2021 versus 2020 performance (or so i thought for a while)

Piggers · Oct 27, 2021

I took my 2020 GS1250 in for a service last week and they loaned me a 2021 GS1250, I instantly noticed that the loan bike felt quicker than mine and would easily lift the front wheel under hard acceleration in 1st and 2nd. I noticed the loaner had Dynamic Pro turned on, so I checked the settings and when I got my back back i put the plug under the seat in and went to set them to be the same. That is when i noticed that the 2021 has four traction control settings, but mine only has two. I set it as close as i could, but still it didn't feel as quick. Soto check that the difference was not being caused by the Traction control, I turned it off, but still didn't feel as quick. After riding around for an hour or so my Fuel warning light came on so I went and filled up. I put in Super unleaded, like I normally do and as I left the station and accelerated off after the first roundabout to my surprise the performance felt the same as the Loaner had :blast

I then remembered that last time i filled it up, it was with standard unleaded during the Fuel shortage. Therefore unsure if the difference was just between Super and Standard or possibly Super and crap batch of standard :confused:

Winjar · Oct 27, 2021

Piggers said:
I took my 2020 GS1250 in for a service last week and they loaned me a 2021 GS1250, I instantly noticed that the loan bike felt quicker than mine and would easily lift the front wheel under hard acceleration in 1st and 2nd. I noticed the loaner had Dynamic Pro turned on, so I checked the settings and when I got my back back i put the plug under the seat in and went to set them to be the same. That is when i noticed that the 2021 has four traction control settings, but mine only has two. I set it as close as i could, but still it didn't feel as quick. Soto check that the difference was not being caused by the Traction control, I turned it off, but still didn't feel as quick. After riding around for an hour or so my Fuel warning light came on so I went and filled up. I put in Super unleaded, like I normally do and as I left the station and accelerated off after the first roundabout to my surprise the performance felt the same as the Loaner had I then remembered that last time i filled it up, it was with standard unleaded during the Fuel shortage. Therefore unsure if the difference was just between Super and Standard or possibly Super and crap batch of standard

nice read, and yes I think you have your solution, better fuel and fuelling will give better performance, I have feel many times big difference with cheap or good fuel :beerjug:

shifty · Oct 27, 2021

hmm,,thats interesting,, i had to put some E10 fuel in the other week as thats all that was available at the pump, i have always used super unleaded beforehand, didnt think i noticed much if any diffrence but was only riding a steady ride at the time,, but when i came to a stop at tickover i noticed it sounded more clattery and was convinced the dreaded cylinder ticking had reared its head, my bike is a 2021, 1250 gsa,1300 miles old.,, anyway next time filled up with my preffered super unleaded and after a short 40 ish mile ride stopped and listened to the engine and sure enough back to its normal boxer sound and no ticking tapping noises,,

bosnjo · Oct 27, 2021

What is the difference between Regular and Super in UK?
Here in Portugal Regular is 95 octane and Super 98 octane.
Is it that?

SBD · Oct 27, 2021

You need to do a blind trial. Get your mate to take your bike to the garage & fill it up, but not tell you what it is. Better still get your mate to take your bike to a garage and get the garage to fill it up and not tell him what it is.

Then you have to ride and decide.

And pray some tw4t didn’t put diesel in it

M931a2 · Oct 27, 2021

SBD said:
You need to do a blind trial. Get your mate to take your bike to the garage & fill it up, but not tell you what it is. Better still get your mate to take your bike to a garage and get the garage to fill it up and not tell him what it is.

Then you have to ride and decide.

And pray some tw4t didn’t put diesel in it

No need for scientific process here

, I would say that what he did was very valid and that it is well know that the bike will slow it’s self down with shit/cheaper fuel. Personally I’ve never driven it that hard to notice.

Hartley · Oct 28, 2021

Stands to reason the you’ll get better performance from better fuel, I’ve also heard a few horror stories of bad fuel during the recent shortage.
On the front coming up, I run my 2021 GS on regular and don’t ride it hard but a couple of weeks ago I gave it a handful coming off a roundabout to get some distance between me and a car that was being a pita. To my surprise the front wheel came up, this is probably the first wheelie I’ve ever done. &#55357;&#56834;

BigKev67 · Oct 28, 2021

The fuel octane rating is a measure of the fuels ability to resist knock. Knock is an uncontrolled detonation rather than a controlled flame front initiated by the spark plug. Knock can generate high cylinder pressures and have a damaging effect. High octane fuels do not have an increased energy so the bike wont perform better , unless the engine is knock sensitive and I dont believe the boxer engine is.
Now the introduction of E10 petrol confuses the issue. E10 contains 10% ethanol, the old unleaded contained 5% ethanol and was branded E5.
E5 is still available but only as the super petrol grade ie high octane. So now, if you go high octane you are going low ethanol and that does make a difference. Ethanol has a lower energy density that petrol so you may well notice an increase in performance these days between normal and high octane.
The other advantage of E5 is that it will absorb less water during the winter lay up period as it has 5% less ethanol which is hydroscopic, just like brake fluid.
So for me its E10 in the car as I never lay up the car, its cheaper and I can live with the slight reduction in performance. For the bike its E5.

Edmund Kean · Oct 28, 2021

The dealer/bike sales shop clearly knows this and is prepared to fill their loan bikes with more expensive fuel. Quite surprising they would do that… must be a half decent outlet.

Mr Bean · Oct 28, 2021

I can't tell the difference between E5 & E10 or the previous lower ethanol content fuels.

Bike runs smoothly regardless.

If I've calculated it correctly there's fewer than 2bhp less between E5 & E10.

Weird Bob · Oct 28, 2021

I was under the impression that unless your engine is setup to take advantage of higher octane fuel you were pissing money up a tree.

I should probably read the manual but can the modern boxers co whatever it is they do with ignition timing to give more with super unleaded?

I know the older ones couldn’t

Spookos · Oct 28, 2021

My bike seems to run fine on E10 but appears to be more economical??? Generally was averaging 49mpg but has improved to 52…..I might just be getting more fuel efficient in my riding, who can tell ????

Piggers · Oct 29, 2021

Just to add some context

just to add some more context, I was riding fairly aggressively, i suspect If i had not been accelerating hard I wouldn't of noticed it as much. Once up and revving the difference wasn't really noticeable, but the pick up at low revs definitely was.
As a side, the lowest Traction control setting on the 2021 bike in Dynamic Pro is definitely nicer if you like pulling wheelies with some safety control.

I did say in the first post, it could just be bad fuel versus good fuel and not all about the Octane rating.

Cheers Piggers

brianmaslen · Oct 30, 2021

As a slight aside comment referring to the “plug” I don’t believe my 21 1250 GSA has the plug and all adjustments are done through the TFT screen? Or am I wrong.

RallyeGS · Oct 30, 2021

If you mean the red plug that came under the seat of the older bikes, it is no longer required. Bikes come set up from new. Riding modes are customised via the TFT as you suggest.

Weird Bob · Oct 31, 2021

One thing to be wary of when buying the high octane premium is to make sure to buy from a busy petrol station if possible with a good business of performance vehicles coming through.
I was in a small town petrol station in Wales once and was about to fill up with 98. A local biker then warned me not to as nobody was buying the stuff as it was so expensive. It was just sitting in the underground tank deteriorating.

Hann · Oct 31, 2021

RallyeGS said:
If you mean the red plug that came under the seat of the older bikes, it is no longer required. Bikes come set up from new. Riding modes are customised via the TFT as you suggest.

I have had a very brief look at the TFT and options/settings/modes and certainly do not know my way around it very well as yet (just haven`t had the time to sit down with the manual) but the `Pro` modes on mine are greyed out or are not available at the moment, will they be enabled by the technicians when it`s in for it`s first service?

RallyeGS · Oct 31, 2021

Have a look at this….

RallyeGS · Oct 31, 2021

Your an have a max of four selectable (via mode switch) modes available at any one time. Pick your four depending on what type of riding you happen to be doing.

pbbanks · Oct 31, 2021

Personally I would suggest you take one of the others off and always have "rain" one available. We are in uk!.

2021 versus 2020 performance (or so i thought for a while)

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