What Kind of Gas Should I Use in My UTV?

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The last thing you want is to be in the middle of an awesome day out on your UTV when suddenly, you run out of gas. Or worse, maybe you put the wrong kind of gas into your machine. Either way, you don’t want to be caught not knowing your stuff when it comes to your UTV and gasoline. To know and understand what kind of gas you should use in your UTV, keep reading. Before getting into which kind of gas is best, it’s helpful to understand what octane is. When you look at the gas pumps you will see different numbers on each kind of gasoline. For example, you can expect to see 87, 88, or 92 octane gas at the pump. The octane rating, or number, indicates how much the fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. Igniting, as you can imagine, is bad for your engine. The lower the number, the least amount of compression it can handle. Your engine has a compression ratio that determines what octane number you’ll need. Usually the higher your compression ratio, the higher your horsepower and the higher octane number you will need. For reference, premium gas is usually an octane level of 92 or 93. Eighty-seven is considered a regular octane level. So what does your UTV really need? Here are a few things to consider: double sport quadrocycle, 4x4 wheels Owner’s manual Before taking anyone else’s word for it, you should consult your owner’s manual. Inside you will find information about your engine and its compression ratio, as well as recommendations for the best octane level for your machine. When in doubt, go with the instructions given by the maker of your UTV in the owner’s manual. Longevity How long your gasoline will stay fresh in the tank may or may not matter to you. If you are riding pretty regularly, you probably don’t need to worry about the gasoline that stays in your tank because it’s going to get used up quickly. If, however, you don’t get out as much as you’d like and the gas sits in your UTV for days and weeks on end, you should take that into consideration when choosing gas for your machine. Typically, higher octane gas will last longer in your tank before degrading. Lower octane gas is more likely to have contaminants; the left over gas will also start to varnish whatever it is in contact with. If you prefer a lower octane gas, you can try using a fuel additive to avoid this. Performance There are some that are of the opinion that premium gasoline makes for a better performance. Others will disagree and say that regular old 87 octane gas is good enough. As long as your owner’s manual doesn’t specifically state otherwise, why not test it out for yourself and see if you notice a difference! If you are looking to increase the performance of your UTV through another means, visit the guys at UTV Windshields & Accessories for some fun additions to your ride.

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