Gasoline
Your motorcycle was designed to get the best performance and efficiency using unleaded gasoline. Most gasoline is blended with alcohol and/or ether to create oxygenated blends. The type and amount of alcohol or ether added to the fuel is important.
NOTICE
Do not use gasoline that contains methanol. Doing so can result in fuel system component failure, engine damage and/or equipment malfunction. (00148a)
NOTICE
Use only unleaded fuel in catalytic converter-equipped motorcycles. Using leaded fuel will damage the emission control system. (00150c)
ETHANOL fuel is a mixture of ethanol (grain alcohol) and unleaded gasoline and can have an impact on fuel mileage.
REFORMULATED OR OXYGENATED GASOLINES (RFG) describes gasoline blends that are specifically designed to burn cleaner than other types of gasoline. This results in fewer tailpipe emissions. They are also formulated to reduce evaporative losses to the environment. Reformulated gasolines use additives to oxygenate the gas. Your motorcycle will run normally using this type of fuel. Harley-Davidson recommends using it whenever possible as an aid to cleaner air in our environment.
Some gasoline blends might adversely affect starting, driveability or fuel efficiency. If any of these problems are experienced, try a different brand of gasoline or gasoline with a higher octane blend.
Table 1. Octane Rating
SPECIFICATION | RATING |
|---|
Pump Octane (R+M)/2 | 91 (95 RON) |
Table 2. Fuel Specification
Common Identifier | Specification | Rating |
|---|
MTBE | Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether | Gasoline/ blends are a mixture of gasoline and as much as 15% MTBE. Gasoline/ blends use in your motorcycle is approved. |
Methanol | Methanol or Racing Fuel | Do not use racing fuel or fuel containing methanol; use of these fuels will damage the fuel system. |
| 5% Ethanol | Fuels with an ethanol content of up to 5% (E5) may be used in your motorcycle without affecting vehicle performance. |
| 10% Ethanol | Fuels with an ethanol content of up to 10% (E10) may be used in your motorcycle without affecting vehicle performance. United States customers: The United States’ Clean Air Act prohibits the use of gasoline blends containing greater than 10% ethanol in motorcycles. |
| 22% Ethanol | Fuel in the Brazilian market has ethanol content which ranges from 21–27.5%. Harley-Davidson Motorcycles configured for Brazil are equipped with engine control calibrations developed to work properly with these fuels. Use of fuels with high ethanol content in Harley-Davidson motorcycles intended for other regulatory markets may result in poor drivability, setting of the check engine light and potential engine damage. |
| 85% Ethanol | Do not use fuel containing 85% ethanol. Use of these fuels will damage the fuel system and may lead to engine damage. |
Catalytic Converter
Vehicles in some markets are equipped with catalytic converters.
NOTICE
Do not operate catalytic converter-equipped vehicle with engine misfire. If you operate the vehicle under this condition, the exhaust will become abnormally hot, which can cause vehicle damage, including emission control loss. (00149c)