What are ya'all using for fuel in your 4-strokes? I am running Yamaha motors and have been using 100% gas, 92 or 93 octane but have been thinking, if I know I will be going through the fuel within the day or so, probably could run the 87 and be fine. If will be sitting over the summer, the go 100% gas. Thoughts?
Fuel in 4 strokes, 100% gas or mix?
- Thread starter sjb
- Start date
Vector,Viper, Nytro,Phaser Apex until 2011 all ran on regular egas. Apex 2011 and up was 91 Octane with the exup. I run premium in my 2012 Apex xtx. Regular will do in a pinch but not the spec although mine ran fine when I couldn’t get premium. SW I’m really not sure but would suspect premium.
Actually that's not the case any longer....starting in 2011 the Apex(s) required 91 octane....the N/A 3 cyls still run best on 87 but the turbo Sidewinder "requires" 91 octane....I put "requires" in quotes because it will actually live on lower octane as long as you don't push it but they really want you to run 91 all the time...I carry small bottles of octane booster in case 91 not available....FWIW
harvest1121
Well-known member
I always use 87 octane in my vipers have 20,000 miles on them. Fuji talked about the guy used 87 octane in a Sidewinder no issues at all. I did accidentally run premium in a Viper it seemed to get better mileage but did not see a difference in performance.
What time are you riding and where? The issue we have is that River between us (I live on the NE side of 'bago). When they put in the new bridge in Wrightstown, they were supposed to have a snowmobile lane, but nada. 0.56 miles of pure concrete! If we have snow, not a big deal, but otherwise a carbide wearer!
I have a few work meetings I need to work around. But available after 3 pm.
snoden
Active member
I run premium in the 18 Sidewinder (90/91) and low grade (87/89) in the 16 Viper without issue in either. The turbo requires a higher octane to prevent carbon build up in the head. A lot of guys I know run ethanol fuels in there 4 strokes, its said to help cool the cylinders better when running hard. Make sure though to burn off the ethanol fuel before summer storage and fill it with rec fuel and a good stabilizer.
We have run a 12 and 13 apex on regular for 11 and 12k miles. I run mine like i stole it often WOT, doesn't miss a beat. Would premium help mpg, or max horse power? Maybe, but it would not (to me) even come close to offsetting the $. I did, however, have a 90 t-bird SC, anything other than premium was a intolerable.
Interesting we run 4 Apex xtx on the premium spec and all 3 do no worse than 15mpg. What is your mpg?
I honestly have no clue. Ride the same loops, know the stops. Will try to get check on our March trip. We both use within .3/gal equal each stop. May run one on premium and one on reg to see. We have a few stops where premium is only option, and I don't notice a difference, but again, not looking for a difference.
Ya check mpg out I would think that’s where you would see the most difference. Even if 3-5 hp gain difficult to tell seat of the pants performance but premium is the spec.
I ran a few tanks thru my cat 7000/yamaha 4 stroke
and tracked MPG"s on 5 tanks of 87 and then 5 of either 91-93-94(pending what station had in super)
and sled ran better on 87, seat of pants , felts like just idles and ram smoother
BUT when running the higher octane fuel
I got like 2-3 MPG's better?
so go figure that out LOL
would have thought with the lesser running's, would have been worse
sled also seemed to start harder on the higher octane in very cold temps?
so., I just stick with 87 , NON ethanol when I can,
I always treat last tank if I think sled will sit for a while, or for summer storage !
and tracked MPG"s on 5 tanks of 87 and then 5 of either 91-93-94(pending what station had in super)
and sled ran better on 87, seat of pants , felts like just idles and ram smoother
BUT when running the higher octane fuel
I got like 2-3 MPG's better?
so go figure that out LOL
would have thought with the lesser running's, would have been worse
sled also seemed to start harder on the higher octane in very cold temps?
so., I just stick with 87 , NON ethanol when I can,
I always treat last tank if I think sled will sit for a while, or for summer storage !
All makes sense higher Octane is lower temp detonation runs cooler starts a bit harder your engine spec is 87 Octane. Ethanol is for Octane so shouldn’t make much difference running 87 or straight gas. 2-3 mpg more is very significant to me with 10 gallon tank that’s up to another 30 miles of range in remote areas.
POLARISDAN
New member
no idea..but why is a 4 stroke yamaha outboard different..it requires(i believe) no ethanal gas? even if im wrong i wont put it in her...i luv my yami(not da sled)
pd
pd
snobuilder
Well-known member
2-3 mpg diff?....LOL...OK, whatever you say.
The Poo AXYS 800 says it likes Prem non eth so that is what it gets. While the gas pump is on and paid for, mamas 2011 Apex gets the same fuel. After 4 years of "testing" ....LOL....,running together on same day, same trail, we are very close in fuel mileage @ aprox. 15 mpg. So if I was to turn off the pump and give the Gen1 the 80cent cheaper 87 octane, are you trying to tell me it will lose 2-3 mpg....LOL....I don't think so , Tim.
But being the scientific type I will do just that and report back....LOL
ethanol produces about 40% less energy (BTU) that reg gas so at 10% eth should see about 4% less fuel mileage if the EFI can sense the difference -if carb then sled should run 4% lean