Fuel octane levels in Maroc, Mori and Mali

[tourdeforce]

Very geeky question I know, but does anyone have an idea on fuel octane levels down through to Mali. We will be running a rather sensitive engine and wondered if the fuel will be like the 95-99 octane stuff you get in Europe. I have been through the areas myself a few times, but only in diesel vehicles, so never even looked at the petrol pumps!

Any info gratefully received.

Cheers

Duncan

[Eric DN]

Hi

No problem in Morocco, you can find unleaded gas every where, even when you buy gas in jerrycan, except east part of the country where you can find contraband gas from Algeria, we refuel our tank with red gas (he was not diesel ) we was not confident but no choice, the bike ran not so bad.

Eric

[Tim Cullis]

There's no unleaded below about Tan Tan in Morocco, you have to run on leaded fuel which means you will destroy the cat. The octane rating is OK though. Western Sahara and Mauri is the same.

Tim

[Linzi]

In relation to leaded destroying catalytic converters, I am not an engineer but have heard of cars parked on long, wet grass and the extremely hot catalytic converter cracks! It could be that fording a stream with a bike fitted with a cat. could be dangerous too, or riding in snow for that matter. Linzi.

[MotoMorocco]

The fuel in the Western Sahara area below Tan Tan, where it starts getting heavily subsidised, is utter pants.....we've had bikes conk out there and refuse to run until we refueled with decent stuff in Senegal.

Admittedly this was on C90's but if you're running what you describe as a 'sensitive' engine I'd definitely be looking at taking some octane booster, and a funnel with a fine gauze filter (I don't know if it was crud in the fuel or just very low octane rating but all of the bikes suffered huge drops in the little power they had!)

[Chris Scott]

in Morocco, you can find unleaded gas every where,

Not in my experience even above Tan Tan.
West of Ozte there are few Ziz and Afriquia places, just greasy forecourt 'Shells' with diesel and super only. But can't say I've noticed any diff running even on 'essence' (2 star) out of a plastic jug today.
I'm told cat ruining on leaded takes a few tankfulls - but its bound to happen eventually on the road out of Europe.

Ch

[pedrofconti]

Tan Tan is also the last place going south where you can find the best (lower sulphur) diesel, called in Marocco 50 or 150 or something like that.

Pedro

[tourdeforce]

Thanks for this guys. All very useful info.

Cheers