Despite producing 136 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque, the air and liquid-cooled 1254-cc engine manages to achieve a WMTC-estimated 50 city/highway combined MPG. The bike can reach speeds of over 125 mph and burns every drop of premium unleaded fuel effectively.
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JetSpeed
In most states, BMW advises 89 AKI/(R+M)2 or mid-grade if you have a 2013–2017 R1200GS.
For the 2018 R1200GS, BMW decreased the standard to 87 AKI/(R+M)2, which is typical in states with low elevations.
Personally, I believe the new advice was made without BMW altering the software or the engine; I’m sure it has more to do with the fact that they haven’t noticed any pistons being damaged over time.
Therefore, no, you are not harming your engine. You could likely continue to drive normally and be fine; many people do.
Dealers may also make a software adjustment that allows the engine to run on standard gasoline; I tried it but didn’t like the power loss, so I changed it back.
Unleaded gasoline only:
The majority of motorcycle manufacturers advise customers to fuel their vehicles with only pure gasoline. In all motorbike grades, unleaded fuel offers the optimum performance and efficiency. When using this type of fuel, you will be able to tell the difference immediately. You won’t ever use any other sort of fuel on your motorcycle after you’ve driven with unleaded.
Motodan
According to my manual, octane number. They claim it will run on at least 89 octane, but the majority of people on this forum will advise using higher because 89 is only the minimum advised. In comparison to us lowlanders, higher elevations don’t need as high a number. Even my dealership claims that the premium fuel I usually use is a waste. Whatever makes you feel comfortable and causes no harm… In spark-ignition internal combustion engines, knocking (also known as knock, detonation, spark knock, pinging, or pinking) happens when combustion of the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder does not begin properly in response to ignition by the spark plug but instead involves one or more pockets of air/fuel mixture exploding outside the boundary of the typical combustion front. (We appreciate Wikipedia.)
Can I fill up my BMW with normal gas?
Buying expensive gas for your BMW or any other vehicle might be costly. You may be able to save money by using ordinary fuel depending on the model of your BMW, but there will be a cost. We think that saving money right away isn’t worth endangering your car.
Thanks to more electronic components, most new BMWs can run on ordinary gasoline, but this might put stress on several elements, including the electronic knock sensors in your engine. These electrical parts provide the engine the ability to recognize the sort of fuel it’s using and alter performance accordingly, protecting your engine.
Regular fuel has the additional drawback of altering the performance of your engine, which results in a reduction in power and slower acceleration. But this isn’t a significant loss. Most vehicles that are advised to use premium fuel but switch to normal gas will lose around 10 HP. This is something to keep in mind, especially if you bought your BMW for its power, even if it probably won’t be a major concern if you only use it to get around town.
There are some exceptions to this rule, just like with anything. Certain BMWs do need premium fuel.
These are the most typical causes for a BMW to need premium, but this is by no means a complete list. In the event that your BMW fits one of the following descriptions, avoid using normal gasoline in it:
- Your vehicle predates the 1996 model year.
- It’s a model M.
- It has a turbo engine or one with high compression.
- Your model of vehicle must utilize premium gasoline, per BMW (they recommend that all of their cars use premium, but only require it on select models)
A complete list of BMWs (model years 2012–2019) that demand premium can be found here, while a list of BMWs that recommend premium but can operate on regular can be found here. Remember, though, that continuing to run as usual can have negative effects. Above all, before converting from premium to normal unleaded, always consult your owner’s manual.
Which fuel is best for a BMW?
No matter what model you have, BMW advises only using premium unleaded fuel. That’s not to say that your BMW won’t run on inferior fuel, but premium unleaded fuel will keep its quality over time, allowing you to constantly drive at peak performance.
Do BMWs require 91 gas?
It seems terrible to even consider using normal unleaded in this $129,595 intercontinental ballistic missile. Although that appeared unlikely in such low temps, using the cheap stuff would have been totally out of character with what an owner would do. BMW expressly forewarns about engine harm from doing so (at least until this M5 reaches its fourth owner sometime in 2036). In order to comply with BMW’s requirement for 91-octane fuel, with 93 being suggested, we switched between the popular types of premium petrol based on the state you’re in. Are Californians leaving money on the table with their diluted premium? We were curious.
The dyno findings were unexpected. No, not because 91 and 93 octane have 13 fewer horsepower. No, the delta was within the expected range. Just how much power and torque we measured left our jaws hanging. The uber 5-series is incredibly undervalued on either fuel. While BMW claims 617 horsepower at the crank, the dyno shows that it produces that amount at the wheels on 93-octane premium fuel (after driveline losses). Furthermore, both fuels provided a lot more torque than the 553 lb-ft of claimed torque from BMW.
The acceleration times of the M5 were all reduced by a single tenth of a second thanks to the higher-octane fuel. This propels the five-seat, 4246-pound four-door into the realm of supercars with a time-bending 2.7-second slingshot to 60 mph and 10.8 seconds through the quarter-mile. Although the BMW claimed to have the highest fuel efficiency margin in the test, the lower octane was preferred due to a 0.7 mpg differential. The M5 Competition is evidence that the octane rating does matter, but with these two premium fuels, using 91 octane won’t leave you significantly worse off.
Is Costco fuel suitable for BMW?
In all of our BMWs and other vehicles, we utilize Costco gas. Even my BMW m8 v8 with dual turbos uses it. It’s ideal and effective. Kirkland Signature gasoline satisfies all Top Tier standards for Regular, Premium, and Diesel.
What happens if I fill up my BMW with 87 gasoline?
While my Toyota is in the repair for the next several days, I’m borrowing my brother’s BMW, and I unintentionally put ordinary gas in the vehicle. I assumed BMWs used some kind of premium fuel. What occurs if ordinary gas is accidently poured into a BMW?
In less than two minutes, find out if your auto insurance is being overcharged.
The quick response is nothing. You won’t run the risk of damaging your brother’s automobile because the majority of BMWs can run on ordinary gas.
When you fill up a BMW with standard gas instead of premium, the car will detect this and may operate with a little less power and timing, but all of its components will function as intended. BMWs are equipped with sensors that can identify the type of fuel being used and will adjust the engine accordingly.
If you still feel guilty about filling up your brother’s BMW with ordinary gas, make up for it by showing him the Jerry app and assisting him in saving hundreds of dollars on his auto insurance.
After you download Jerry, all you have to do is respond to a few questions that will take you around 45 seconds to do, and you’ll get car insurance rates for coverage that is identical to your current plan right away. Customers of Jerry save $887 year on average.
Will 89 fit in my BMW?
The minimum AKI Rating specified by BMW is 89, thus the engine ought to be good with that gasoline. According to the BMW handbook, The AKI Rating for entry is 89.
Do I actually require premium fuel?
When a vehicle manufacturer specifies premium fuel, it’s because the fuel system of that specific vehicle is built to function best with higher octane fuel. In an engine that needs premium fuel, using normal petrol could violate your warranty. That is most likely to occur if repeated use results in severe engine knocking or pinging (premature fuel ignition, also known as detonation), which harms the pistons or other engine components. Other issues, such as worsened engine performance and poorer fuel economy, may result from using the incorrect gasoline.
As an illustration, the following is what GM states about the matter in the owner’s guide for a car that needs premium:
“Use 91 octane or higher premium unleaded fuel that has been posted on the label. If the octane level is below 91, you risk damaging the engine and voiding the warranty on your car. When using gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or above, the engine requires maintenance if loud banging is observed.”
Keep in mind that this only applies to engines that demand premium gas. Although some manufacturers advise using premium gas, you can also use standard or mid-grade gas. Usually, they mention that using gas with a lower octane rating could affect performance and fuel efficiency. They advise using premium when that starts to become noticeable, or if engine knock starts to happen.
Can 87 and 91 gas be combined?
Yes, drivers are allowed to mix the two fuel kinds. According to The Drive, the mixture of gas types will produce an octane level somewhere in the center, which the vehicle “will survive.”
Do motorbikes require premium fuel?
Good. There is a minimum octane rating that is required for fuel by every engine manufacturer. Due to high compression ratios, the majority of motorcycle engines, including all current Harley-Davidson engines, need fuel that is 91 octane or above (Premium).
What happens if you fuel a motorcycle with ordinary gas?
How resistant a fuel is to something called detonation will be shown by its octane rating.
But if this keeps happening, you can wind up with some engine damage.
Fuel with a higher octane rating will only ignite at extremely high temperatures and pressures.
Your engine may sustain less damage as a result and there will be a lesser risk of explosion.
Again, it’s critical to keep in mind that certain engines are designed to run on higher-octane fuels.
What happens if premium and normal gas are combined?
Can I combine unleaded and premium gas? Yes, drivers are allowed to mix the two fuel kinds. According to The Drive, the mixture of gas types will produce an octane level somewhere in the center, which the vehicle “will survive.”
Which fuel is superior, 87 or 91?
If your engine works just fine on regular, adding premium won’t likely result in any substantial increases in acceleration or fuel efficiency. Whatever you may have heard, conventional gas today has the same detergent chemicals, therefore premium gas won’t do any more to remove deposits from your fuel injectors or other components of the fuel system.
As opposed to standard octane, which has an octane rating of 87, premium octane has an octane rating of 91 or higher. Premium gas has a higher octane rating, which makes it more resistant to early gasoline ignition, which could cause damage and occasionally be accompanied by loud engine knocking or pinging. More improved ignition timing, greater compression ratios, or forced-air induction devices like turbochargers or superchargers are all made possible by higher octane fuel. When given quality fuel, they work at their best.
However, you should only use 87-octane regular if the vehicle’s manufacturer specifies that it is all your engine needs. Though technically having less energy than lower-octane fuel, premium gas’ greater octane won’t make your automobile go quicker; in fact, the opposite may be true. When employed in the right engine, the fuel’s capacity to be compressed more without pre-ignition produces higher power. There is no such thing as “stronger” gas.
It’s definitely psychological if you buy premium fuel because you believe it makes your car run better: “I’m paying more for gas, so I must be receiving more,” you would think. However, some of that may be the result of favourable weather circumstances (such as warm weather instead of cold) or other causes. Some drivers claim they achieve superior fuel economy with premium.
You are treating the symptom, not the problem, if you use premium fuel because your engine knocks when you use normal. A mechanic should determine what is producing the knock and treat it if it is not carbon deposits or hot spots.
Depending on where you live, premium gas might cost anywhere from 20 to 60 cents extra per gallon. The return on investment will be limited if premium gas is pumped into a vehicle that was made to run on standard gas.