How Things Work

A reed valve is simply a one way valve. The petals open during vacuum to allow the air fuel mixture from the carburetor into the crankcase during the up-stroke of the piston. It then closes under pressure during the down-stroke to allow the mixture to be forced up into the cylinder. But it does much more than that. The reeds also turbulate the incoming air fuel mixture to atomize the fuel as much as possible before...

If you’ve been around powersports for any length of time, you’ve probably heard a lot of misinformation when it comes to choosing fuel. You might hear things like "high octane fuels burn slower," or "motors that aren’t built for high octane can’t benefit from high octane fuels."

There is a lot of debate over alcohol blended fuel octane ratings, but due to the limits of standardized testing equipment, you cannot measure the octane of alcohol. The ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) only allows the use of carburetors on Cooperative Fuel Research Engines (CFR). Of course, these...

High vs. Low Octane Fuel Stability Does octane play a role in the shelf life of gasoline? Octane is the most discussed property when it...

Specific Gravity is the density difference between one substance and the density of a different substance used as a benchmark. Water is the benchmark for liquids and solids, while hydrogen or "air" being the measurement for gases.

The most reliable way of testing the octane value of a fuel is to use a CFR (Cooperative Fuel Research) engine (AKA knock engine). The CFR testing method was developed in the 1920s as a reliable way to measure octane levels, and the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) still uses is to this day. Not the exact came engine though.

I'm going to bet that you are continually looking for ways to save on fuel costs, especially with the fluctuating price of fuel. However, it's a myth that you will get better fuel consumption by installing a fuel saving device in your car; they don't work. SUPRISE!

AvGas, also known as Aviation Gasoline, is appealing to riders because of the high octane rating, low price (when compared to race gas), and its relative availability. These benefits make it out to be an obvious choice when looking for performance, but some aspects would suggest otherwise.

Without going into depth about chemistry, octane refers to the measure of a fuel's resistance to detonation. The higher the octane level, the less susceptible fuel is to pre-ignition and detonation, also known as "knock."

Do Those Flashy Bottles At the AutoZone Counter Do What They Claim? Bottled octane boosters can, without doubt, technically raise the octane of the gasoline in your tank. However, the extent by which they increase the octane depends on two significant variables; product and fuel dilution. On the one hand, high-quality octane boosters can deliver the octane increases they claim.