I just picked up my new 2012 650 Vstrom from the dealer 2 days ago. As I was reading the owners manual the recommended gas is 87 octane or higher. This gets me a little confuse as I think Suzuki should have been more specific....

Question: Which gas do you use?

87 Octane or higher .... 87, 89, 92, 93 ...

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The only regrets I have in life are the risks I didn't take ...

Regular unleaded is all you need. The cheap stuff. (compared to premium)

87. Higher won't hurt anything except your wallet. Higher won't help anything except the oil company profit.

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2007 DL650A Whee! (SV cam transplant)

Manage the unavoidable.
Avoid the unmanageable.

Don't use the stuff with the large nozzle and green handle. Probably a bunch of Semi's around too.

Personally I like this stuff..

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2005 Suzuki SV1000R
1985 Yamaha XT608N
2012 Suzuki DL650AL2, over 15,000 miles already!

Interesting subject as I just had the 6000km service on the L2.
A very slight hesitation(miss)when idling was blamed on the fuel.I use 95 and the Suzy shop said to only use 98.I'm not so sure










And is a US octane the same as a OZ octane,or just up side down.????

My L2 runs fine on regular. Just FYI, and it shouldn't be missing at all - the stealership is blowing smoke.

Not the same octane rating system in the US.

Pete

you won't get but 50 mpg with the cheap stuff, give or take 10mpg. i've not used anything but regular and have a high of 62mpg and a low of 41.

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2012 wee ADVENTURE, 2012 GOLDWING WITH TRAILER (TRADED FOR WEE STROM), 07 BANDIT 1250 (TRADED FOR 2012 GOLDWING), BANDIT 1200, NINJA 500, Z1000, ZX9R, MARAUDER 800, 650 SAVAGE, 750 KATANA, NINJA 900, '78 YAMAHA 750 SPECIAL, YAMAHA RD400

The Strom is designed to run on 95 and it shouldn't be necessary to use 98 to make the bike run properly.

US octane (MON) and OZ/EU octane (RON) is not the same:
87 octane in the USA = 92 octane in Europe
89 octane in the USA= 94 octane in Europe
92 octane in the USA = 97 octane in Europe
- you can read more about it here.

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Suzuki V-Strom DL650AL2 and Yamaha WR250R - www.bike-addict.dk - It's not what you ride but how you ride it

The OP is from New Jersey where gasoline distribution issues from Hurricane Sandy and other unknown forces persist in some places, so this may be the only appropriate response:

US octane (MON) and New Jersey octane (MOB) are not the same:

87 octane in the USA = If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions in Jersey.

89 octane in the USA = You're lucky you made it before we ran out, the highway is jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive in Jersey.

92 octane in the USA = Frankie, Frankie, Frankie. What the f--- does 92 have to do with 87? I can't believe this guy. F---in' 92 ain't even close to 87. Now what the f--- does that got to do with anything? in Jersey

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Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975