When you drive your car, the main component that keeps it going is fuel. Cars run on either gasoline or diesel. The pros and cons of racing gas vs regular gas for street motorcycles.
What is racing gas
Racing fuel is also referred to as racing gasoline or OHM racing gasoline. This type of gasoline is only for racing purposes. You cannot use it to fuel your motorcycle. If you were to do so, you would void your motorcycle’s warranty. So, if you have a racing motorcycle, you have to race with racing gas.
There are very few gas stations that sell OHM racing gas. It’s usually sold only at race tracks. These stations usually have a sign that says “NO Gas Stations” or “NO Home Deliveries”. And, they are open only on race weekends.
Additionally, racing gas has an octane rating that is at least 100 higher than regular unleaded gas. That’s because racing gas is blended with ethanol.
Regular Gas
Regular unleaded gas is by far the most common fuel for both racing and street motorcycles. However, there are a few circumstances where racing gas might be suitable for a street bike.
If you live in a state that doesn’t offer OHM racing gas and you want to race at a track, you will have to use regular gas. The only other circumstance where racing gas is recommended is if you want to take advantage of a tax break or if you live in a state that only offers racing gas.
Racing Fuel
Mamma Mia! Racing fuel is not like regular unleaded gas. It’s not even fuel. It’s a cocktail of racing gas, additives, and anti-knock ingredients. And, it’s not available at gas stations. You have to purchase it directly from the race track.
Racing fuel is specifically designed to reduce the amount of knock that occurs in a piston. In other words, it’s designed to minimize the difference in octane between the gas and the compression in order to prevent knock.
The problem with racing fuel is that it’s really expensive. It costs as much as twice as much as regular unleaded gasoline. That’s because it comes with a premium price for the high-tech additives.
Racing Fuel for Street Motorcycles
So, where does this leave street riders? Should we all switch to racing gas for our bikes? Not necessarily. You can use racing fuel for your motorcycle if you live in a state that only offers racing gas. This is because racing fuel is actually a mix of regular gas and racing gas.
You can find out if your state offers racing fuel or if it only has regular gas available on the EPA’s website.
Recommended Racing Gas for Street Motorcycles
There are so many factors that go into choosing a racing gas for your motorcycle. Like, what type of motorcycle are you riding, what type of bike are you racing with, what is your budget, etc? Luckily, you don’t have to make all these decisions by yourself.
You can check out forums and websites such as Mfgtuning where other riders share their racing gas experiences and stories. But, before doing that, let’s quickly go through what are the differences between regular gas and racing gas.
Racing Gas
- means racing fuel is a mix of regular gas and racing gas with additives
- anti-knock ingredients reduce the amount of knock that occurs in the combustion process
- better gas flow – reduces unwanted pinging, popping, and knocking sounds from the exhaust system
- higher octane rating – racing fuel contains more anti-knock ingredients than regular unleaded gas
- cheaper than racing fuel – racing fuel costs about twice as much as regular unleaded gas
- racing fuel is not for street bikes – racing fuel is for racing only
- racing fuel has higher ethanol content – ethanol is great for engines that use gasoline because it reduces emissions and fuel consumption
- racing fuel has a lower octane rating – it’s about 100 or less than regular gas
Regular Gas
- is designed to burn without knocking when you release the accelerator
- anti-knock ingredients reduce the amount of knock that happens during combustion
- better gas flow – reduces pinging, popping, and knocking sounds from the exhaust system
- lower octane rating – regular unleaded gas has a higher octane rating than racing fuel
- better for street bikes – regular unleaded gas is recommended for street bikes
- regular unleaded gas has lower ethanol content – ethanol is not recommended for bikes because it reduces fuel efficiency and power
- regular unleaded gas has a higher octane rating – it’s about 100 or more than racing fuel
Conclusion
Racing gas is great for racing motorcycles. If you live in a state with racing gas and you don’t want to race at a track, you can use racing gas on your bike.
But, before doing so, make sure you switch the gas cap. If you use regular gas, you might damage the engine. Additionally, make sure your motorcycle has a carburetor. It’s best to use racing gas if it has a carburetor.
If you opt to use regular gas, you will have to replace the gas filter at least every 30 days or so. Racing fuel has additives that are designed to reduce carbon deposits in your gasoline tank. Therefore, racing fuel is not for street bikes. It’s for racing only. Racing fuel has a higher ethanol content than regular unleaded gas and it’s not recommended for street bikes.
