06-21-2016, 03:41 PM
I go from regular 87 octane to mid grade 89 octane in the summer on both of my CBs (and my little Nissan pickup). At temperatures above 110 (in the shade), intake temperatures above heat soaked asphalt can reach 130+ degrees. This tends to cause slight pinging or knocking (detonation, which is different from preignition) under hard acceleration in all three of my vehicles when using regular gas. Using mid grade gas for a few months out of the year solves that problem.
That being said, if you're not experiencing heat related knocking or pinging, using a higher octane won't buy you anything. If you have to sit still in traffic for a prolonged period in high temps, I'd recommend shutting off the engine. I've only had two overheating events in my 35+ years riding air cooled bikes in the desert and both involved sitting still with the engine idling for more than 20 min. in temps above 100 degrees.
That being said, if you're not experiencing heat related knocking or pinging, using a higher octane won't buy you anything. If you have to sit still in traffic for a prolonged period in high temps, I'd recommend shutting off the engine. I've only had two overheating events in my 35+ years riding air cooled bikes in the desert and both involved sitting still with the engine idling for more than 20 min. in temps above 100 degrees.