Super versus Bog-Standard Unleaded

[Tirpitz]

Well I'm with you there Jamz. Latest update on this - I filled up with Asda standard unleaded Saturday after all this discussion for a run to Scarborough. Bike ran like toad on it - felt rough, flat, underpowered, slow to pick up and generally not nice to know. Now, after all this discussion I was really expecting to find no difference whatsoever so it took me a bit by surprise. There is no way I was imagining it.

I got through half a tank going there so setting off back home filled back up with Shell standard unleaded. Almost immediately it started running better, but not perfect. Next day, having run off another half tank, I topped up again with Shell standard and the bike is running pretty much as normal now.

So, my experience is that there is definitely some benefit to the additives you pay the extra for in the branded petrol. Maybe they don't do anything useful as regards cleaning, but they definitely make for smoother running in my engine. I'm not convinced there is any benefit to super unleaded but I'm not going to use supermarket fuel anymore after my experience.

[gavinfdavies]

look at it this way...

these Super additives usually add about 8p per liter to normal fuel. When fuel was 80p/l this was alot (10% extra!)

now fuel is 135p/l, but premium is still only 8p more, so now only 6% extra.

suddenly those additives don't look like such an extravagence, even if they do work!

[cargo]

I'd really like to see some dyno numbers.............anyone want to give it a tryv

[Tom mccrea]

Funny that you mention dyno, i was thinking of getting mine done after I get the clutch sorted...might have to get the number for your guy sometime...no relevance to the thread but...

[Tirpitz]

...no relevance to the thread but...

It would be if you gave it a couple of runs and changed the petrol in the tank between them Tom. Go on, you know you want to........

[Tom mccrea]

You never know, it could be an option...to prove or disprove...

[Neosophist]

Well I'm with you there Jamz. Latest update on this - I filled up with Asda standard unleaded Saturday after all this discussion for a run to Scarborough. Bike ran like toad on it - felt rough, flat, underpowered, slow to pick up and generally not nice to know. Now, after all this discussion I was really expecting to find no difference whatsoever so it took me a bit by surprise. There is no way I was imagining it.

I got through half a tank going there so setting off back home filled back up with Shell standard unleaded. Almost immediately it started running better, but not perfect. Next day, having run off another half tank, I topped up again with Shell standard and the bike is running pretty much as normal now.

So, my experience is that there is definitely some benefit to the additives you pay the extra for in the branded petrol. Maybe they don't do anything useful as regards cleaning, but they definitely make for smoother running in my engine. I'm not convinced there is any benefit to super unleaded but I'm not going to use supermarket fuel anymore after my experience.

I don't think the shell standard unleaded has additives either... it is probably down to asda using 'cheap' regular grade unleaded.. I think I touched on this in my last post... a lot of the cheaper stations use vapour recycling and other techniques to save wasting the fuel.

The result is you might have slightly contaminated (but within spec) fuel, also the fuel could be old or stale or badly treated at the supermarket who isn't a 'specialised' garage.

I always buy 'regular fuel' but from a decent garage. Usually Esso.