Which Fuel would you recommend for the NC?

[Rev Ken 6,331]

No make of car I know meets their performance with regards to emissions 'on test' in the 'real' world. But VW have gone too far.

Have you noticed the silence from almost every other manufacturer? I bet a lot of them have their fingures crossed......

[MikeBike 5,005]

 

The VW emissions scandal thread is over there... http://www.nc700.co.uk/index.php?/topic/9987-our-chancellor-and-the-vw-scandal/?hl=emissions

 

This thread is about which fuel to put in the NC. About 1/3 so far prefer branded unleaded over cheapo - and some mention avoiding the supermarkets like Tesco and Asda - is there anything really proven that they are inferior in any way (motor industry / car magazine tests, evindence of what is added (or not etc) etc?

[JM750XDE 165]

I remember approx 2 years ago all supermarket diesel was topped up with too much bio stuff which clogged filters en masse. They claimed it was a costing exercise.. Since then I only use premium fuel to get away from cost cutting exercises. They wouldn't want all the rich folks complaining their supercars need thousands of pounds of repair work - so I stick with the higher priced fuel for that reason alone.

I see no benefit to my mileage or anything at all.

I just don't want to put crap in the engine.

[bob b 283]

I've always used Shell V Power in my bikes and am happy with the performance, and also have recently started putting the Shell V Power

diesel in my motorhome. I've never checked fuel consumption as life's too short! The difference in price is something like 50p more for the Integra and £4.00 to brim the tanks. As I usually tow the Integra behind the motorhome on my travels, I wanted the extra power to avoid dropping a gear on hills and I think

the motorhome pulls better and is smoother with the dearer diesel.

If its all in my head, the extra 50p and £4.00 won't break the bank!

[lipsee 1,351]

I use any brand of petrol in my bikes ,can,t say I,v notice any loss of power or anything of that nature.I would fill up with best 98 fuel just before mot test to help with the emmissions..

Edited November 18, 2015 by lipsee

[Guest The Ronin]

I also use Shell V-Power when I can. The difference in cost is nothing. I am sure it gives a little bit of something but probably all in my head, just like a cleaner bike always goes faster.

[thekeyman 23]

l use any petrol in the NC but strangely in my 1967 triumph T100 which has not had its valves altered to unleaded, l run Shell V power. My old bikes compression is much lower than the NC but it still runs better on Vpower. The "brains" built into the fuel injection system alters timing , fuel ratio and so many other things my old'un would need to run smoothly on regular pump petrol. As for the additives , l still put lead pills in the tank and the odd dollop of lead additive just in case. So the NC is a huge leap forward, except that after ten decades they both do the same MPG, 65-70 mpg, progress eh!.

[Rev Ken 6,331]

Ah yes I preferred National Benzole to any other petrol for my Velocettes. Regent was the worst and avoided if at all possible. By the way for old bikes requiring lead to preserve valves and valve seats, look up Broquet. First developed in the last war to stop our fighters falling out of the sky when operating in Russia. It improved my old 'Arfur Daly' jag 4.2 consumption from 18 to 22 mpg. But with modern machinery I guess it is falling out of popularity. (For some years the Civil Service Motoring Association recommended it as it works, unlike many other magic potions.)

[ScaredyCat 1,659]

There's a tanker yard in Thetford. You see all brands of truck, Shell, BP, Sainsburys going in and coming out... To me that suggests they're all the same for the normal unleaded stuff.

 

Also...

 

[ddazzler64 16]

 

interesting results.  It makes a difference you might not notice when using it everyday.  I guess we pay our money and take our choice   

[MikeBike 5,005]

Based on all the helpful replies in this thread (thanks all!) I'm back on cheap and cheerful ASDA regular unleaded fuel for the bike after having a trial of Vpower and noticing no difference in performance or economy.

[Tonyj 6,907]

Only the dearest for me , none of that council house petrol in my bike :0) actually any old juice really. Just remembered that I came from a 2xup 2xdown private landlord house , my mates in the new council flats had a bathroom and toilet indoors . They were considered the had it offs :0).

[chris 357]

Only the dearest for me , none of that council house petrol in my bike :0) actually any old juice really. Just remembered that I came from a 2xup 2xdown private landlord house , my mates in the new council flats had a bathroom and toilet indoors . They were considered the had it offs :0).

Luxury, one up, one down, tin bath hung up behind cellar door, toilet at end of terrace, 3 loos for 6 houses. It was a massive change when we moved into a three bedroom semi with a bathroom when I was about 3.

[Tonyj 6,907]

My mate from silver town shared a house with another non related family . Again private landlord.

I found out through enquires that my old house was a block of 500 properties owned or in the name of lady trafalger ? And when they knocked them down to redevelop the area it was called slum clearance , lovely didn't know I lived in a slum :0) . Marketing wasn't what it was back then as they are now known as railway cottages. LOL the Germans did us a favour knocking them down really but it was my area so you live and love it . To be honest Stratford was an industrial place really so with the Olympic stuff , it's changed so many times that it's not mine anymore. But sometimes the cloak slips and I just recognise a little part of my upbringing.

[Guest GBH]

I only use Shell after getting bad fuel on a Diesel car which ending up costing me £1500 for replacement injectors. Maybe I was unlucky but once bitted twice shy. If I can't get Shell then BP but I never stick. I also use the Shell card which give me money back over the year, I get between £50-£75 pound back per year in free fuel which offsets the extra cost of using Shell. 

 

I would never use Supermarket fuel unless there was absolutely no alternative.

[kevo 2]

Here's some ramblings (omitted high tech  blurb, cos iv'e forgotten it)

Cars & bikes  tested on the euro nedc cycle are tested under laboratory conditions . I.e  around 20 c  ambient temp, following a soak down  for a period. the vehicle is set on a rolling road with the road load set for that  vehicle to simulate normal  conditions.

The vehicle is pushed cold on the dyno  a monitor with the drive cycle is started as the engine is cranked up  then the driver has to follow a generated cycles for  20 mins duration  he has to drive within a tolerance of 5%.

At the end of the test the collected gas from the vehicle is analysed in respect of the distance .

But legislation must have a repeatable test cycle​ for emissions and fuel because the real world use is too variable to  quantify.

 

There is no way a road user can emulate this cycle , so there is no chance of reproducing the same fuel figures  . the us test is more realistic because the original cycle was recorded from a drive around  Los Angeles and is more aggressive.

The mot test is only at a single no load rpm from a hot engine  , mainly to see if the catalyst is operating efficiently at that condition.

 

 VW have allegedly  used an algorithm in the software  to evoke a different calibration , only because the drive wheels are turning and not the rear  in test lab conditions (2wd) .

 

Fuel octane:- Honda have chosen to use 91 octane because many countries don't have the luxury of better refining and choice.  so its cheaper to opt for one calibration then multiples.

It may be  possible by increasing the spark advance  map in certain areas of the Honda Nc  so  torque and bhp could be increased   ,but this would mean higher fuel octanes to avoid detonation or employ expensive control systems.

Most car engines have sophisticated  multi spark and fuel maps for water , air temp offsets , atmosphere pressure and most engines have knock sensors , so they can calibrate closer to  to the max torque value and stay clear by a small tolerance from detonation .

I once tested a prototype vehicle on road dyno at 40c ambient at vmax speed  , the engine decided to explode within 10 mins of driving , examination showed one piston crown had melted due to detonation ,hence thermal runaway , you can't hear  high speed detonation within a noisy test cell.

It turned out the calibrated spark map had not been extensively mapped for high ambient and high water temp offsets on the dyno bed .It took half a dayrs for the guys to clean the oil from the test cell. Ha ho

 

I don't know what bike engines maps include. Of course compression ratio tolerance also  means you have to calibrate to a lower spark value hence lower torque output with no knock sensor employed . so using a higher octane fuel  is just a waist unless in addition  it may contain more additives for engine e cleaning ect.

[lipsee 1,351]

I use 98 oct just before MOT as it improves emmissions,other then that I just use cheapest....

[MikeBike 5,005]

I use 98 oct just before MOT as it improves emmissions,other then that I just use cheapest....

Do you think that there is ANY risk of it not meeting emissions with standard fuel? Maybe you mean a different bike?

[kevo 2]

Do you think that there is ANY risk of it not meeting emissions with standard fuel? Maybe you mean a different bike?

 

absolutely makes  no difference as long as it's at  least  91 octane  , the mot is only a spot check anyway  , virtually a residual load on engine .

[lipsee 1,351]

Do you think that there is ANY risk of it not meeting emissions with standard fuel? Maybe you mean a different bike?

Probaly not with the NC, my wing is abit hit and miss regarding emmissions and I do,nt think there reason not to play safe...another thing I tend to do is make sure the airfilter is clean...All in all using 98 does not do any harm now and again and may do some good.........

[Rocker66 34,436]

Have they now started measuring emission during bike MOTs then?

[Rev Ken 6,331]

Have they now started measuring emission during bike MOTs then?

Not yet! They should ensure the exhaust system is sound and legal. That's all.

[Rocker66 34,436]

Not yet! They should ensure the exhaust system is sound and legal. That's all.

That's what I thought which is why I didn't understand some of the posts referring to the emissions test 

[Rev Ken 6,331]

It is worth saying that just because a bike passes an MOT it doesn't mean it complies with all legislation. That sounds crazy, but there is no 'stripping' so such things as illegal 100w bulbs aren't checked. More worrying is that if you have tyres with a lower speed rating than is legal on your bike it will still pass, but with an 'advisory' if the tester is on the ball. I think it is high time speed ratings are included as now they have computers getting the information is far easier than it was in my day!

[Newoldbiker 45]

I usually go to Tesco which serves Esso fuel and buy their cheapest 95 unleaded.  Did once have to buy the premium stuff and noticed no difference whatever.  

 

One thing I have noticed from my Fuelly numbers is that I get better mileage in the summer months - maxed out at 83.5 last summer.  Usually get around 75-77 in the winter.  Same routes, same style of riding.  Dunno why