Octane and performance.

[jmoney08]

I was just looking at a thread and someone said that they actually had better performance with low octane fuel. Has anyone had this experience? I use only the highest octane fuel I can get assuming that it's better for the engine. Am I wasting my money and performance?

[yosemite]

High octane is for high compression motors. The high octane burns slower so yes the lower octane works better on the little scoot motors.
Sam

[conorabc]

If you have problems with detonation go with the next higher octane. If not use regular (87 where i live)

[prodigit]

I've had a scooter that worked best with mid grade (I always forget if it's 89 or 91)
If a scooter is running very lean, pre-detonation may occur, in which case premium fuel will work better.
Once you size up the jets, you probably can run the scoot with lower oct fuel.
A well balanced scoot should go with mid grade or 87; though their MPG numbers may not be as high.

[jmoney08]

I put the regular in the tank and got way better gas mileage. The performance wasn't a problem maybe because I have the carb jetted to the max. Saving money and still scooting. Life is good!

[prodigit]

I've also noticed gas mileage is lower using BP premium fuel, than using a generic fuel; however, performance is also up.
Compared to other 93 oct fuels, I get more or less the same performance, though lower MPG.