Can You Use Premium Gas In A Yamaha Motorcycle?

Part of taking care of any vehicle, and especially something like a motorcycle, is selecting the best possible fuels and fluids to put in it. If you're going to take your favorite Yamaha motorcycle out for a lengthy highway cruise, you want to be sure it's pumped up with the best possible fuel for the journey.

According to the Yamaha Motors Australia FAQ page, the best kind of fuel to put in one of its bikes is standard unleaded, with a rating of 91-93 RON. That's approximately 86-91 AKI for fuel pumps here in the United States, which encompasses the usual octane rating for regular-grade fuel. All that said, if you're looking to really push things to the limit, you might be tempted to try the high-octane premium gas in your Yamaha bike, just to see what happens. Yamaha says that doing this won't hurt your motorcycle, but it might not be ideal either.

Yamaha's FAQ page clarifies that using premium unleaded or high-energy fuels in your motorcycle will not cause any direct damage to its components. However, the FAQ also cautions that, should you encounter any problems or unusual circumstances while using premium fuels, you should switch back to standard unleaded right away.

Premium fuels may sound impressive, but they don't actually make motorcycles perform any better. Higher-quality fuel is merely less likely to exhibit potentially damaging side-effects during the normal combustion process that takes place in your engine. If you were riding one of Yamaha's high-performance sport bikes, one that squeezes power out of every last drop of fuel, regular fuel would cause it to endure more damage more frequently. If you're just riding a regular Yamaha bike, though, the engine isn't really working hard enough to necessitate higher-octane fuel.

If you're ever unsure about what kind of fuel to use in your Yamaha motorcycle, the best place to look for confirmation is your owner's manual. The General Information chapter will usually have a dedicated Fuel section letting you know what octane ranges you should be using. If your ride was built for standard, give it standard. That's how you get the most consistent performance.