newbie question about nutec & vp fuels

[amaner]

Just wanted to start a thread regarding the potential benefits and/or drawbacks of using nutec or vp fuels in my '97 gsxr 600's (one SS-legal, the other SBK-legal).  Please share your experiences using these (and other) fuels.  Thanks in advance.

Andrew

[Brent Broussard]

Andrew,
I tried the VP C-12 this past weekend and noticed improvement.  I mixed 1gal C-12 to 2gal pump gas.  It runs $30 for 5 gals and did not require tuning.  I can't say without putting the bike on the dyno that I got 'X' number of hp gain, but I can tell you that I experienced no problems.  A buddy pitting across from me ran VP red and required no mixing.  

-brent

[steve gould]

Save your money!!  Why spend that extra dough when it may give you only marginal gains in HP.  Being on a slower bike will benefit you later by having to compensate with higher corner speed, later braking and being smoother.

[ceesthadees]

First of all. You have two racebikes? Jeesh!

I use VP C-12 mixed 50/50 with premium. It makes a marked difference in the mid range (8-11K rpm) on my R6. I did, however, have to lean out the carbs because with the C-12 it was running a little rich. I cannot remember the exact sizes, but I dropped the mains on the outside two carbs and the bike is now spot on.

Hopes this helps


cees

[StuartV666]

The following comments apply to an R6. They should apply the same to a gixxer 600, but I'm not guaranteeing it.

An R6 that is properly setup and jetted for pump gas will gain approx. 4 True HP (i.e. on a Factory Pro dyno) just by switching to Nutec Special 4 (with no rejetting). Nutec Special 4 runs approx. $15/gallon. You can get a couple more HP if you want to dial in the bike specifically for Nutec, but it can take a lot of time and dyno runs to get that last couple. If the jetting is a little off on pump gas, it might seem to run fine, but if you switch to Nutec it will run worse.

If an R6 is properly setup and jetted for pump gas, it will gain roughly 2 HP by running Nutec 112 (their new formulation), again, without any rejetting. Nutec 112 is approx. $5/gallon.

This information was obtained independently from my tuner and from a Nutec distributor.

There is one significant downside to running Nutec Special 4 besides the cost. I'm not sure if this applies to Nutec 112 also, but I'm guessing it does.

At the end of every weekend where you run Nutec, you need to completely drain it out of your gas tank and carbs and fill them with pump gas and run the engine at least until the smell of Nutec in your exhaust goes away.

Reason: Nutec contains benzene. If you run Nutec and then take your bike home and put it in the garage, residual benzene (and/or other nasty stuff in the Nutec) will corrode the internals of your motor. You won't notice it right away, but it will start pitting your valves and valve seats and cylinder walls and piston faces. Eventually, maybe after a season or maybe even 2, you will experience significant loss of compression, and thus, power.

Draining the Nutec and running the engine on pump gas basically cleans the corrosive chemicals out and, if you do it at the end of each weekend where you ran Nutec, your motor ought to last just as long as if you only ever ran pump gas.

This information, too, was passed to me both by my tuner and by the Nutec rep that was at VIR at the WERA Cycle Jam.

Oh, and the Nutec rep said that Special 4 is oxygenated, which means that, once you open the can for the first time, it goes flat, just like a Coke. After 3 or 4 days, it will be flat, at which point it's basically the same as any of the fancy non-oxygenated race fuels (CAM2 was the example the Nutec rep gave).

So, don't fool yourself into buying a can and thinking you'll use it for your next 3 or 4 race weekends. $15/gallon is way too expensive to buy and let most of it go bad sitting in your garage between race weekends.

- Stu

[schpreck]

I wouldn't worry about fuels and power too much.  When you start to get rally fast, spend money there.  If you really want to though, go do a back to back test on a dyno.  Untill then, spend money on rider's schools and suspension set up.  Brakes, too.  Have fun!

-Schpreck

[bfkidd]

Anyone tried straight C12?