I want to know if using 110 Octane racing fuel in my '08 Kawasaki Ultra 250X will help acceleration/top end. Will it hurt my engine? I plan on trying only a few gallons...8 bucks a gallon.

 

i would be careful with that fuel. I'm not to sure what type of fuel you are suppose to run in your bike but that octane maybe to much for your motor. i would look at you mannual to see how high or an octane you can run safely. would hate to hear you hurt your bike by running to high of an octane.

 

Generally it is a waste of money since your ride is not tuned to use that fuel. Plus one on staying with what your manual states.

Welcome to KF.

 

Lowest I can buy is what I get. Even if its only 2 gallons, I'm still a cheap old man. LOL I do wonder how much farther you could ride on the high versus the low end gas. Hmmm it would have to be tested in a controlled environment. Work on some answers... Oh and welcome to the forums.

 

Let the engine "tell" you what to get. If you are running 87 and the engine pings (detonation) under load when hot and running mid range rpm accelerating, try 89 octane. If it still pings, go to 92 octane. If your bike is a stock engine it should likely run on 89 or lower. Only the high performance engines like the KXF450 and 250 (and the comparable 450 four wheeler) are the ones that would probably need race gas.

I run 92 in my dual sport single because it will ping under some circumstances with 89. I run 87 in my 550 because it runs fine without any detonation and wonder of wonders, it's air cooled to boot. Just goes to show you...

Any higher octane than is needed is wasted. All it does is make the gas less flamable to avoid detonation, where the mixture fires from heat in the engine regardless of what or why.

 

Thanks...I'll stick with the recommended 93 Octane fuel rating. 72 MPH on the water is pretty darn fast, it hauls some serious a** for this 52 year old!!

 

those water ski's need to get out of first gear! sheesh! lol just messin with ya steviez

 

Use 'Search'.

High octane fuel is more resistant to pre-detonation. That's because it's modified to burn slower, so it delivers fractionally less power than (for example) 87 octane, but it will let you tune the engine to a very high level without that engine self destructing.

If the fuel uses lead as a detonation modifier it will probably foul the valves on a 4-stroke and the reeds on a 2-stroke. For racing that doesn't matter as the engines are rebuilt regularly.

Basically, using 110 octane fuel on your bike is just pissing away money for no gain. No engine that isn't a specially built race engine needs or will benewfit from, this fuel.