more accurately reflects of the needs of a modern engine.

Manufacturers tend to be conservative when it comes to octane rating, even more so when there is no knock sensor being used.  The owners manual for both the 1.8T Golf and Passat we had recommended 91 AKI.  Both ran well (actually better) on 87.  Diagnostic software showed no knock sensor activity on either car.

I use a combination of weasel piss & cobra venom. I get .1% more horsepower with it. [evil]


 ;D

87 works fine in mine.

You either don't ride much or you've got a lot of weasels and cobras.  [laugh]

87 works fine in my carbed M750 and in my FI 900SS.  Granted your 796 makes more HP than my 900 so I don't know that it's all that helpful ~

JM

Oh! Forgot about the race gas.  Race gas is a pretty generic term, many different formulas.  Some is just higher octane and may or may not have the additives needed for normal street use.  Others are highly oxygenated fuels that will corrode your fuel system if not run dry.

You don't need any more than 87 you don't have high compression pistons if your engine pings because of your altitude use 89

I understand the need to run leaner mixtures at higher altitudes but why on earth would octane have anything to do with that?  Octane basically deals with how fast the fuel burns and when it starts burning. Lower octane igniting sooner than higher octane and all that.

At higher altitudes, peak cylinder pressure is lower, much like with a lower compression ratio at low altitude.

I'm not running a 796, and I don't live at high altitude...

I'm on the West Coast... very low altitude, and I ride an 05 S4R-

I'm not sure how the confusion came about.

Sunoco has various fuels available--leaded and unleaded and oxygenated and non-oxygenated... Octane ratings start at 110-

All the altitude controversy aside...

race fuels can be very corrosive and require special care for the motor after every time it's run.

I'd avoid them for a street bike.

(http://www.nacd.net/images/foodsilverweb.jpg)

The only additive your gas needs.

 [coffee]

im not going to lie, if you gave me a 5 gallon jug of race fuel, id drop 1 gallon for every 2 gallons of regular fuel and use it as is just because its free gas!

http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226570 (http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226570)

LOL...you caught that one too...I think the 796 reference came from me recommending the use of the 89-91 and I ride a "796," so subsquent postings went that way. DOH!!! :o

Makes sense now that you put it that way.

I use a blend (highly secret ratio) of Mentos and Brawndo in my S4RS.  No problems so far, but it is tricky to handle.  I have to make sure I don't spill in on any grass, and to keep it away from any Diet Coke.

  I may be dead wrong but I believe detonation is more about ignition timing than compression. You can have an engine with 8:1 compression ratio and make it ping if the timing is advanced too much.

Not entirely.

While it's true that advanced timing can cause a low compression engine to ping...

You can retard the timing on a high compression engine and it may still ping if the octane rating is too low.

Compression ratio, timing, volumetric efficiency, combustion chamber design, air fuel ratio running temperatures, ambient air temperature and altitude will all affect detonation.

Good information in this thread- I appreciate all who responded.

Lots for me to learn about Ducati...

All the best my friends,

Eric M.