Optimax Success Story... No... Really!

Before I commence in earnest, I would like to avoid getting flamed with
comments like "Pseudo Spamming Bitch". I am in no way affiliated with
Shell or their subsidiaries, and don't really care if the whole company
disappears overnight. Ok? This post is simply a personal account of my
experiences with the much maligned fuel.

If you have been living on another planet, or are new to
aus.motorcycles, you may not be aware that one subject that has managed
to cause substantial division amongst the ranks is the use of Shell
Optimax fuel in motorcycles. In past threads, Optimax has been
attributed to causing plug fouling, fuel system damage, genital warts,
spousal infedility and global warming (The last 3 are still open to
debate). Many bike shops flat-out warn against it, as it has been a
constant source of false warranty claims and related headaches. I don't
know of the official stance of various motorcycle manufacturers.
Perhaps someone who does could share...

My own personal experiences have shown that Optimax has always played
well in my road bikes, but has resulted in plug fouling and difficult
starting in SOME of my trail bikes. I personally put this down to two
things; 1. The bikes in question may have already had a lot of gunk
buildup in the fuel system, and the Optimax simply mobilied it within
the carbs, and 2. The storage of Optimax for extended periods in
semi-translucent (e.g. plastic) fuel tanks. This second point is
mentioned in Shell's technical information about the product,
suggesting that certain ingrediants in the fuel will "go off" quickly
(in comparison to other fuels) if exposed to light for prolonged
periods. It is for this reason that I don't put optimax in my Yammy
TT600, as it tends to sit for months at a time and has a white, plastic
tank. Since moving back to ULP in the TT, my starting problems have
disappeared.

In my recent road (or semi-road) bikes (CX500, DR750, XJ650), I have
run Optimax on occasion with no adverse effects. Importantly, these
bikes also displayed little benefit for the extra money. They _may_
have been a little smoother, or a _little_ more powerful, but this also
could have been attributed to wishful thinking or the lingering effect
of advertising.

To my most recent experience... This morning I was running low on
juice, so I decided to venture to the Shell servo around the corner. I
was planning to fill with ULP until I realised that half the ULP pumps
were inoperable, and the others had several vehicles waiting. I
proceeded to the Optimax pump and filled the beast (ZR750). Taking off
down the road, I noticed an immediate improvement, something that I
really never expected. The bike now pulls from lower revs, and takes
far less wrist-twist to get up an boogie. It has literally transformed
the bike.

I am putting this down to the fact that the previous owner, in fitting
aftermarket pipes and jetting, may well have optimised the bike for
running this (grade of) fuel specifically, although I don't know how
likely or indeed possible this is in practice. All I can say, without a
shadow of a doubt, is that the bike is indeed a different cycle when
fed Optimax, and that i am going to continue to use it... as least
until my plugs foul, or my first genital warts appear.

 

I should also add that before I ran the Optimax, my bike was showing
signs of a slightly lean mix... spark plugs were looking a little
heat-stressed. The richening/cooling effect of running a denser fuel
may indeed be a good thing for me.

 

Sorry Rod, Harsh week still continues...

**** off "Pseudo Spamming Bitch"


Johno
Interesting read tho....

 

There must be a road to redemption somewhere...

 

<snip>

Back around the middle of last century, one of the fuel companies (shell?)
developed an additive called ICA. Its role was to remove carbon buildup,
but because so many english car engines were only held together by the
carbon, they began to shake themselves to bits once it was freed up.

 

There is, but it is blocked by broken Ducati's

David

 

Note that the aromatics used in Optimax can cause your rubber fuel hoses to
perish faster therefore blocking up your carburation system.

This should change in closer to 2006 when the clean air act takes affect and
Shell will need to reformulate Optimax in order to cut down it's use of
certain aromatics like benzine.

JustAL

 

I saw the movie recently.

Theo

 

You mean crashed.

 

Benefit of the doubt

 

Mine was pushed, plowed into I tell ya

 

Tell it to the judge

 

no need, settled out of court