We've had an 08 and 2012 650 and used nothing but regular, 87, and no seafoam or any other additive. If the engineers that designed it call for regular that's good enough for me.
My 14 1000 requires premium so I run that.

 

Regular unleaded and no seafoam with my 09 650.

 

Regular, occasional shot of fuel injector cleaner, generally before long rides so it isn't sitting in the tank for long.

The injector cleaner seems to do a fair job of cleaning the fuel filters. I have a spare pump that I brought when I first started having the classic fuel starvation symptoms, gave it some FI cleaner and the problems went away. Pump is still on the shelf as a result.

 

87 here too. I vaguely remember someone saying the bike runs better on 87 than on higher grades, not sure about this. This one thing I love about the Strom is that it's designed to run on 87, something that is becoming rare with motorcycles.

I have a gallon of Seafoam which I run in the lawn mower, snowblower, etc, I also run it through the Strom once or twice a year, not sure if it's helpful, but it doesn't seem to hurt. I use fuel stabilizer when I store the bike over the winter.

BTW, I flipped 97K miles yesterday and the bikes as smooth or smoother running than the day I bought it.

 

On the 650, 87 is just fine. I may put a dash of Seafoam towards winter but I ride year round, so far no issues on my 2008, 58,000 miles.

 

Regular regular for me (87). Have not used any additives yet.

 

Only regular fuel, no additives. Exception is a fill or two with shell premium (no ethanol) and fuel stabilizer in the tank before the winter layup. Use only tier one gas if at all possible.

 

Top Tier fuels contain better detergent additive packages and assure that water is within "acceptable" limits, octane really is as advertised, etc. So it's Top Tier regular 87 blend for all the riding season. I'm getting 60-68 mpg as it is.
Since the 650 has a metal fuel tank it will get a tank or two of non-ethanol 91 before the six month winter lay over here also with a bit of two stroke oil and stabilizer additive.
Using premium non-ethanol 91 isn't worth it when the engine doesn't require it. It's $.60/gallon more expensive and the very minor (if any) mileage increase from the ethanol free benefit will never recoup the cost (unless you count the peace of mind factor).

 

I use 87 but found the higher octane fuel give better mileage. Not much but notable. I use Seafoam and it a habit now. I don’t have problems with 87 and Seafoam.
The higher cost of 93 offset any benefit in my view.

 

87 octane here too with 75,000+ miles. Except for winter storage when I fill, as much as possible, with no ethanol gas (BP premium) and a dose Sta-Bil.

 

87 octane, no seafoam, 91 octane no ethanol in winter when bike may site a month before a decent >1/2 hour run due to cold temps. Never noticed improved performance with better gas but did note better mpg

 

I'm with all the others, An 04 with 101K miles and using 87 and irregular adds of injector cleaner.

 

87 for me also. I have used 91 in the past but my legs tell me the engine is noticeable hotter. Probably just me though. I have never used any additives that don’t already come with the fuel.

 

06 650 with 145k miles, I've always run regular.

One high mileage 650 owner felt there was an increased knock risk with more miles and carbon deposits, I think that might be the case for mine too when it's hot out. I just go extra easy on it on days like that.

 

Thanx for the info. I ride pretty conservatively too. (usually). My mileage was also calculated via old school method. Perhaps I need a cap full of Seafoam.

Captnjim: I’m with most other replies on here. In my vehicles I run the manufacturer’s recommended octane (everything I have is 87). My job takes me away from home for months at a time so, as others, I leave the bike and other engines / tanks filled with non-ethanol with a bit stabilizer.

 

Thanks all for the replies. 87 it is! Maybe I'll throw in a bit of seafoam. Can't hurt. Hit 10,000RPM briefly this week. Man, what a sound. But I do feel guilty, poor old bike,
Hopefully not too bad to do it once in a while? usually 2nd gear, just to get up to highway speeds. I never go over 120km/hr.

 

Thanks all for the replies. 87 it is! Maybe I'll throw in a bit of seafoam. Can't hurt. Hit 10,000RPM briefly this week. Man, what a sound. But I do feel guilty, poor old bike,
Hopefully not too bad to do it once in a while? usually 2nd gear, just to get up to highway speeds. I never go over 120km/hr.

There is one aspect that no one mentioned. AV Gas. If you are going to store your bike I have found that AV gas is by far the best. It has super good detergents, lead, and 100 octane It will not go bad for extended periods. I have had vehicles it in storage for over a year and never had it go bad. It is one of the best fuels you can use as long as you don't have a catalytic converter. They don't want airplanes falling out of the sky because of bad gas. It is really good at cleaning injectors. You can usually find it a small air ports, petroleum distributers, etc. They will not pump it into your bike, you have to bring cans.
Just a little FYI Best regards, Tractormel

 

I always run regular unleaded, & no additives. On my 1st VStrom, I tried 91 octane for a while. Since I always track my mileage, it was easy to see that there was no MPG difference whatsoever, and I couldn't discern any performance difference.

Slowing down can certainly improve mileage greatly. Altitude also affects it. Living in Texas for many years, my bike got 48-50 mpg in general highway riding. In Colorado, riding under the same conditions, I'll get closer to 55. On back roads riding at 5K feet or higher, 58-60 mpg isn't uncommon, and I've hit 68 a couple of times.

 

On my first tank, I only got 150 miles before it started flashing. I think I might be a bit heavy on the throttle. Plus, I am doing a lot of city driving.

 

FYI slightly improved mileage with non ethanol 91 vs 10% ethanol 87 is due to the ethanol and not the octane. V-strom doesn't need the octane and it will add more buildup in the top end. Storing with non ethanol is best. Occasionally run Berryman's B-12 to clean injectors. Not a seafoam believer.

 

I use 87 octane regular but I try to run a tank or 2 of non-oxy premium right before I store it for the winter.
I add a 1/2 can of Seafoam to the tank for winter storage.

 

I used to use AV gas in an old datsun 240Z I was restoring. It lasted for years. But, I don't think I would want to put in 100 octane in it.

 

I habitually use the CRIF fuels, 87 octane, no additives, 55 MPG, only at 44,000 miles on my 2007 Wee. I hardly ride it anymore. It recently sat for 8 months untouched except for battery charger, then fired right up two weeks ago. No issues.

(CRFI = Cheapest Crap I Find)