Do the 450s (Honda trx450r, yamaha yfz450, and suzuki ltr450) take premium fuel?

 

im pretty sure they can run on 87. I know that once you get above 12:1-12.5:1 you need to use premium ( mine does)

 

12:1 ish you should be running race gas. stock, yes the 450's are recomended to be run on 97ish octane. but it is not a big deal if they are run on 87ish.

 

I agree. But, I'd run premium

 

i run 93.

 

The 04/05 450R has a slightly lower compression ratio. You might get away with a lower octane fuel. The YFZ and the 06 450R are running to much compression for that nonsense though. We pay good $$ for these toys, and it will pay off to feed them right. I would run nothing less than 91 in any stock 450.

 

Premium fuel is a good thing. I'm only riding a kfx 400, usually if im just going for a short ride I'll use regular. But if I'm in for a full day of really working my engine then I'll use premium. I also like to use premium when I'm riding in higher altitudes. But thats just me.

 

All the major manufacturers recommend premium fuel in their 450's. The higher the octane rating the lower the temperature is required to combust the fuel. Thus more power. These may be slight gains in power .5 to 2 hp but the results can be huge when you are a second behind in a moto! My personal preference is for VP Fuels U4 for the 450's that race. However this fuel is pricey. An average racer can get by with a 93 octane such as Shell's fuel for around .20 more per gallon. On a three gallon tank of gas over a year the cost is only slightly higher than regular unleaded fuel. (3 gallons x 40 tanks gas per year = 120 gallons x .20= $24) Pretty cheap! Also the lower grade fuels have been in my experience caused some spark plug fouling in some cases. Take the cost of one TRX450 plug and compare ($15-20) and the diffrence is worth it. Just my .02.

Sorek
Honda/Yamaha Tech

 

Actually the higher the octane rating is the higher the temperature needed to ignite is.
http://www.epinions.com/content_2346164356

 

If you've got a 450 chances are yous hould be runnning premium. If you have something else then you should be running whatever the manufacturer says to.

If they say to run regular then running premium or race gas is only going to waste your money.