Ethanol vs. Your Engine

[Wisedrum]

I live in a very rural area and have access to non-ethanol fuel as it is preferred for the many small engine applications on farm equipment. Question, I know the manual says 86 octane but I have been running the 93 high test anyway, non ethanol at 87 octane should not be a problem, right?

All things equal should have about the same energy as the 93?

Southwend, the CB has low compression, and is low revving. Honda specifies 87 octane, and approved for up to 10% ethanol. You don't need 93 octane and as much as people want to believe and even though wives tales to the contrary abound, your bike will not run any better on 93 octane than 87 octane. You can certainly run 93 if you wish, but you are just wasting money. It will probably run a little better and get better mileage on non ethanol gas from research I have done, but I can't verify that personally. I probably get some of the best mileage on the forum and all I run is 87 octane gas with 10% ethanol. Honda says that is ok for my bike, they are the designers and engineers who built the bike. I take them at their word, I am not an engineer.

some easy and interesting reading if you are so inclined

http://www.cartalk.com/content/premium-vs-regular-1

I stick to this comment. The last couple of months I always used 87 octane gas with 10% ethanol without any problems.
The Honda runs good with an excellent mileage, which my also be due to the warm weather conditions the CB has been driven in.
And the engineers should know more about the bike than any other, which pretend to know a little more, well, but they don't.

Wisedrum