Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum as of today. I just retired for the Dept. of National Defense on great Vancouver Island. The day I retired I bought a beautiful (and I mean beautiful) 2006 Ural Tourist with 7400 miles on it. The guy who sold it to me said just burn regular gas in it. I contacted a Ural dealer and he said burn high test (91 octane). Which is it?
Low compression, low stressed motor, I'd use regular.
In Russia people used 76 and even 72 octane fuel for Urals and Dneprs. Regular gas is 87.
Thank you all. Regular gas it is.
as long as it smells it works. just as with my 1960 Willies Stationwagon.
When it doesn't want to start a little thinner into the air filter and it will work...
Had a friend who put diesel in his 1934 Studebaker. It smoked like hell, but it ran.
Lonnie
I had friends in Kodiak who ran salad oil they'd pilfered from the galley in the crankcase of their old Dodge. Smelled like burning peanut butter but it served the purpose...
My old farmall cub can run on 62 octain according to the owners manual. I hope gas never gets that bad....
I would suggest using 91 octane. I used to own many Dneprs and the motors in the newer ones have higher compression. From my experience I can assure you - it will not hurt burning higher octane gas in a lower compression motor.
BTW, octane methods in Russia are different from US. Here we have 93 highest and 87 - regular, in Russia 92 is regular, 98 - high. Some gas stations even sell 100 octane. 72 octane is gone years and years ago...
Is the .60 difference in the 4 gallons killing you?
There is an interesting article written in 2007, updated 2008, by Bill Whisenant, owner of Motorcycle Performance in Madison, Wis., and pilot of the fastest Ducati in America (212.959 mph), about "Bad Gasoline" found here: http://www.motorcycleperf.com/TechTips/BadGasoline.html
This summer together with my son I made the trip we were dreaming of for many years on a brand new Ural Patrol from Oregon to Alaska and back.
Oregon and Washington with their 10% alcohol in the gas were bad and stressed my patience. In some of the very few gas stations where they had non ethanol gas, the gasoline was of bad quality, so I felt like it would be a lottery to find good gasoline. Each time we were forced to use gas with gasoline the engine felt like it would run rougher ,vibrate more and pull less. Nearly each time the non ethanol gas was completely transparent and would not have the typical evaporation spill, later the engine was running rough again too. plus the gas mileage became worse and on high altitude power was low.
Thomas told me that at least in air plane kerosene the indication of transparent fuel is that the brands have got mixed and the fuel is not pure.
"Lukas" ethanol stabilizer did only improve on flat ground and down hill. Uphill we still got pingin-knocking.
"Stabil" ethanol stabilizer made a somewhat better job.
In Canada and Alaska things weren't that bad as there not any alcohol is mixed into the gasoline, often the regular you got in lonely stand alone stations did not feel bad at all.
Alaskan summer this year was HOT: frequently you saw the gasoline bubble up inside the gas filter.
The worst gasoline (supposedly premium 92 ? octane) we got at the Buffalo station in Delta Junction and caused us a bad time for to get to Tok. I must have bored an Australian rider rambling about that gas as he didn't salute at all when he left the restaurant.
At the end of the 12.000km trip I was not as focused on non ethanol gas any more. What I started to do was stay with premium from known brands like Tesoro, Petrocanada, Chevron and add Ballistol gun oil as water absorbent and anti knocking agent. 1 bottle cap per 10 liters - 2 1/2 gal. The same recipe my father used to apply each time we went to Austria in early seventies in his Alfa and BMW.
For shipment we drained all gas and added some Ballistol to cylinders and crankcase.
She started in customs instantly with our lokal regular gas after resting 3 month, something you could not always have in Oregon.
I am interested how the Ural will behave with costarrican gas in high mountain range when she comes out of customs. Here regular is 91 octane and premium 95 octane and supplied by one single governmental supplier.
Lets look and see.
Sven
How long does it take to get your rig out of customs? Its been a while, hasn't it?
In 1 1/2 hours....I will be allowed to take her home but will need several more paperworks before I will be able to get her registered.
I spent most of yesterdays afternoon in customs again.
Wow!! I always thought dealing with bureaucrats was a problem here. Glad I don't live in Costa Rica!! Congratulations on finally getting her back in your possession!!
