leaded fuel

[Trip]

I've just bought mine and was under the impression that the R1200GS could use leaded fuel without modification and without damaging the cat or sensors. The manual says otherwise.

The reason this is important to me is that I'm off across asia later this year and there is no unleaded available in most of the places I'm going.

I presume this means I have to remove the cat and also there's some sensor which needs to be changed for a ceramic one or something? (Bike maintenance isnt my strong suit, as you can tell.)

Trip

 

[birdseye]

Leaded fuel will poison the cat. May well not be a problem in the UK where cats on bikes are not mandatory so I wouldnt have thought there would be an MOT problem. Best check. Equally, cant see why there would be a mech problem but again check with BM

Surprised that leaded fuel is available anywhere these days, particularly third world where its not really needed anyway. Are you sure? it was only ever needed for high compression engines without knock sensors.

Incidentally, the 1150 had a catalyst too. So what did Boorman etc do?

 

[snoopy]

Ruined the cat.

 

[Trip]

Surprised that leaded fuel is available anywhere these days, particularly third world where its not really needed anyway. Are you sure? it was only ever needed for high compression engines without knock sensors.

I'm hard pressed to think of an sub-sahara African country where it *is* available. Asia's not so bad but apparently you can get it in Tehran but not elsewhere in Iran and nowhere at all in Pakistan.

I'll talk to BMW and see what they say. Thanks for the response.

Trip

 

[nadeem]

just change the can...

 

[Schtum]

just change the can...

That won't remove the cat'. It's located in the collector for the header pipes. To remove the cat' on a 1200 you need to change the header pipes.

 

[nadeem]

I thought it was in the can, hence why it's so heavy...?

 

[delboy]

I think you will find that Messers McGregor and Boorman's bikes had Remus Y-Pieces fitted in place of the cats but used the standard cans. They acknowledge Remus exhausts in the book and at the Scottish show last year Charley's bike was in that trim. Run better that way in any case!