[newhondaguy]

My manual says use anything 87 and above in my atv.

I am not quite convinced it can handle 93 octane.

I would prefer to use 93 premium to avoid ethanol, but my understanding is that in general EFI engines are timed to run a specific octance, not a wide range. So putting in higher octance can damage a engine that is timed to run regular 87 and the opposite of running 87 reg in a engine timed to run 93 premium.


My 2010 EFI arctic can runs like garbage and is hard to start when I ran premium 93. I was told I could actually damage the engine by doing this.


Anyone have the facts ?

 

[creed82]

I'm not sure...but I've got 3180 miles (338 hours) of 91-93 octane fuel through my 2016 Rancher 420...which runs pretty much the same engine as your Foreman.

 

[mrbb]

you can run it, you just won't gain anything from doing so, unless your super grade is non ethanol
then you will get non ethanol fuel in it, which I also run
I been running super grade 93-94 octane in my 1999 400 since new in 1998!
so, ? I run it in all my small motor machine to be honest!, that or pure non ethanol only
ethanol fuel just goes bad too fast in things you don';t run often! IMO

 

[mac102004]

Technically harder to burn than 87, but should be fine as I've run 91 in my Rubicant a few times without issue. If you can find ethanol free 87 then that would be the way to go. But easier said than done. A lot of the higher grade fuels (90-95) now are even E10 down in 'murica from what I hear.

 

[shadetree]

it's all b.s. !..lol. any engine will run any octane, no matter what rating ?!. the ethanol is what ruins the fuel. it makes it go bad faster from sitting, where is higher octane won't go bad as fast. when I bought my '00 Silverado back in 2000, I was told from the dealer to run nothing but 87 octane in it , too this day, it still runs like it did the day I drove it off the lot. bottom line : run 87 or what ever ya want ?, its still going to run the same !. what you can't do ?...IS LET IT SIT LONG WITH ETHANOL FUEL IN IT !.

 

[mac102004]

it's all b.s. !..lol. any engine will run any octane, no matter what rating ?!. the ethanol is what ruins the fuel. it makes it go bad faster from sitting, where is higher octane won't go bad as fast. when I bought my '00 Silverado back in 2000, I was told from the dealer to run nothing but 87 octane in it , too this day, it still runs like it did the day I drove it off the lot. bottom line : run 87 or what ever ya want ?, its still going to run the same !. what you can't do ?...IS LET IT SIT LONG WITH ETHANOL FUEL IN IT !.

Right....ish. On a daily driver or even something your running every weekend, or every other weekend id just run 87 E10, if 87 without ethanol was readily available I'd sooner run it but no go where I'm at. Things that sit more like my lawn mower, pressure washer, chainsaws etc. I always run ethanol free fuel, so premium since that's what's available.

As far as any engine can run any octane fuel, well no they can't. Obviously if you have an engine that has higher compression than stock, increased timing etc. you would need that higher octane fuel to prevent detonation....so it will run on it but your going to have major issues.


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[shadetree]

it's all b.s. !..lol. any engine will run any octane, no matter what rating ?!. the ethanol is what ruins the fuel. it makes it go bad faster from sitting, where is higher octane won't go bad as fast. when I bought my '00 Silverado back in 2000, I was told from the dealer to run nothing but 87 octane in it , too this day, it still runs like it did the day I drove it off the lot. bottom line : run 87 or what ever ya want ?, its still going to run the same !. what you can't do ?...IS LET IT SIT LONG WITH ETHANOL FUEL IN IT !.

Right....ish. On a daily driver or even something your running every weekend, or every other weekend id just run 87 E10, if 87 without ethanol was readily available I'd sooner run it but no go where I'm at. Things that sit more like my lawn mower, pressure washer, chainsaws etc. I always run ethanol free fuel, so premium since that's what's available.

As far as any engine can run any octane fuel, well no they can't. Obviously if you have an engine that has higher compression than stock, increased timing etc. you would need that higher octane fuel to prevent detonation....so it will run on it but your going to have major issues.


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maybe with todays engines that are fuel injection and all this extra crap ?. OP did not state if his engine had low compression ?, that's a whole different matter, any engine with low compression will have a hard time running, even I know this !..lol.

 

[mac102004]

it's all b.s. !..lol. any engine will run any octane, no matter what rating ?!. the ethanol is what ruins the fuel. it makes it go bad faster from sitting, where is higher octane won't go bad as fast. when I bought my '00 Silverado back in 2000, I was told from the dealer to run nothing but 87 octane in it , too this day, it still runs like it did the day I drove it off the lot. bottom line : run 87 or what ever ya want ?, its still going to run the same !. what you can't do ?...IS LET IT SIT LONG WITH ETHANOL FUEL IN IT !.

Right....ish. On a daily driver or even something your running every weekend, or every other weekend id just run 87 E10, if 87 without ethanol was readily available I'd sooner run it but no go where I'm at. Things that sit more like my lawn mower, pressure washer, chainsaws etc. I always run ethanol free fuel, so premium since that's what's available.

As far as any engine can run any octane fuel, well no they can't. Obviously if you have an engine that has higher compression than stock, increased timing etc. you would need that higher octane fuel to prevent detonation....so it will run on it but your going to have major issues.


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maybe with todays engines that are fuel injection and all this extra crap ?. OP did not state if his engine had low compression ?, that's a whole different matter, any engine with low compression will have a hard time running, even I know this !..lol.

I was thinking more along the lines of like 12:1 piston and advanced timing...lol


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[shadetree]

Right....ish. On a daily driver or even something your running every weekend, or every other weekend id just run 87 E10, if 87 without ethanol was readily available I'd sooner run it but no go where I'm at. Things that sit more like my lawn mower, pressure washer, chainsaws etc. I always run ethanol free fuel, so premium since that's what's available.

As far as any engine can run any octane fuel, well no they can't. Obviously if you have an engine that has higher compression than stock, increased timing etc. you would need that higher octane fuel to prevent detonation....so it will run on it but your going to have major issues.


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maybe with todays engines that are fuel injection and all this extra crap ?. OP did not state if his engine had low compression ?, that's a whole different matter, any engine with low compression will have a hard time running, even I know this !..lol.

I was thinking more along the lines of like 12:1 piston and advanced timing...lol


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andddddddddd...how many of those are found on a stock Honda engine ?..lol.

 

[mac102004]

maybe with todays engines that are fuel injection and all this extra crap ?. OP did not state if his engine had low compression ?, that's a whole different matter, any engine with low compression will have a hard time running, even I know this !..lol.

I was thinking more along the lines of like 12:1 piston and advanced timing...lol


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andddddddddd...how many of those are found on a stock Honda engine ?..lol.

You said "any engine will run on any octane" then went off about your Silverado lol


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[mac102004]

Also pretty sure the CRF450R requires 91+ but haven't looked lately lol stock Honda engine....


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[shadetree]

Also pretty sure the CRF450R requires 91+ but haven't looked lately lol stock Honda engine....


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and that if I am not mistaken ?, is made for moto cross, and its a motorcycle, not a atv..correct ?. I do believe the R on the end stands for racing ?..another story..lol.

 

[newhondaguy]

Yes, that is what I stated. If your timing it done for high octane, then you need to run high octane. Ask anyone who has those high compression two stroke moto cross bikes what happens when you run 87. A buddy has had to rebuild his bike 2 times before he stopped being cheap on gas.

The only ethanol free gas here is premium. FOr the arctic cat ATV I have, I always put fuel stabilizer in it because I had no choice but to run 87 with ethanol. If my honda atv is going to sit for awhile I will also add fuel stabilzer, but I still want to run premium to get away from ethanol.

Yes, I know I will see no performance gains from premium in my atv, but like I said I only want to run it to get away from the ethanol.



I will try to run premium and see how it runs.

 

[shadetree]

Yes, that is what I stated. If your timing it done for high octane, then you need to run high octane. Ask anyone who has those high compression two stroke moto cross bikes what happens when you run 87. A buddy has had to rebuild his bike 2 times before he stopped being cheap on gas.

The only ethanol free gas here is premium. FOr the arctic cat ATV I have, I always put fuel stabilizer in it because I had no choice but to run 87 with ethanol. If my honda atv is going to sit for awhile I will also add fuel stabilzer, but I still want to run premium to get away from ethanol.

Yes, I know I will see no performance gains from premium in my atv, but like I said I only want to run it to get away from the ethanol.



I will try to run premium and see how it runs.

as long as you ride it often ?, and don't let it sit for a couple months ?, you should be fine putting 87 octane in it .

 

[mwemaxxowner01]

Not really related to these machines, but high compression motors, boosted motors, and motors running higher timing not only run better on high octane, some of them will downright require it to not go kablooey. That shouldn't be necessary on any Honda ATV that I know of, but I wouldn't say no motor should need higher octane. My daily driver is a boosted high ish compression motor that can run 87 but runs better on 93.

I've researched running higher octane in an engine tuned to be fine on 87, and best I can tell the claim that it burns up the valves is an old wives' tale with no merit. You can run higher octane than tuned for, but not lower octane. I.e. you can't run 87 in a motor tuned for 93. Some very high octane racing fuels are leaded, which is a no no, but I'll assume we're all looking for pump gas. I have run 93 with and without ethanol in all my small motors and my boat since I was old enough to start paying for all my own stuff. This '08 Rancher has only ever run 93.

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[Macarena Man]

Technically harder to burn than 87, but should be fine as I've run 91 in my Rubicant a few times without issue. If you can find ethanol free 87 then that would be the way to go.

As mac102004 mentions above.
93 is harder to burn ....
Clean 87 is the recommended fuel.

 

[newhondaguy]

filled up with premium yesterday and put on 100km. Engine started normally and it ran fine to me. My arctic cat was harder to start when I ran premium in it.


I wish we had regular ethanol free gas here.

 

[creed82]

True story of octane making a difference:

I owned a 1999 Toyota Avalon (3.0 V6) from 2006 till 2017. I have always had a habit of getting home a night, opening my car door and listening to my engine run for a moment before shutting it off. In 2006, just after purchasing my Avalon, I was parked outside one evening listening to it idle and I thought it sounded like there was an engine knock. It concerned me. In that moment, I reached over pulled the owners manual out of the glove box, and started reading. I quickly found the recommended fuel section and it said: If you run 87 or less octane fuel, a pronounced knocking sound will occur.

I immediately drove down to the gas station, and filled the tank with 91 octane fuel and returned home. When I got home, I opened my door and sat listening to the engine idle. The knock was gone! It was obvious, and simple. I ran premium fuel in that car until we sold it in April of this year. It was efficient enough that the few extra cents never bothered me.

 

[mwemaxxowner01]

If an engine is tuned for 93, I.e. running so much boost, or compression, or timing, to require it, it most certainly makes a difference. Spark knock can occur and engine damage can result.

A motor tuned for 87 can run fine on 93. You're just wasting a bit of money. A little extra assurance you'll get no detonation isn't a bad thing.

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[jameslb]

I run 87 in my 2013 foreman. No problems. When I park it I keep sta-bil in the tank and in the extra 4 gal fuel tank
I keep for reserve.