Chapter M-2's Technical Corner

Howard Halasz’s March 2009 Technical Article

"What Kind of Gasoline Should I Use?"

One of the most common questions I’ve been asked while conducting Gold Wing Q&A seminars at Wing Ding is, “What kind of gasoline should I use?”

The best answer to that question can probably be found in your Honda Gold Wing Owners Manual, you know, that little booklet that we seldom open.

All Honda Gold Wings from 1975 to the present time are designed to use regular grade 87 octane gasoline. All gasoline refined as of this writing is unleaded gasoline.

If you totally insist on using premium grade gasoline, chances are that the only thing you’ll harm is your pocketbook. I challenge you to take this simple test:

Fill your tank with the highest octane premium gasoline. Reset your trip odometer to zero. Ride your Gold Wing until the reserve indicator light comes on. Take a pencil and a piece of paper and write down the figure on your trip odometer. Refill your tank with the same brand gasoline, but this time with Honda’s recommended regular grade 87 octane gasoline. Once again, reset your trip odometer to zero. Ride your Gold Wing until the reserve indicator light comes on. Take a pencil and a piece of paper and write down the figure on your trip odometer. Compare the two figures that you wrote down. It will be quite obvious that you were able to travel further with the regular grade 87 octane gasoline than you were with the highest octane premium gasoline.

What brand gasoline should I use? I highly recommend that you stay away from the non-name brand gasoline frequently found at small family-owned convenience stores such as Mystik, Dee-Best, SooperZoom, Fly-Buy-Knight, etc. I prefer name brands such as Shell, Exxon, Texaco, Mobil, Citgo, Chevron, Sunoco, Phillips 66, Conoco, Amoco, Arco, Sohio (Standard Oil of Ohio), Union 76, Marathon, BP, and Sinclair.

To my knowledge, no Honda Gold Wing was ever designed to burn E-85 gasoline, which is 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol, AKA “Ever Clear”, the same stuff we mix with fruit punch to give it that extra punch. There are several recent year model cars that can burn E-85, but using E-85 in your Gold Wing, particularly the 1975-2000 models, can cause severe engine damage.

It is still questionable whether gasolines with 10% ethanol are the cause of deteriorating rubber parts in the 1984-2000 carbureted Gold Wings. However, since the addition of ethanol to gasoline, I’ve replaced several carburetor throttle slides on the GL1200 and GL1500 Gold Wings, including my own 1994 Aspencade. The diaphragms developed hairline cracks, wrinkles, and vacuum leaks, causing poor performance at midrange and high speeds.

The following quote is what Randall Washington (http://www.randakks.com) of RANDAKK’S CYCLE SHAKK in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, noted Classic Gold Wing expert, has to share concerning the types of fuel to use or not use:

“More on Fuel And Fuel Additives - Fear the Corn?

Warning: Controversial Material!

I grew up in a farm family in the South, so I'm very fond of corn. Of course I like grits, but my favorite form of corn is high quality bourbon! I have personally benefited from crop subsidies and understand the benefit of the emerging ethanol (made from corn) fuel market to corn farmers. I am sympathetic to their issues.

However, I feel that ethanol makes a lousy fuel for internal combustion engines. In fact, lots of folks think corn is the least-promising bio-fuel of all. Unfortunately, this horse has left the barn - ethanol as a motor fuel is here to stay.

There is some slight advantage in reduced carbon monoxide with ethanol / gasoline blends. However, there are better strategies to achieve this worthy goal without making life miserable for vintage motorcycle owners. The issue is inherently controversial and complicated by various political, economic, social, environmental and agricultural policy issues. No matter - the ethanol lobby has done their job and we're now all forced the enjoy the consequences of a swift march to ethanol! Not only will you pay more for food products (due to competition for corn), your carbureted engines will not run as well as they should.

I'm not a chemist, but I am very concerned about the quality of fuel sold today. Most markets in the US now sell an E10 blend (10% ethanol) year round. Depending on local regulations, this information may or may not be revealed at the pump. Typically, this blend is marketed as "gasoline" which it is certainly not! In some markets, the ethanol concentration is even higher for "seasonal" summer blends. I don't think it is ethical for oil companies to sell "gasoline" that is diluted with any percentage of ethanol without full disclosure - no matter what local regulations allow!

None of this is good for vintage carbureted motorcycle engines...especially those with ultra small idle passages such as the GL1000, GL1100, GL1200, CBX and CX500.

Below is a summary of problems associated with fuels oxygenated with ethanol (like E10) documented in several Technical Papers by Chevron. I believe this is credible information and I agree with these conclusions.

Update: 6/16/08: Curiously, I just noticed that Chevron has retracted those white papers from their website! But, similar info is published at http://www.fueltestkit.com/ by Fuel Testers.

1. Ethanol has less "energy" than gasoline so fuel mileage is slightly reduced. My own experience with ethanol blends has demonstrated this beyond a doubt.

2. Fuel Degradation: Oxygenated gasoline oxidizes and forms gums and deposits more rapidly than "pure" gasoline. These deposits wreak havoc on the internal passages in carburetors. The storage life of ethanol / gasoline blends is reduced.

3. Moisture Attraction: Ethanol attracts water. Lightly used, carbureted engines with small passages (like the GL1000) are prone to internal corrosion when stale, moisture-laden fuel sits in the bowls.

4. Fuel Tank Layering Effect: Gas-ethanol blends absorb water. The water may be condensed out of the ambient air or be residual contamination in the fuel tank. If enough water is absorbed, the fuel will tend to separate into two liquid phases: a top phase of nearly pure gasoline (and oil, in the case of 2-cycle fuel) and a bottom phase of water and alcohol. This water-laden mixture will make the engine difficult or impossible to start. To solve the problem, the separated mixture must be replaced with fresh gasoline....no fun at all.

5. Lean-out Effect: Oxygenated gasoline results in a leaner air-fuel mixture. This will corrupt the perfect air fuel mixture calibrations designed into your bike by Honda. The leaning effect will also tend to make the engine run hotter than normal. In extreme cases, engine damage can result.

6. Vapor Lock Problems: "Vapor lock" results from fuel vaporization which can make an engine stop during operation in extreme cases. It usually manifests itself as very hard starting when the engine is fully warm on a very hot day. Vapor lock prevents normal output from the fuel pump since it's designed to pump liquid not vapor. Gasoline blended with ethanol increases the likelihood of vapor lock.

7. Materials Incompatibility: Older engines such as vintage motorcycles have experienced many problems with rubber parts (fuel pump diaphragms, needle valve tips and seats, fuel lines, gaskets, etc.) when first exposed to oxygenated gasoline. Replacement fuel system parts (such as all of the products available from Randakk's Cycle Shakk) have been engineered to be compatible with oxygenated gasoline.

8. Solvent Effect: Oxygenated gasoline may loosen deposits from fuel system surfaces (especially fuel tanks) because it is a better solvent than conventional gasoline. The suspended solids can plug the fuel filter and carburetor passages. This is most likely to occur when older equipment is first fueled with an oxygenated gasoline. On the plus side, a pristine clean fuel system will stay cleaner using fuel blended with ethanol.

What about E85?

Higher concentrations of ethanol are known to cause disintegration of rubber components. E85 (85% ethanol) must absolutely be avoided and not used under any circumstances...even emergencies. It will ruin the rubber fuel system components in any vehicle that is not certified as a Flex Fuel vehicle.

So what can you do?

Even if you disagree with my views on ethanol, here's some solid advice on managing the fuel in your bike's tank.

• Use a fuel stabilizer (like Sta-Bil) year round in every tank! Stuff happens and you never know when the last ride of the season will be.
• Run your motorcycle to a full heat cycle (until the radiator fan comes on) each time you ride it. Having fresh fuel flow regularly through fully warm passages is the best defense to keep them clear.
• Ride your motorcycle frequently and for long distances whenever possible. Lightly used bikes have more problems with oxygenated fuel.
• Get a heated vest, winter gloves and perhaps a windshield to extend your riding season. The less your bike sits the better!
• Keep your tank fuel full when the bike is parked (reduces water absorption)
• Use regular grade fuel...not premium. Regular is somewhat less volatile than premium and resists going stale a bit longer. Besides, unless you have a modified engine you're wasting your money on premium. If your bike knocks and pings on regular and seems to run better on premium, then you probably have a carbon buildup on the top end that needs attention. Avoid octane booster products as well.
• Pros and cons on this one, but here's my advice: don't drain the fuel bowls during a typical winter lay-up of 3-6 months. I believe you are better protected from problems by having the carb bowls full of stabilized fuel for short lay-ups like this. Longer lay-ups are a different matter however.
• Replace the fuel in your fuel tank with fresh fuel in the spring (you can put the old fuel in your truck...it's much larger tank will allow it to digest 5 gallons of stale fuel with minimal protest).
• Buy the best brand of gasoline you can find. Never buy gas when the fuel tanker is unloading.

• DON'T BE TEMPTED TO USE E85 (85% ETHANOL) FUEL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. The first E85 station in my area just opened. In fact, it's a gas station I have used a lot. For fear of a tanker truck fueling mistake, I plan to avoid that station completely.”

Mmm… Gasolines!!

They’re just like milk — except for the color, taste, and uh, combustibility level. Some people love them, some people hate them. Their prices vary depending on region — and if you’re in Hawaii, they’re both ridiculously expensive.

There will always be people that will swear by a certain brand of gasoline. You probably know of a certain person that will only buy gas from Shell, and will ride that extra three miles to get to his favorite Shell station.

FACT: 99% of gasoline in the United States of America is of good quality. The remaining 1% is from small independent gas stations that are more likely to have water and dirt in their fuel than the major brands are. This is because the small independents usually have smaller, older tanks that are refilled less frequently.

Many gasolines, no matter the brand of the station, may come from the same source, refined at the same refinery, distributed through the same pipeline, and stored at the same storage terminals.

So what makes brand ABC gasoline different than brand XYZ?

The answer is the additives in the gasoline.

The funky part is that all gasoline in the United States contains additives in order to meet federal standards set by the EPA. Yes, even the ones at no-name stations.

Brand name additives are, of course, different than those in generic gasoline. Claims of special formulated additives prowess varies from one company to another, with some claiming to clean a specific engine part better, while others claiming to help your car produce less harmful byproducts to the environment.

There is no doubt that there is a difference between these additives, but just how much of a difference do these additives make?

Before you consider that question, let’s take a look at how gasoline is distributed, to better understand how additives fit into the grand scheme of things.

Just Where Does Our Gasoline Come From?

Hundreds of millions of years ago, ancient organic matters are compressed and heated through geological timescale, blah blah, viola — oil fields deep beneath the earth. People snoop around, find these oil fields, drill and pump them, then BINGO!! — crude oil!!

1. Crude oil is imported from abroad or produced domestically. It is transported to the refineries to be refined into various products, one of which is gasoline.

2. Gasoline is then sent from the refinery storage to bulk storage terminals via tankers, barge, or a common pipeline. In the common pipeline scenario, batches of gasoline are not physically separated, thus mixing of these products from different refineries occur.

• Yes, gasoline from a Shell refinery may mix with gasoline from a Mobil refinery.
• Yes, sometimes you’ll be buying Shell refined gas, at a Mobil station.

3. Gasoline is stored at bulk storage terminals across the country, which usually serves various different companies. At these terminals the gasolines are then loaded into the tanker trucks. It is at this point that additives are added into the truck’s tank, differentiating one brand of gasoline to another.

• Tanker heading to a Shell station? Load up the gasoline, and then pour in the Shell additives into the tanker. BINGO!! Shell gas. Tanker heading to a Chevron station? Load up the gasoline from the same terminal; add in the Chevron’s TECHRON and other various additives into the tanker. BINGO!! Chevron gas.
• Just how much of these additives are added into the tank? The amount varies, but for some it’s a quart of additives for an 8,000 gallon tank.

Huh? A quart of additives in an 8,000 gallon tank? That’s all the difference?

The difference from one brand to the other happens in the tanker truck, right before it reaches the gas station?

How effective these brand name patented additives formula work will always be up to debate, but here are a few things you should consider:

• A station’s tank quality, the tanker truck it contracts, the consistency of its many suppliers to maintain the quality in the chain of distribution affects the quality of the gasoline more so than the additives themselves.
• Consumer Reports Magazine attempted to test the differences between brand of gasoline in relation to acceleration and fuel economy, but scrapped the test because the little differences found were no more so than the differences found from other factors such as air temperature and humidity level.

What about the Grades of Gasoline?

Ah, now here’s something a bit more definitive than drops of additives in gallons of gas. There is a difference between premium (91 octane) gas and regular (87 octane) gas — BUT, not because “premium” gas is a “better” gas.

Grades of gasoline are based on octane rating, which in a nut shell, measures the resistance of gasoline to premature combustion, AKA engine knocking. (Going Kaboom! before it should go Kaboom! by a spark plug).

The grades available are usually regular 87, medium 89, and premium 91.

Which of these grades should you use? Well, the answer can be easily found in your Gold Wing’s owner manual (and sometimes around the gas cap area).

FACT: Using higher grade “premium” gasoline on a vehicle designed to run with regular 87 octane gasoline is a waste of money. This is a fact that a GWRRA member who attended one of my seminars at Wing Ding in Grapevine, Texas in 2004 challenged. At the 2005 Wing Ding in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that same member attended my Gold Wing Q&A seminar and admitted that he was wrong and that this fact was true.

In today’s modern fuel-injected vehicles, engines are designed to be used with a specific octane rating, usually correlating an engine’s compression level to the grade of gas (higher compression level, higher octane grade).

If your GL1800 Gold Wing is engineered to run with an octane rating of 87, using 91 will result in no real benefit. In some instances, you may even accumulate un-burnt fuel into your emission system, which can end up collected into your catalytic converter — eventually stressing and then damaging the system.

On the flip side, if your motorcycle is a Harley Davidson and is designed to use 91 octane gasoline, you definitely should fill the motorcycle up with 91 octane. If you happen to pump 87 or 89 into your Harley — don’t worry, it’s not blowing up — the onboard computer will generally dial back your engine’s performance to prevent knocking if your Harley even HAS an onboard computer. In some cases (such as the Lexus RX 330), a car’s owner’s manual may even specify that you can either use 87 or 91 octane, with 87 for economy and 91 for performance.

If you have pumped 91 octane into your Gold Wing that’s designed for 87 octane and felt an “increase” in performance, it may simply be a placebo effect — or there may be something wrong with your engine that requires a higher grade of octane.

The next time you see a teenager pumping “premium” gas into his “performance” Civic (when it’s obvious that his engine isn’t turbo nor swapped), be a friendly (& nosy) gas-pump neighbor and inform him on his wasteful spending.

If the kid informs you that he doesn’t care because he’s using his mom’s credit card to pay for the gas, you may promptly consider the alternative of assault and battery. BUT ONLY CONSIDER IT –DON’T ACT ON YOUR CONSIDERATION UNLESS YOU ENJOY INVOLVEMENT IN LAWSUITS!!

The fact of the matter is differences between brands are less important than differences between a station dealer’s quality control with the gasoline it provides. Your best bet is to frequent a quality, reasonably priced station with a consistent supplier.

Most of us already have a station we prefer, if the price and convenience factor is right for you, and if your Gold Wing is purring along fine — there is little reason to change.

But if you’re the type to drive that extra mile, or spend that extra dollar for the brand you love — try a tank or two of other cheaper branded stations, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Finally, if you haven’t done it already, pump the grade of gasoline your Gold Wing’s owners manual specifies and your wallet and engine will thank you.

Various Gasoline Tidbits for Savvy Consumers:

• Gasoline is not the same type of commodity across the country. The volatility of gasoline in Los Angeles during winter will be vastly different than those of gasoline sold in Boston during winter time.
• Different states and region have different regulations and standards concerning the quality of gasoline. Some urban area may require gasolines that are formulated to produce lower emission.
• In rare instances, an unlucky consumer may get a bad batch of gas. It is more likely that the problem came about due to the individual station than a particular brand, as many layers of quality control checks are in placed before gasoline reaches the bulk storage terminals.

Howard Halasz, Texas Chapter M2 Technical Coordinator

Wing World Technical Contributor