Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

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Tramp
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by Tramp »

Thanks for the info geecee68.... I live not far from Fawley.... Do you know the life span of the adatives please..... Some say not very long... Like days not weeks and is there any info on what each company sticks in there fuel.. Suspect its a secret.

So it's basically the same stuff with bits added lol...
Mike54
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by Mike54 »

Rather than all this anecdotal stuff, does anyone have any links to any empirical evidence based on research which shows any difference between the fuels? If not, all this discussion is moot.
Slowboy
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by Slowboy »

No,
All my bikes have run fine on supermarket fuel and fuel from garages, all over the UK and Europe. Even my old Norton Dominator 99 (while I still had it) used to run fine on supermarket fuel.
My CRF250 Rally has done just under 20,000 miles on mainly supermarket fuel (so I'm a tightwadπŸ˜‰) and it's fine.
My sadly missed Ducati 998s also did just fine on whatever fuel I put in, as did my Ducati GT 1000, my Kawasaki GT750 and currently my C90 and C125 supercub.
Looks like a lot of fuss about nothing at all on the face of it.

What about an oil thread............πŸ˜‡πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
Small bike traveller

CRF250 Rally
C90
C125 Super Cub
Geecee68
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by Geecee68 »

I don't know on how long the additives last for. My expectation is that they are pretty volatile so not long. There is a good bit of information online about the effects of different additives in gasoline, so read away. The injectors are also used to add dye to red diesel.

Regular gasoline 'blends' change throughout the year. I never worked at Fawley, but did spend a few days there. I thought that there was a standard blend of petrol all year, but in fact it changes, specifically its different between Summer and Winter. From recollection (and this was 25 years ago), they add more butane to the mix in winter. During summer it vents off. Really wish I knew more.

Anecdotally we have all had problems starting petrol lawnmowers that have been standing for a year, then once you get new gas in....

And on my BMW i3, the gas tank for the petrol engine (that is very rarely used), is pressurised.

It was an interesting business. If you ride around the countryside between London and Fawley you often see the pipeline markers by the road side.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_oil_pipeline_network
johnnyboxer
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by johnnyboxer »

Slowboy wrote:No,
All my bikes have run fine on supermarket fuel and fuel from garages, all over the UK and Europe. Even my old Norton Dominator 99 (while I still had it) used to run fine on supermarket fuel.
My CRF250 Rally has done just under 20,000 miles on mainly supermarket fuel (so I'm a tightwadImage) and it's fine.
My sadly missed Ducati 998s also did just fine on whatever fuel I put in, as did my Ducati GT 1000, my Kawasaki GT750 and currently my C90 and C125 supercub.
Looks like a lot of fuss about nothing at all on the face of it.

What about an oil thread............ImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
I agree with you
We buy things we don't need



With money we don't have



To impress people we don't even like
Tramp
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by Tramp »

Yep the airport fuel line runs across the new forest and a few years ago the pikeys or didds managed to get into the pipeline and syphon stuff off... Took eh a while to notice the thefts...

So if the special adatives don't last its pointless filling a fuel tank on cars etc as its lost its effect long before its used....

Better to add a few drops of snake oil lol..

I'm pretty sure the supermarket stuff has bucking agents and its those that make some engines run like crap..
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by Rallyx »

Got an esso pipe line running under my back garden, cheap av gas anyone. They come round checking the runs quite often. It's the ethanol that's the worst for older bikes/cars that stand for some time can separate and cause problems not good for nylon tanks they expand.
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DaveCon
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by DaveCon »

johnnyboxer wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 6:56 am
Slowboy wrote:No,
All my bikes have run fine on supermarket fuel and fuel from garages, all over the UK and Europe. Even my old Norton Dominator 99 (while I still had it) used to run fine on supermarket fuel.
My CRF250 Rally has done just under 20,000 miles on mainly supermarket fuel (so I'm a tightwadImage) and it's fine.
My sadly missed Ducati 998s also did just fine on whatever fuel I put in, as did my Ducati GT 1000, my Kawasaki GT750 and currently my C90 and C125 supercub.
Looks like a lot of fuss about nothing at all on the face of it.

What about an oil thread............ImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
I agree with you
I don't :D but it is marginal.

Both my F800GS and my Multistrada run worse on supermarket fuel than one of the branded "power" formulas. But the difference is so minor I can only tell if I cover a route I know well and know what to expect the engine to do, like when I'm commuting. The difference is certainly not as noticeable as changing engine modes to a lower setting.

I get a better fuel economy from higher octane fuel but not enough to cover the full increase in cost. Overall I think it's around 4p/litre extra I end up paying but I don't mind the extra cost for peace of mind.

From what I understand Ethanol burns much more slowly than petrol (something to do with the molecule size) so it doesn't help in producing power and hence why you need to alter the ignition timing if you go for the really high Ethanol content fuel. As one of my academic colleagues says "it's just a bulking agent". In other words it's like watering down your beer :shock:

The old adage about filling your tank with fuel if you're laying it up over winter is probably not a good idea any more.
Geecee68
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by Geecee68 »

Despite my history with Oil Co's I just fill up where its cheapest with a reputable brand. Supermarkets have massive throughput volumes so the fuel will always be 'fresh'. If you do have a fuel issue from a 'Branded' outlet you have a follow up route. I'd suggest you watch out when you are in rural areas. I used to have a 911 which encouraged the use of 98 RON over 95 but I never saw the difference at all. Most ECU's will adjust the mix based on fuel grade, but in my experience the biggest difference to MPG is throttle, weather (specifically wind), weight and tyre pressure.
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Re: Petrol: supermarket vs shell etc

Post by PeteDuke »

Makes interesting reading, whether anything comes of it - who knows.

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new ... ic-petrol/
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