[net.cycle] Who Uses Regular Gas?

lrd (02/08/83)

Larry West, UCSD, said, in reference to this topic:

	"Yes, but almost any motorcycle CAN use unleaded gas,
	if the rider chooses to pollute a little bit less."

True, BUT --

	1.  The contribution to atmospheric pollution, by all
	    motorcycles, is less than 1%.  Polluting a little
	    less will be an improvement of far less than 1%.

	2.  Regular is less expensive than no-lead; using
	    unleaded gas, at a higher cost, will increase your
	    engine's tendency to detonate (pre-ignition, or knock).
	    This is particularly noticeable on warmer days (when
	    most motorcycles are used) with air-cooled engines
	    (most motorcycles are NOT liquid cooled).  Typical
	    octane (anti-knock rating) for regular is 89, for
	    unleaded, 87.  Of course, if you don't like the
	    engine knocking due to your use of the more expensive
	    nolead, you can always pay even more for premium
	    unleaded!

	3.  Unleaded gas causes MUCH faster wear on valves,
	    valve guides, and valve seats than regular, both in
	    cars and motorcycles.  The combustion after-products
	    of tetraethyl lead act as lubricants under the extreme
	    high pressure and high temperature conditions that are
	    encountered by valves (particularly exhaust valves).
	    The use of regular gas will extend valve life by
	    several hundred percent.

Regular does have one minor drawback -- spark plugs last longer when
unleaded is used, but I can change spark plugs in 10 minutes, at the
cost of a few dollars; the cost of replacing valve components is in
the hundreds of dollars!

If your engine (car or motorcycle) runs properly on regular,
you are wasting money and accomplishing very little by using nolead.

			L. R. DuBroff -- BTL, Naperville, Illinois

rusty (02/10/83)

From: rusty (Rusty Wright)
when i bought my bike the salesman told me to use unleaded
premium. i followed his advice. after reading your note about
leaded gas being better i called up the honda dealer and talked
to the head mechanic in charge of the repair shop and asked him
which gas was best. he said emphatically that unleaded premium
was the gas to use and that if i used leaded gas i could count
on having to take the bike to the shop for major valve work. he
said that the newer hondas are designed to run with unleaded
premium gas.

my advice would be to find out which gas is best for your engine
from someone that really knows what they are talking about.