Premium Unleaded

[Lone Wolf]

Interesting when everyone has issues with Shell, I run both the ZX7R & the Skyline on Premium from any of the 4 major servos. My car's mechanic actually rated Mobil by far the worst, Ultimate the best. Both vehicles run well on any of them, although the GTR doesn't take quite as well on Mobil as the rest

[photomike666]

I only ever had an issue with Shell Vortex, 2 tanks of that would kill the plugs on the CBR - it seems to effect carbies the most

[Lone Wolf]

Shell Vortex

Shell V-Power or Caltex Vortex - pick one

[felixxr6turbo]

In the baby ninja i use normal unleaded, but its carbi fed. Every fourth tank I fill up BP Ultimate, for the additives. I also only use one station, it has a good high turnover of fuel, and I plan my riding to make sure I'm always end up there.

Slightly off topic, but do most newer EFI bikes have knock sensors? My XR6T used to be pretty good at playing with the timing depending on what I stuck in.

Felix

[SyKRyD]

i know cars are slightly different to bikes, but i recently pulled apart the engine on my turbocharged lancer, which i have had since 2000 (bought brand new). up until 2005-6 it has been running nothing but shell optimax/vpower, then switched to bp ultimate. i have to say that the pistons were clean as. there was practically no carbon build up at all. whilst i dont have an 8 year old lancer engine running regular unleaded to compare to, i reckon mine would be cleaner than an engine that hasnt been using premium all these years.

so octane/pinging issue aside, the cleaning properties of the branded premiums would be pretty good. so something else to consider.

whilst i dont even have my bike yet, im planning to use premium on it when i get it in the next week or so. considering i've been paying premium prices for so many years, the difference between regular/premium on a bike will seem like bugger all to me

[SyKRyD]

also, i have to add, with either fuel (vpower/optimax) i have had no problems with fouling up injectors, sensors, plugs etc.

found this link on bp website: http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle ... Id=7028239

one more thing.. with regular, its not going to matter where you get your fuel because its all coming from the closest refinery (independants excluded - imports). the main players (bp/shell/caltex/mobil) have a borrow/loan deal to save on transport costs. so if your in melb, its most likely shell, in brissy its most likely bp. they can do this because regular is regular.

however, the premium stuff (vortex/synergy/vpower/ultimate) is all proprietary so they are going to be different from each other and can only be produced at their own refineries. this means transportation costs will go up the further away from the refinery its got to travel. so you might find vpower to be cheaper in melb and more expensive in say, brissy. something else to think about..

[penno]

also, i have to add, with either fuel (vpower/optimax) i have had no problems with fouling up injectors, sensors, plugs etc.

found this link on bp website: http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle ... Id=7028239

one more thing.. with regular, its not going to matter where you get your fuel because its all coming from the closest refinery (independants excluded - imports). the main players (bp/shell/caltex/mobil) have a borrow/loan deal to save on transport costs. so if your in melb, its most likely shell, in brissy its most likely bp. they can do this because regular is regular.

however, the premium stuff (vortex/synergy/vpower/ultimate) is all proprietary so they are going to be different from each other and can only be produced at their own refineries. this means transportation costs will go up the further away from the refinery its got to travel. so you might find vpower to be cheaper in melb and more expensive in say, brissy. something else to think about..

Depends........the majors are reluctant to share their 98 octane products (especially Shell) because they can't make enough of it to meet market requirements. However they do at a number of distribution terminals around Australia where it makes sense on what we now call Buy/Sell. Borrow and Loan which was effectively the same thing (without cash changing hands) went out when Exxon bought out Mobil. They all share 95 octane, the only difference is the additive cleaner that each uses. In terms of cost, shipping from Melb to Bris adds less than a cent a litre. And you're just as likely to buy imported 91 octane/95 octane fuel from one of the majors as you are from an independent (especially if you live in South Australia).

[SyKRyD]

it's certainly a complicated system we have in australia. i worked with the traders at bp for two years and i could only grasp a little bit of the business concepts.

given our vast dispersion, the australian market is certainly unique