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Using 87 instead 91 gas

Afan

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I made big mistake, please be gentle...
I bought my 2013 NC700X DCT 3 years ago (2nd owner) with 4K miles. Today just a couple hundred miles over 30K.
Somehow in my head got stuck that NC uses 87 gas. Yes, I read the manual, and yes I have the Service manual. I don't know how, but I was thinking all the time it's 87.Only time I would use 91 is if the only option of 87 is with 10% ethanol. (Like that helped me now... :mad: )

Just got home from about 2400 miles trip (Route 66, from Chicago to Shamrock, TX) and I didn't have any engine issues (I said engine because I had some tire issues :D). Or at least I think I don't have any issue because when you listen bad sound of an engine for a years it becomes "right one".

Yes, from now on, I'm going to take only 91 (or higher), but wonder if there is anything I should do now? Any "cleaning" should be involved? Some Sta-bil, Sea foam, Lucas...?

I'm planning to take my 30K service (check the fork and oil, bleed the brake fluids, replace the brake pads, change tires...), and wonder if I should mention it to the mechanic? More times I was screwed up by mechanic (by fixing something that wasn't necessary at all) than not, both cars and bikes. That's why I'm asking should I mention it or not.

Thanks for any help.
 
Fine? You mean "87 was fine but continue with 91" or "87 is fine and you can continue to use it"? :D

Thanks Dave.
 
The NC700X owner’s manual recommends 86 pump octane number (PON), or higher. That is the usual octane rating system for the USA. PON is the (R+M)/2 method. If you want to spend more and use 91 PON, you can, but I don’t see the point in doing so. 87 PON is just fine.
 
The NC700X owner’s manual recommends 86 pump octane number (PON), or higher. That is the usual octane rating system for the USA. PON is the (R+M)/2 method. If you want to spend more and use 91 PON, you can, but I don’t see the point in doing so. 87 PON is just fine.
Hm... maybe I have wrong manual?

Screenshot 2020-10-19 173212.png
 
Hm... maybe I have wrong manual?

View attachment 43378
Yes, you are reading the wrong manual. That is probably not the US edition owners manual you got with your bike, is it? Use the manual for US models.

Other countries use RON for gasoline octane labeling. The numbers are different than the PON labeling we use in the US. Use the owners manual for US models. As I said before, the US owners manuals says to use 86 octane or higher, and it specifies that the rating is PON, not RON.

If you want to learn more about various octane rating systems used around the world, wikipedia has an article on it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating
The key sentemce is: “in Canada, the United States, Brazil, and some other countries, the headline number is the simple mean or average of the RON and the MON, called the Anti-Knock Index (AKI), and often written on pumps as (R+M)/2.”
(R+M)/2 is also referred to as Pump Octane Number, or PON.
 
I don't have original manual, the previous owner lost it, with the tool kit. But he gave me the digital version: HERE (on my Google Drive).

Does anybody has correct one, digital, for 2013 NC700X (DCT)?

Thanks.
 
I have over 57,000 miles on my 2013 Nc700x, every drop of gas put in it has been 87 octane.....Higher octanes are for high compression engines, as there are 2 things which cause gasoline to ignite...one-fire (or in engines, the spark from the spark plug) and 2-compression, the high compression engines need the higher octane to keep from having preignition (early detonation in the piston chambers)....Our bikes dont have a high compression engine, thus, no need to run anything higher than 87.
 
To add a little more complexity there is now E15......... that might be labeled 88 or 89 octane. The NC is NOT rated for any thing over E10 and E15 should be avoided.

E15 is a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. It contains 5% more ethanol than E10, which is the most common fuel used in the U.S. E15 is higher in octane – typically 88 octane while E10 has an octane rating of 87. Retailers are offering E15 as Unleaded 88 to highlight its high octane value. It might not be obvious that Unleaded 88 is E15 at some stations.

Honda owners manual from prior years will not mention E15.


Not to be confused with E85 which is 85% ethanol 15% gasoline.
 
To add a little more complexity there now E15......... that might be labeled 88 or 89 octane. The NC is NOT rated for any thing over E10 and E15 should be avoided.

E15 is a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. It contains 5% more ethanol than E10, which is the most common fuel used in the U.S. E15 is higher in octane – typically 88 octane while E10 has an octane rating of 87. Retailers are offering E15 as Unleaded 88 to highlight its high octane value. It might not be obvious that Unleaded 88 is E15 at some stations.
Yep, and pumps with 3 or 4 octane choices may only have one main hose going to the pump, so you may get up to a gallon of 88 if the person in front of you pumped 88....Some states are requiring different pumps and hoses, but some are not...
 
It is snowing now. Maybe up to 6.5 inches. Hoping for a break to get the GL650 and GL500 for some non-gasohol gas. Drain the carb bowls.

If no break, I'll just take a gas can over and fill in my garage. Put in some Sea Foam and Stabil in each tank. Also fresh non-alcohol gas in the snow blower and generator and test run both of those. I only run the non-oxygenated in the last tank before storage for the winter.
 
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It is snowing now. Maybe up to 6.5 inches. Hoping for a break to get the GL650 and GL500 for some non-gasohol gas. Drain the carb bowls.

If no break, I'll just take a gas can over and fill in my garage. Put in some Sea Foam and Stabil in each tank. Also fresh non-alcohol gas in the snow blower and generator and test run both of those. I only run the non-oxygenated in the last tank before storage for the winter.

One minor problem...........your purchase non ethanol gasoline.............then you add SEAFOAM which has alcohol as main ingredient 10-30% by weight. Some MSDS show 25% alcohol. The other ingredients are naptha and pale oil.

Maybe non ethanol and STABIL.........call it good ?????
 
One minor problem...........your purchase non ethanol gasoline.............then you add SEAFOAM which has alcohol as main ingredient 10-30% by weight. Some MSDS show 25% alcohol. The other ingredients are naptha and pale oil.

Maybe non ethanol and STABIL.........call it good ?????
Thanks. I'll do seafoam in the spring.
 
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