What gas to put in Kawasaki Ninja 250?

Question

09 bike with 14k miles
I bought it without an owners manual, previous owner said he used the best gas and i should to. i put in half tank of premium but now doing some research and finding that higher octane does nothing for the 250 as it is designed to run 87 octane. If i'am going to switch to 87 should i use up this tank now? and could switching octane ratings be bad for engine?

Answer 1

Just fill up with 87 octane the next time you need gas. Use higher octane only if the motor pings or detonates in hot weather or under heavy load. That is what high octane is intended to prevent.

You can switch back and forth between grades of gas as often as you choose, and there will be no harm done. Some of my air-cooled bikes need slightly higher octane to prevent detonation during heatwaves, and I use lower octane the rest of the time, unless I'm going to the race-track where I'm pushing the motor as hard as I can much of the time.

Answer 2

Your bike is made to run 87, buying premium is not only waisting your money but also slightly de-tuning it. Octane is added to gas to slow the combustion to avoid detonation in high compression engines. Your manual will state what types of fuel to avoid, some alcohol blends are not recommended.

Answer 3

Manual recommends 87 octane unleaded.



Use 87.

Answer 4

Using the 87 octane is not only fine, but if you read the manual it will tell you it is the recommended octane level. Premium gases use detergents that claim to keep your carburetor clean, so some people choose to use them. Personally I use an additive that stabilizes fuel in between rides and helps keep the carburetor clean so I'm not paying for octane levels that I don't need and, frankly, won't use.

Answer 5

I think the best high grade no alcohol gas is the thing for you!!! if you can afford it. You should also put a product called stabil in the gas so it doesn't varnish. regardless of sales pitches and design claims the higher octane will be more knock resistant. If the motor encountered something they had not expected as far as condition the higher octane will protect the motor more for a few cents.

Answer 6

They are Jap engines, I'm pretty sure they are NOT "designed to run on 87 octane" at all, and certainly as higher compression engines they WILL perform better on premium gas. They do great mpg, and it's not that much more expensive, so it's defintely worth getting the better stuff for it so the engine lasts as long as possible.

Answer 7

try 87 then 89 then 91/92 and see what runs best.

Answer 8

ck this web site,its about ninja 250 owners.

https://www.ninja250.org/