Product Review: VP Racing U4.4 – Love is Like Oxygen
Fact: Higher-octane level of your fuel does not increase the output of your ATV’s motor. Octane is a measurement of a fuel’s ability to resist pre-detonation (which is felt as knocking or pinging).
Fact: More oxygen-enriched fuel is indeed a means of more effective combustion and higher horsepower output.
Fact: VP Racing Fuels offers just such a blend and it’s called U4.4
You might be wondering what good is high octane race fuel if it doesn’t increase power. So the first thing you’re likely wondering is if higher octane does nothing to enhance performance, what is the benefit of pricey race fuel? The answer has to do with what happens when you increase cylinder compression; often a side effect of performance engine upgrades. Increased compression results in fuel that tends to detonate earlier. This pre-detonation (or pinging) is extremely unhealthy for a motor and can result a blown engine. Higher octane fuel solves this problem by offering increased resistance premature combustion. Vp Racing’s U4.4 means to solve this problem and improve output in any engine by increasing oxygen concentration. The result? Increased power and knock resistance with each revolution.
If you are an octane junkie, the U4.4 does contain quite a jump over premium pump gas at about 108 using the pump’s R+M/2 measurement. The fuel also contains lead: a once-popular antiknock agent in all gasoline. We mention this because if you are already running an engine that demands race fuel, U4.4 will fit the bill. The big selling point here is that oxygen content coming in at over 7%. Just like when stoking the flames in your fireplace, more oxygen means more efficient combustion.
What this equates to in the real world is a measurable bump in horsepower (in our case 1.3 horse on our Suzuki King Quad 400, 2.9 on our Honda TRX450R). Perhaps just as impressive as the boost in output that can be felt in the saddle is the fact that the extra go-juice doesn’t alter the way the power is made across the RPM range, rather it simply makes a bit more of it everywhere.
Another major benefit of the increased oxygen level of the U4.4 is that jetting alterations aren’t required to run it and because it is so rich in O2, handles changes in elevation better than any pump gas. Fuel injected ATVs don’t need to worry about modified fuel maps or ignition plugs either; just fill the tank and hold on tight.
There are a few downsides to report however. Any fuel containing lead is going to be more prone to gooing up jets or injector nozzles when left for any length of time. Additionally, the oxygen content is greater than ATVA Racing’s maximum so there is a chance you could be cheating by running it in your next race. Finally, you may be disappointed at the cost of gas when you fill up the ‘ol Family Truckster, but compared to U4.4’s price of $18 per gallon, pump gas is a steal.
More information can be found on the company’s official site at VP Racing Fuels.