even on the mainland, i use the better fuel.
No other car/bike I have driven/ridden felt any different!
I can definately tell the difference - my (1150) has always been prone to pinking - both in summer when it's hot and in winter when the fuel is shite. I can almost completely eliminate the pinking if I use Shell V-Power - no difference in performance although it does seem a bit smoother. Don't notice any difference in consumption either although I'm far from scientific about logging it. It has been a constant, OCD-inducing source of annoyance to me that in order for my bike not to pink, I have to use poncey petrol.
On the other hand if needs be and you ride according - it'll run for extended periods on sub 80 ron fuel too.....
Maybe your timing is a bit too far advanced.Heres a check-out/adjustment procedure i found on ADVrider.I know. It's driven me half mad in the past. I've tried everything in the book about 7 times to try to sort it - and nothing stops it for long. [ Should point out that when I say it pinks, I usually have to induce it by whacking the throttle right open under load, so it's not bad pinking, but it still shouldn't be there ]. I've read up endlessly on Advrider (even considered trying what they call 'water-torture') where they seem to suffer from it worse than we do, and the concensus seems to be that some bikes are worse than others and that it may be down to differing tolerances when the bikes are put together in the factory - slightly different positioning of the Hall Sensor, that sort of thing.... certainly my last GS didn't do it. Anyway I had 'got over it' and now you've got me all fired up on it again *twitch twitch*
Pluck
In Calfornia petrol starts at 81 , 83, somtmes 95 n/a, have run my 1150 and others also have run on 81or 83, slight loss of power but NO pinking.
(and it was cheep). Also ticked over normally at 14760ft. (Mt.Evans , Colarado).
dave ( low octain) GS.
