What fuel octane ( Uk ) would you use in a 93 strada?

wastegate

OK first dumb question I hope someone can help with. I can't find a simple recommendation with a quick search and am off out today on my custard 888 for a first decent ride. I am guessing a 93 Strada will run fine on super unleaded ( 97 Ron min ) or is 95 OK? I am hoping that the valve seats are all OK with unleaded as I seem to remember leaded disappeared in the mid 90's.

Mr.R

It's a loooong time since I've run a standard motor but IIRC? normal 95ron is OK for your bike.
Leadfree is OK there's no problems with the valves/valve seats.

Steve R

wastegate

Mr.R wroteIt's a loooong time since I've run a standard motor but IIRC? normal 95ron is OK for your bike. Leadfree is OK there's no problems with the valves/valve seats. Steve R

Thanks for that, I hope to run 95 as 97 is soooo expensive. I can imagine the SPx's might need to run cooler but I will try 95 and keep an eye on the temp gauge. I didn't think to ask about unleaded and valve seats and having not found anything about it much on the forums, assumed it would be OK but it's nice to get it confirmed. Cheers. Keith

Darkness

I would use Esso Supreme to avoid ethanol.

Mr.R

Living in Cornwall in the deep SW I can't remember the last time I passed a ESSO station.
I always map my motors using Shell V Power, it's the best fuel available at the pumps "Period!".

Steve R

AndrewS

Darkness wroteI would use Esso Supreme to avoid ethanol.

Is Esso Supreme still ethanol-free? I've been using it for ages on the assumption that it is, but I noticed last week that the pumps at the local Esso station (in Suffolk by the way) now say it is "E5". I've tried emailing Esso but of course they don't bother replying.

Andrew

Darkness

AndrewS wroteIs Esso Supreme still ethanol-free? I've been using it for ages on the assumption that it is, but I noticed last week that the pumps at the local Esso station (in Suffolk by the way) now say it is "E5". I've tried emailing Esso but of course they don't bother replying. Andrew

I believe it generally is, though not in Devon, Cornwall, Teeside and Scotland.
Esso’s website FAQ today says:

‘ What is the ethanol content of your fuels?
The majority of unleaded 95 Octane petrol sold in the UK contains up to 5% ethanol as required under the Government’s Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO).

There is currently no requirement for renewable fuel (such as ethanol) to be present in super unleaded (97 grade petrol).

Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland). We would therefore advise anyone who has concerns about the presence of ethanol in petrol to use Synergy Supreme+ – providing they do not fill up in Devon or Cornwall, the Teesside area or Scotland. The European standard BS EN228 covers the requirements for 0-5% ethanol unleaded petrol, the labelling requirement for zero % ethanol is E5 (as is up to 5%), a E0 label doesn’t exist. We understand that this is confusing if you are looking for zero % ethanol fuel, but as advised we can confirm that our Supreme Unleaded fuel supplied in areas except those listed (Devon, Cornwall, Teeside & Scotland) is ethanol free.

Our Synergy Fuels:

Diesel
Supreme+ Diesel
Unleaded
Supreme+ Unleaded’

https://www.esso.co.uk/en-gb/fuels-faqs

The pumps now have to be labelled E5 which shows they have less than 5% ethanol, even when there is zero ethanol content.

Darkness

Mr.R wroteLiving in Cornwall in the deep SW I can't remember the last time I passed a ESSO station. I always map my motors using Shell V Power, it's the best fuel available at the pumps "Period!". Steve R

Esso Supreme in Cornwall probably contains ethanol (See previous post), but Shell say today that their V Power is likely to contain up to 5% ethanol anywhere in the UK.

Ethanol is a renewable non-fossil fuel. It's made using byproducts from the sugar industry, or from grains like wheat, sorghum or corn. As part of the UK government's commitment to energy sustainability and emissions reduction, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) Order regulates biofuels use for transport and non-road mobile machinery.

In accordance with this Order, 'major suppliers of fossil fuels are required to ensure that a specified percentage of the road fuels they supply in the UK is made up of renewable fuels from sustainable sources.

'Major suppliers of fossil fuels are those that supply at least 450,000 litres of fuel a year, which includes Shell. (For the latest information on RTFO targets and European fuel specification requirements, please refer to the Department for Transport's website.)

The RFTO target is typically met through the use of bio-derived ethanol in petrol and Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) in diesel, which are blended into Shell's UK fuel products in compliance with current UK fuels specifications (up to 5% ethanol in petrol and up to 7% FAME in diesel fuel). This means that, in the UK, Shell regular unleaded and Shell V-Power unleaded are likely to contain some ethanol, but it will not be present at more than 5% (in accordance with current UK specification requirements).'

https://support.shell.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115005935369-What-is-Ethanol-

AndrewS

Darkness wrote

Thanks for that, I must have missed it on their web site. They (and the EU) certainly knw how to make things complicated!

Mr.R

Good info' but all of the engine tuners/uprated motor builders that I know/have been in contact with all use Shell V Power when sorting out the mapping.
Ethanol isn't that much of a problem when it comes to outright performance, it's a problem when it comes into contact with non Ethanol proof parts.
The only parts it's seems to effect on our older fuel injected Ducati's are the fuel pipes.

I recently had a problem on my old Bevel 900SS, the front carb kept flooding when it was "tickled" to enrichen the mixture to start her???
It turned out that the one piece DelOrto white plastic (later/modern) floats had swollen and were sticking in their mount. It finally got so bad that tapping the float bowl didn't release the float so at the side of the road it was time to take action...
5 min's to strip the carb and a couple of min's to cut back the plastic pivot with a sharp knife that I had with me sorted the problem.

Steve R

AndrewS

Mr.R wroteGood info' but all of the engine tuners/uprated motor builders that I know/have been in contact with all use Shell V Power when sorting out the mapping. Ethanol isn't that much of a problem when it comes to outright performance, it's a problem when it comes into contact with non Ethanol proof parts. The only parts it's seems to effect on our older fuel injected Ducati's are the fuel pipes. I recently had a problem on my old Bevel 900SS, the front carb kept flooding when it was "tickled" to enrichen the mixture to start her??? It turned out that the one piece DelOrto white plastic (later/modern) floats had swollen and were sticking in their mount. It finally got so bad that tapping the float bowl didn't release the float so at the side of the road it was time to take action... 5 min's to strip the carb and a couple of min's to cut back the plastic pivot with a sharp knife that I had with me sorted the problem. Steve R

That's also useful to know. My concern with ethanol is really with my 1198S which has a "plastic" tank. But even then, it's one of the late models which had less of a problem (I thiink they changed the plastic?!).

Darkness

AndrewS wroteThat's also useful to know. My concern with ethanol is really with my 1198S which has a "plastic" tank. But even then, it's one of the late models which had less of a problem (I thiink they changed the plastic?!).

The plastic fuel tank on my Elefant definitely doesn't like ethanol.