Will 89 Octane Gas...

[Xdot]

... make these rides ping/knock at full throttle around 4000 RPM

[steelerman88]

I'll tell ya, in my experience these motors like their high octane. I once thought I would "save a buck" and put 87 octane in my bike. Hell, for the next week the thing sounded like it needed the valves adjusted! Couldn't believe the pinging I was hearing from a couple tanks of low octane gas. Anymore its BP or Shell Premium 93 octane for me.....thats all I'll put in her. Finicky bitch

So to answer your question.... although 89 is a bit higher than 87, I imagine over time if you continued to use it, it could possibly do what mine was doing. Some things ya just can't skimp on.....stick ta the good stuff

[boxermania]

It will if you lug the engine, too high a gear and gunning the engine.

I never used anything but 89 octane on my bike with no problems. Having said that, it is important to understand that he operation of the engine is based on:

Genaral state of tune
They way the engine is operated
Region where the fuel is obtained
Fuel blend (like 10% ethanol)

[harveyrawn]

I use only 87 octane regular here in California and experience no knocking or pinging in bikes or autos.

[Dr. Strangelove]

thousands and thousands and thousands of ping-free miles w 89.
I do my own valves and throttle bodies and being anal about it tunes the girl very well. Also, I am conscientious about spark plug gaps and I keep her revved usually above 2500 - 3000 rpm and always above 2000.

I have been in situations when 87 was the only gas available, used it, rode with sanity and no pinging.

I am sure Shell and Chevron love to sell the 93, but Stella! just doesn't need it.
Oh, and on the road, constant highway speeds I freq get right around 50 mpg.

John

[Oilhead]

The R1150R seems to be the only bike that does not have a general consensus on what octane it starts to ping. Some are ping-free with 87 and some ping even with 91. Here in CT, we don't have 91. We have 87, 89, & 93(or94). On a hot summer day, mine will ping with 89 so I always put in 93.

[Xdot]

Fuel blends are region specific and must conform not only to local environmental conditions but also to local and regional laws. 91 Octane fuel on the West Coast is not the same stuff as 91 Octane on the East Coast and everything in between.

[Dr. Strangelove]

What everyone says can be true, but I am talking about cross-country rides, multiple regions, elevations from below sea level to over 12k feet. Maybe I am just lucky with my experience, but it emcompasses deep south to Idaho and to the Ohio river valley, Tn, NC, etc., and everywhere in between. I did have an issue, not pinging, but a subtle hesitation and slight decrease on mileage last fall in Ky and Oh, but that was due to a bad stick coil.

I will sometimes put 91 or 93 in her--rarely--thinking it is a substitute for SeaFoam, which I wouldn't have with me on a trip, but there is NO science behind that choice for me, and I really do not notice a difference in performance or mileage. As stated, I have used 87 when that was all I could get, without issue.
Obviously YMMV

John

[Xdot]

I siphoned most of the 89 Octane out of the bike this morning, rode down to the local Chevron and put in 93, just to see. After a few minutes of riding the difference was noticeable. Even the idle note of the bike was smoother. The ping I noticed only minutes after filling with 89 octane was gone.

I'd like to get this resolved as I have no desire to put in more expensive gasoline if I don't have to.

[boxermania]

Your bike is a 02 model like mine, we live in the same region and assuming your bike is completely stock I would say she needs a good going over, tunning, specially the TB sync.

That being said, there is one other item that can induce pinging and that is the way you ride the bike....do you go past 4000 rpm often? These are big, torquey engines and it is easy to keep them in the low rpm range, which lead to carbon deposits and pinging. Run the engine in the 5000k to 6000K, blow the cabon off and see how you can run 89 nd even 87 octane with no problems.

Throw in some Seafoam evry few tankfulls.....good luck.

[TicTac50]

Running on LOW octane gas will save you about 100 bucks a year. (12k per year)
Running on HIGH octane gas will save you about 100 bucks a year by getting a better gas millage.
Taking a chance to burn the valves (happened to my riding buddy @ 70k ) is not worth the risk.
I run my bikes on 91/93 ONLY. I would be happier with 95 octane.
Good Luck.

[Kartooo]

[quote="
Taking a chance to burn the valves (happened to my riding buddy @ 70k ) is not worth the risk.
I run my bikes on 91/93 ONLY. I would be happier with 95 octane.
Good Luck.[/quote]

new one to me,been a mechanic for 34 yrs, explain....

valve adj too tight maybe,piece of carbon stuck on seat giving the flame a place to work on,the extra fresh air they inject in the exaust port to keep epa happy.
but low octane buning not just one but valve'S as in more than one at a time !!!
pinging knocking what ever you want to call it is an explosion happening before top dead center.
most cars and even some bikes now have knock sensors that hear the knock and retard the spark to prvent it. give anything on a hot day a bunch of throttle at low rpm and get some ping or knock with junk fuel. you guy's complaining about knock probably have so much carbon on the head and piston the compression ratio is WAY up. give your engine a "good hot supper" as the old timers called it along with some sea foam and all will be well. we use to take a car down the highway then jump out and with a high idle spray water down the carb with a spray bottle,a mist of water will knock carbon off heads and tops of pistons too. todays gas does not dirty up engines like it did in the past. my ol boss would scare me and hold open a throttle to the point of valve float to clean out a carboned engine. i remember doing valve jobs on slow driving old timer's cars with carbon covering the the whole valve stem all the way up to the guide.....

i'll shut up now and go back to bed.

[Xdot]

we use to take a car down the highway then jump out and with a high idle spray water down the carb with a spray bottle,a mist of water will knock carbon off heads and tops of pistons too. todays gas does not dirty up engines like it did in the past. my ol boss would scare me and hold open a throttle to the point of valve float to clean out a carboned engine. i remember doing valve jobs on slow driving old timer's cars with carbon covering the the whole valve stem all the way up to the guide.....

I used to do this on an old Mustang. Never seemed to help much.

[Kartooo]

just a thought,.
is the timing too advanced on these bmw's that ping ??
it must be adjustable yet i never see it mentioned anywhere.
my 02 dyna has a map sensor in the intake so on low vacum the spark gets retarded.
my blackbird has a knock sensor.
what does bmw use to sense load and retard spark ?
modern bikes just dont use rpm for advance....

[Xdot]

I did notice that premium fuel is specified for use in the R1150R by the manufacturer.

[iowabeakster]

The timing can be adjusted by rotating the HES plate.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11127&p=100242&hili ... sy#p100242

[rockstercliff]

I always use the 91 or 93 whichever is available in my Rockster, and in my 1975 BMW 2002 auto. Both seem to like it better than the lower octanes. I use 89 octane in my Toyotas and Hondas, autos, and have never had a pinging problem. Really more to do with tradition than science, but it works for me.

[Kartooo]

GREAT article !! i lke it.
i bought my 04 r1150rt last week with 2,500 miles on it. now have just over 3,000 ping free miles using regular gas.
maybe because of the lack of carbon build up. i keep the rpms up and believe in seafoam every few tanks.

[boxermania]

Kartoo

The Motronic 2.4 ECU is fairly elemental in operation. Load is "sensed" via the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) and there is no spark retard feature. Last but not least, the spark advance is limited to 3 to 4 degrees max by the rotation of the plate.