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Fuel

I guess there is a reason that we pay a buck more a gallon for gas.
I think corn sqeezins should be kept for whisky not gas. Too many people around the world depend on corn for a major food source, and now there is a shortage because we have taken a quick renewable resource and made fuel from it. It is not even a good fuel, andis highly corrosive. It takes 5 gallons of corn to make a gallon of fuel
kemo

And the world goes hungry, Good Post Kemo:s
 
There is one station in my entire county that sells Non-ethanol premium. I dont even bother using it because I am so seldom there that I feel it's a waste of effort to burn a couple tanks a year in my bike.

I have never experienced any knocking even at 110 degrees loaded down. I always just fill her up with the highest octane whatever they have and cant tell a difference in performance. But wait...there's more...I recently did the Stage 1 with TFI so I will have to see if I notice any difference after the upgrades.
 
I recently completed a 4000 mile trip from Canada, through the US southwest and home. There were 4 Ultra classics in our group representing model years from 2007 to 2009. We all experienced a lot of engine rattle under load when using the US 91 octane gas with 10% ethanol. Even adding octane boost did not eliminate the rattle although it did improve things a bit. Once we got back to Canada (no ethanol) things settled down. So, my question is: do you folks in the US experience this engine rattle and is there a fix that will eliminate it? I do a lot of touring in the US and would like to know if there's something I can do to eliminate the problem the next time.


Quite often the problems associated with the pinging is due to the lean fuel mixtures on the newer bikes . If you were to use a tuner, even something simple like the TFI, you probably wouldn't have the problems you had. I run a TFI on mine and use the 10% all the time with hardly ever a problem, just an ocasional ping on a very hot day at lower RPM's but otherwise it runs well.
 
I was wondering about possibly trying the TFI Glider. It makes sense that, with the mixture running lean, the bike would tend to knock under load. Even though my bike is stock it should benefit from a tuner or the TFI. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
Quite often the problems associated with the pinging is due to the lean fuel mixtures on the newer bikes ..

Glider, What you said just made me think about what could explain the knock the OP had even though the Ion system should have been able to handle the issue. There must be a limit that the Ion system can retard the spark. Like piezoelectric knock retard systems, there must be a limit on the amount of degrees the system will/can push the timing back. Since some of the stock advance numbers are 42, 44, 45 degrees of advance, even if the Ion system did push it back by 8 degrees (it just can not see the system having the ability to push it more than that),, 37 degrees would still be too much for an engine to digest with poor fuel and super lean running stock engines..

Just a theory but it would explain the whole story. The Ion sub-system did react but its range of retard was exceeded, hence the sound of detonation dues to the extremely lean pure stock running engine.
 
Hoople, I think that you and Glider are right on. Since all four Ultras in our group experienced the same rattling (knocking) under load and we were all using the same fuel in stock bikes, your theory...that the Ion system just couldn't cope...makes sense. I'm quite happy with the general performance of my bike and really have no plans to do any performance mods ie: a stage one, etc. so I'm wondering if adding a V&H Fuel pack to my stock engine would improve its running. I've considered the TFI but really don't want to have to take the O2 sensors out of the system. I think I'd like to go with something like the fuel pack that is a straight plug n play application. Is the V&H overkill or would it do the job?
 
Proper addition of fuel will with out any question make your HD run better in every way. And the newer the bike the more this applies.
The EPA not HD requires they run lean. The bikes will do fine as they are,but if you want it to reveal more of what it can be a good stage 1 with fuel will surprise you.

I have to agree, recently added the stage 1 with the SERT and SE slip ons. It is amazing what a difference there is in the power and response. Would recommend this without hesitation.
 
I would venture a "guess"....
I HOPE your response is NOT YES...

Did you try to find the Cheapest gas and gas station in your travels??

I have found to use Brand Named gas stations Best at home and when traveling.(.)

the Super Savers,,, Jack Pots,,, Town Pumps and along with Many other Names Can NOT LEGALLY,,, but DO "Mix" their fuel and the lower Octane can happen..... And their Fuel isn't the BEST to start with..(i used to deliver Fuel in the old days) Buying the cheapest is in their realm.... A little of this and that, You get MY drift. The cheaper the better for them.

They also(Sub-Stations) tend to buy the OLD gas that has been stored for one reason or another... Take gas Right out of the refinery, The texaco or shells aren't going to give their Cream of the Crop(still Junk) gasoline to a Mom or Pop or a discounted gas stop...... Now Maybe a BAD MIX and it DOES happen, so instead of putting into the Brand Named station, it gets sold low-ball to Brand XXXX... You buy it and the harley nocks and jumps around a little Ion or Not.

For ME alone,,,,I'll always look for CHEAP motels but NEVER Gas Stations...
That is my take ,,,, Bug Spray! :bigsmiley20:

signed....BUBBIE
 
Could it be that the international models don't have the Ion sensing system??

That is always a possibility also. The bike may even have the Ion hardware, but the menu in the firmware has it disabled for international models. It may sound far fetched but you never know until you check it.
 
Bubbie, no...we used Shell and Chevron wherever we could find it. Sometimes we had to use other brands simply because they were the only game in town but mostly we stuck to the name brands of gas. Didn't seem to make a difference. As to Canadian bikes being "international" models, I questioned the dealer on this and the response was that bikes in Canada are not true "international" models even though the "5" in the vin says they are. For example, international models are supposed to have a safety interlock on the jiffy stand...Canadian models don't... certainly non of the Ultras in our group did. So, who knows?
 
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