Low octane fuel in Africa
 

Well there are so many places I thought this thread should be, but non of them correct, so here goes.

Do people know of any online resource that rates fuel in different countries in Africa? On average, obviously, so not to include bush fuel.

I'm trying to get an idea of where I would need to switch the CDI on my bike for lower octane.

Or is there some magical device that can be used to test on-route?

Thanks

Hi,

It might help if you either stated your bike in the post or in your profile, Google is your friend I just looked up exactly what you asked and found it, why not try it yourself?

And it's not so much the low octane gas, it's the crud that gets in your fuel eg. water rust debris from the crap road side gas stations, do yourself a favour and Google Mr. Funnel

Easy when you try.

Sheesh
 

Alright alright easy mr.juddadredd, sorry for asking such a cretinous question :oops2:

I've researched the topic extensively from google for the octane question and on advrider.com for bike related info (KTM 640 Adventure).

I was just throwing the octane question out there to see how others coped with judging when to flick the CDI switch for lower octane, nothing to do with dirty fuel.

Thanks for the Mr.Funnel thing but I think I've got that covered already with an in-line fuel filter.

Hi ya, I wasn't being funny just stating facts now if you had said I've been looking and found a few things but need some help, then I'd have pointed you to the Africa Fuel Prices/Quality threads but you didn't so I won't.

:innocent: google the above as I'm too tired to as got the FLU and you will find it.


I guess you don't research much because you really think the inline is going to be the be all and end all for filtering your fuel, they really do get clogged up as most of the crud gets caught at the entrance thus cutting of the fuel to a trackle, then when people change them they forget that the contaminates that couldn't get through the blockage are still in the fuel line. And then they say well I changed the Filter so it can't be that, just trying to save you some hassle while your on the road.


You can read some of the posts on here as the majority of the badly running bikes aren't because of the low octane it's because of the crud and water. But hey don't take my word for it, find out the hard way.

:innocent:

PM Chris of Motocross Africa and see why he bought the Funnel, then it's not just my personal view, I think his met lots of bad fuel so far, he also keeps a list of fuel stations so you might want to checkout his site.

You shouldn't need to change any CDI settings as long as your below 5000 meters (or it could be feet but I think it's meters) unless you get that pinging sound, in which case switch over then.


Like I said not being funny just feel I'll and it comes across in my writing, ride safe.

Lee

I've said it before and Ill say it again. Ladies tights are the answer (not fishnets), available everywhere and cheap.

Lee's spot on about the fuel lines, flush the line when you change the filter.

Low octane shouldn't be a problem, low octane petrol vapour and air is still an explosive mixture! Same as a weak spark is all you need to run, doesn't need to be good just enough to ignite petrol vapour which is easily done

Crap Fuel.
 

In my experience, play with your CDI thingy once you leave Morocco and until you arrive in South Africa, with the possible exception of Nigeria. Everywhere else my Kawasaki ran like a dog, noticeably down on power and pinging at low RPMs. In line fuel filter cleaned at regular intervals, made no difference. Forget about those power wheelies until you get back to Europe.
Cam J.

Hi All,

Doesn't benzene eat through the nylon (shudders)? my approach is preventative precautions against anything that might get me stranded some place out in the boonies, that's why I read up on the major causes of breakdown bad fuel being in the top 2, bad spark being the top one.

The Mr. Funnel costs about £10 and is small and light and filters out Water and Debris from the gas that's why I recommend them, there's no other portable product that separates water from gas that I know of.
And if the roadside fuel in Africa is like the fuel in Thailand then it will come in those 50 gallon hand pump drums, that rust and build up condensation in the night then that’s not bike healthy.


Cam and Henry... Did you use any of the octane boosters while on the trip, if so how did you find them?

I've got a Dobeck Fuel Nanny on my F650GSD so I can actually boost the fuel running through the injector, but think I might need the extra umph the boosters add.

And did you clean/flush out your fuel tank and hoses when you got back to Home, if so what did you find in the tank? Most of the guys that have done the African trips that I spoke to have moaned about the sludge in their tanks on returning home.

Oh we might as well cover everything in one thread, and did either of you have one of those Foam Air Filters installed, if so what are your thoughts about them? *mrg might be interested in these as well.

Low octane fule + low engine speed + large throttle openings = pinging .. that you will hear. If that occurs - throw the switch on the cdi box (or retard your ingition for those that don't have a switch). If that does not solve the 'problem' avoid large throttle openings - especially at low engine speeds.

Dirty fuel = filter ... if you have no filter it will colect at low points - check the carby float bowel .. drain off the top good fuel back into the tank and throw the rest away. Most of it will be water and dirt .. mixed. If it is 'just' water - you can put some metholated sprits (find a trangia user) in the fuel tank - it combines with the fuel and water ...

Thats exactly it Frank. However driving through a large African city usually requires a handful of throttle at any time to get out of the way of a black smoke belching Mercedes bearing down at you. Sometimes you can't avoid pinging.
BTW dirty/ contaminated fuel is not the same as low octane fuel. If you buy fuel from the guys on the side of the road who sell it in old whiskey bottles you can see if it has water in it. Usually it doesn't have any thing extra in it, it's just poor quality fuel. As simple as that.
Octane boosters are not available in Africa that I know of, maybe in South Africa you can get it. In the rest of the continent, its a struggle to find half decent car oil. Your baby will get wrecked if you bring it here. Mines a 2003, but it looks and rides like an '83 at the moment.
Also, if you're siphoning from a 44 gal drum and worried about H2O contamination, use a clear hose and you'll see what is going into your tank.
I've never found anything untoward in my tank and I have it off (the tank that is) at least every 1000 miles (add another zero for the other having it off). I have a washable air filter and try to get the carby cleaned when it starts to back fire on throttle closure. For a while I couldn't find compressed air to clean out the carby jets. Used flyspray instead, but doesn't really work that well.
Cam J.

I didn't use any octane boosters and the lowest I ran was about 70. I took some spare jets but never needed them. Most of my problems were bad spark related (carry spare HT leads as well as plugs!)

The benzene didn't have any noticeable effects on the nylons, silk stockings might be better, but cost too much...

My tank got flushed by some chavs who torched the bike upon my glorious return, gotta love Britain.

Thank you
 

Hi all, thanks for your above postings - all very useful and answer way more than I asked. And put me straight about in-line filtering.

Mark

PS. Get well soon Lee

Feeling much better thanks, dosed up loads on Vit C and I just got back from a 50 joy ride to stretch out the muscles, the vibrations of the little Dakar are like getting a long massage best thing about riding a Thumper.

Met the KTM owner in Matlock earlier, I call him owner as I've never ever seen him ride it, it's all shiny and Orange and is like totally clean, his a really nice bloke. Oh and an ozzer and hi misses riding and old Bmw 100, nicely rebuilt I might add.

filter it -
 

I have an 02 Dakar- the Lambda does its job well.
1- use a funnel - if it doesn't go in, it can't block it!
2-I use a primary washable (stainless steel) filter before the expensive beemer one to filter out larger particles
3- I have in line filters fitted on my elkamet tanks
4- I do carry some octane booster as a remedy not preventative
5- I've dumped the OE exhaust and use Stain Tune so as to be able to run leaded fuel
6- keep a length of clear tube and, if really in doubt, decant into a see-thru and clean container
It might take a few minutes but much better than crudding up and having to fix blocked fuel lines.