Vespa Club of Britain forum

[leavesontheline]

Hello experts,

On Friday I'm aiming to start commuting on my 300 GTS - 110 mile round trip each day so Friday might be the first and last day. Just wondered if there was any benefit to using super unleaded for long journeys. Does the extra cost give a decent return in performance/mpg?

And any advice about beating the cold would be appreciated,

Leavesontheline.

[superletta]

super is better in higher compression engines and with certain 2 strokes ie a kitted vespa /lambretta for example since higher octane=later ignition = cooler running
but not up on what benefits it gives in a 4 stroke motor that isnt a fire breathing monster , apparently burns more efficiently giving higher mpg, wether it outweighs the extra cost i dont know, try it ,it'll run fine on either ... interestingly theres not much difference in price between unl and super unl in europe,and the super is higher octane than here..why do we always get ripped off

http://www.racq.com.au/motoring_advice/ ... tane_fuels

As for the cold...proper riding gear,flyscreen and handlebar muffs would be a good start, even one of those curtain things that go over your lap that fold up to the legshield when not in use if you wanted to go that far..
Failing that car or train

http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic17854.html

[leavesontheline]

I've got a flyscreen and some thermals, decent jacket and gloves. And ear plugs.

As for the train suggestion - I've been commuting by train for 27 years which is why I've decided to try a scooter before I go completely insane. I like the 300 so much it seems like a perfect excuse to be on it for about 3 hours a day.

I'll try a couple of days on Super unleaded and a couple on ordinary and see how the figures compare.

Thanks for the advice. Appreciated.

[superletta]

Thought you might have been (train commuting), hence the name

Handlebar muffs like the ones on the blokes GT in the pic on the 2nd link are the beez kneez , you dont feel any cold at all through them.

[coaster]

What grade does Piagio recommend? if the engine is standard then there will be NO beneit from using a higher octane fuel, just chucking good money away.

[Scoots and Vans]

Hi, running on higher octane should give you a higher MPG as the fuel is more explosive so releases more energy per a litre than lower a lower octane fuel if in any doubt fill up at a supermarket “yes I know it’s an extreme” but the fuel there will be of a low octane and see how many miles you get per a tank then fill up with a higher octane fuel and compare the difference in miles covered
A commute drive should show the difference quite clearly as it is a good long run, it’s simple physics if you are getting more energy per a litre from a fuel then you need less of it to achieve the same results of a lower energy fuel
These are the figures I have got on based on my twice a week car 460mile commute with cruise control on using the premium fuel option so it a pretty good datum
Tesco 30.7mpg
Esso 37.2mpg
Shell 37.2mpg
BP 38.5mpg
Total 34.1mpg
A GTS300 being a modern 4 stroke engine should show similar results but with a older 2 stoke engine the difference in MPG would be harder to notice as you never get a clean/full burn like a modern 4 stroke motor
Try it mate and see how you get on

[65vespa150]

The higher octane rating is only part of the story. The super is a denser fuel and that is the reason for higher mileage, the octane rating is only a small part of the reason. The main thing is the super is a higher quality fuel with an additive package that makes it store better, amongst other things. The mileage improvement is claimed to be around 7% and I have seen a small increase, but the main reason I have always used it is because it burns cooler (protects valves and pistons) and protects the engine from pinking. In the old days (christ, that makes me sound old) no self-respecting motorist would dream of putting standard in their motor, these days it seems compromise is more acceptable. You pay for what you get.

[leavesontheline]

Tried Super unleaded today for the first time so only done half of the journey. Engine still runnning in (700km) so presumably that will affect the picture. However, used much less than half a tank coming up here against at least half a tank of standard last week. 38 miles of pretty hard motorway driving (80ish) and 20 miles of choked up roads and stop/start motoring. I'll see how it goes on the way back. The bike, though, is superb although it did seem to be starting to run hot on the way back last week (edging twards the red) - about an hour and a half into trying to get through a very congested South London. However, as soon as I was back on the open road everthing settled down again.

Thanks for the advice.