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Type of Gas I should use?

  • Kaden Denker

    What type of gas should i be putting in my 2004 honda shadow 750 aero, I put unleaded in! also today i figured out my jets are plugged up because my bike will just die with any amount of throttle unless in full choke!

  • Eric Von Zipper

    Clean them carbs and top teir 93 or better, depending where you live.

    Cop asked me once why I had a 75 taillight on a 69 bike. I told him I got rear ended and went to the junk yard and got a bigger light. In fact the bike was a 75 with an outlaw 69 title :-O

    0 likes
  • TJ

    @Kaden Denker regular 87 this is what manufacturer calls for, you could run 91 as your compression ratio is right at the high end of whats considered "low compression. anything else higher than 91 is a literal waste of money.
    higher octane is specifically for high compression engines. Your bike has a 9.6:1 compression ratio. so let me lay this out so you can see how this crap works. Ive got a doc ill just paste it in here.

    Low Compression: ~8.0:1 – 9.5:1

    • Older cruisers, air-cooled V-twins, long-stroke motors

    • Designed for:

      • Regular 87 octane fuel

      • Longevity

      • Cooler running

    • Examples:

      • Older Harley big twins

      • Vintage Hondas

      • Many carbureted cruisers

    Your 9.6:1 VT750 AERO is right at the top of this category.

     

    Moderate Compression: ~9.6:1 – 10.5:1

    • Modern cruisers and mild performance engines

    • Balanced power and reliability

    • Usually happy on 87–91 octane

    • Examples:

      • Newer Harley Milwaukee-Eight motors

      • Some modern liquid-cooled twins

    High Compression: ~10.5:1 – 12.0:1

    This is where “high compression” actually starts in motorcycle terms.

    • More power per displacement

    • Requires higher octane fuel (91+)

    • Tighter tuning margins

    • More heat and cylinder pressure

    • Examples:

      • Performance V-twins

      • Many modern sport-touring bikes

      • Mild sportbikes

    • Very High / Performance Compression: 12.0:1 – 14.0:1+

      • Full performance territory

      • Often needs:

        • Premium fuel

        • Precise ignition timing

        • Advanced cooling

      • Examples:

        • Supersport bikes (R6, CBR600RR, etc.)

        • Race engines

        • High-end European bikes

    Bottom Line in plain english here - 

    9.6:1 is not high compression

    It’s a reliability-focused, easy-living motor

    A true high-compression engine starts around 10.5:1+

    Sportbike territory is 12:1 and up

    That’s why your Shadow can run forever on cheap gas, tolerate imperfect tuning, and survive abuse—while high-compression engines make more power but demand precision and premium fuel.

    DO FUN SHIT!
    Check the FAQ's here for tons of tuning info and more!! - t.ly/MA6r6

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