[Pepi]

I apologize if this has been discussed before. I did a search on google and didn't really see a consistency. The manual for a 796 says 91 octane but I've read that lower octane is better to help with buildup and cold starts?

Thanks.

 

[Duc96cr]

You can hardly ever go wrong following the manual, unless it’s a misprint. My opinion is if you can get non ethanol fuel and don’t mind the cost, do it. If you have a plastic tank, you’d be foolish not to.

 

[Pepi]

And yet many have claimed that lower octane fuel has solved their cold start issues...this is what I'm trying to figure out...

Non ethanol fuel? Who sells that in Canada?

 

[Duc96cr]

Unlike some other websites, this one doesn’t show your location. Advice is always easier to give if you have that bit of data. I have no idea who sells non ethanol fuel in Canada, try doing a web search. I didn’t even know you did have ethanol fuel. I thought that was just a way big AG in the US sold more corn. In the US there is a website called PureGas.com that will tell you where it’s available. Maybe it works in Canada too. As for lower octane fuel, try it and see. A tune up helps a lot of cold start issues too.

 

[Shazaam!]

I apologize if this has been discussed before. I did a search on google and didn't really see a consistency. The manual for a 796 says 91 octane but I've read that lower octane is better to help with buildup and cold starts?

Thanks.

You should always use the minimum octane specified by Ducati in the Owners Manual for best power and economy — for your bike: 91 octane Premium. A lower octane than specified by Ducati will not produce more power, or run cleaner.

Ducati determined the minimum fuel octane requirement for your particular engine by simulating a number of demanding engine load conditions on a factory dyno during engine development.

During this testing, knock sensor instrumentation is used to detect detonation that produces slight pinging normally inaudible to a rider. Without getting into specifics here, if detonation is allowed to persist, it can damage an engine—hence, a minimum octane requirement.

The minimum octane requirement for each engine model is then specified in the Owners Manual using the RON measurement system that is used in Europe and many other parts of the world. The US and Canada fuel pumps list octane in a different measurement system so you need to convert the numbers as follows:
91–92 RON = 86–87 US Regular
94–95 RON = 89–90 US Plus
95–99 RON = 90–94 US Premium