Tech Bulletin
Advancing the Science of Motorsports™ Tech Bulletin prepared by Steve Burns, Director-Research & Development
Motorcycle Racing Fuels
MRSeries -- VP Racing’s MR seriesfuels are all AMA-legal for their respective applications and designed to make the maximum power within AMA fuel rule specifications. The MR Series fuels run substantially cleaner than any other motorcycle-specific fuel. Teardowns of factory team engines revealed that MR fuels ran significantly cleaner in intake and exhaust valves. Keeping the intake track and valves deposit-free is important to maintain proper airflow and full power for the entire race.
NEW! MR10TM – MR10 is our newest fuel for 4-stroke road racing where lower octane can be tolerated. It’s targeted to make the most horsepower under AMA Pro Racing leaded fuel rules. Dyno tests have proven up to a 2 horsepower increase over our MR9 in 1000cc bikes and a one horsepower increase for 600cc’s. This translates to as much as a 10% increase in power over pump gas, meaning nothing on the market makes more power than MR10! Because its octane rating is lower than MR9’s, it may not be suitable for higher compression applications.
MR9TM – MR9 has been the most successful fuel for 4-stroke road racing and Supermoto applications for the last two years. Like MR10, it’s targeted for all classes in AMA Pro Racing that allow leaded race fuel. Dyno tests have proven an 8-9% increase in power over pump gas. Used by premier factory and factory support teams including Honda, Erion Honda, Yamaha, Graves Yamaha, Yoshimura Suzuki, M4 EMGO Suzuki, Attack Performance and Kawasaki, MR9 fueled a sweep of all AMA road racing championships in 2004 and 2005. Used in Supermoto by KTM, Yamaha and Honda, MR9 also swept the Supermoto, Supermoto Lite and Supermoto Unlimited championships in 2005.
MRX01TM – Engineered to meet the demands of top professional motocross teams who wanted maximum power with enough octane to run in 2-stroke applications. MRX01 makes up to 5% more power than pump gas and won numerous AMA 125cc and 250cc Supercross and Outdoor National championships prior to implementation of AMA’s unleaded fuel rule. Also produces excellent performance in higher compression road racing applications.
MR8TM – MR8 is designed specifically for 125cc and 250cc GP
2-stroke engines where high octane is needed. Also produces excellent results in 2-stroke karting applications. MR8 makes up to 5% more power than standard nonoxygenated race fuels and has won numerous AMA 250 GP championships.
MR-PRO2TMand MR-PRO4TM – These unleaded fuels are formulated to make maximum power under the current AMA Pro Racing unleaded fuel rule. MR-PRO2 is designed to meet the high octane demands of 2-stroke racing engines, while MR-PRO4 meets the lower octane demands of 4-strokes. Ricky Carmichael
won his 2005 Supercross championship using MR-PRO2 and his 2004-5 Outdoor National championships using MR-PRO4.
Other Motorcycle Fuel Choices
C12TM – Introduced by VP Racing 30 years ago, C12 was the first racing fuel to make more power, proving that burning speed, vaporization and BTU value were as important as octane. Ongoing improvements have kept C12 as the fuel of choice for 75% of VP’s customers. C12 has the highest octane and resistance to deton- ation of any of these fuels, making it an excellent choice for power and protection. More motorcycle National Championships (motocross or roadracing) have been won with C12 than any other single fuel. Because of its value, it’s still the choice for amateur racing as well.
U4TM– Produced to meet the demands of the 4-stroke road race and MX markets for more power at a lower cost. VP achieved this by ignoring AMA Pro Racing fuel rules and concentrating on the club and amateur rules. Thus, U4 passes AMA amateur fuel rules and is perfect for club level racing, CCS, WERA and AFM. This fuel makes up to 6% more power than pump gas. Makes engines faster and more responsive without harming the carburetor, O-rings or gaskets. It’s also ideal for stock 2-stroke MX applications.
U2TM– U2 was designed for stock and modified 2-stroke MX applications. Offers the same big power gains and responsive- ness as U4, and passes the same fuel rules as well. Neither U2 nor U4 are legal for AMA Pro Racing.
Motorsport 103TM – VP's most cost effective unleaded, MS103 provides excellent performance and throttle response while meeting the AMA Pro Racing unleaded fuel rule. MS103 offers superior detonation protection for high compression 2-stroke race engines as well as meeting the high demands of today’s 4-stroke motocross bikes. For additional performance benefits, check out our AMA Pro Racing-legal MR-PRO2 and MR-PRO4 unleaded fuels, described above.
StreetBlaze 100TM– VP’s newest unleaded fuel is well-suited for high-performance motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft and karts. Oxygenated with ethanol, StreetBlaze 100 meets California Air Resource Board (CARB) requirements and is street legal throughout the U.S. At 100 octane (R+M/2), it generates sub- stantial power increases over premium grade 92 octane unleaded gasoline. Offers excellent performance in 2- and 4-stroke MX applications as well as off-road racing, including hare scrambles, desert and enduro racing.
All of VP’s motorcycle fuels are conveniently available from your local VP dealer.
VP RACING FUELS, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, USA TEL: 210-635-7744 FAX: 210-635-7999
Headquarters: San Antonio, Texas.
Offices in Delaware, Indiana, California, Georgia, Florida, Kansas and Washington.
International: Calgary, Montreal and Toronto, Canada; Sydney, Australia; Tijuana, Mexico.
Property / MR10 / MR9 / MR8 / MRX01 / MR-PRO2 / MR-
PRO4 / C12 / U2 / U4 / MS
103 / SB
100 / Test Methods
Specific Gravity @ 60ْ F / .741 / .718 / .730 / .717 / .750 / .758 / .717 / .717 / .718 / .743 / .746 / ASTM D 4052
API Gravity / 65.6 / 65.8 / ASTM D 1298-85
Motor Octane / 86 / 87 / 107 / 98 / 91 / 89 / 108 / 101 / 92 / 99 / 96 / ASTM D 2700-86
Reid Vapor Press. / 11.47 / 11.22 / 6.69 / 9.73 / 6.6 / 9.95 / 7.3 / 8.54 / 9.66 / 2.9 / 6.8 / ASTM D 323
Distillation Fْ / ISO 33405
Initial Boiling Point / 85.6 / 95.8 / 95.9 / 103.4 / 102.7 / 94.7 / 103.0 / 100.2
10% Evap. / 103.8 / 112.0 / 144.0 / 121.5 / 135.5 / 110.1 / 131.0 / 126.8 / 122.2 / 190.0 / 148.0
50% Evap. / 128.7 / 135.9 / 203.7 / 151.8 / 209.0 / 141.4 / 194.0 / 147.4 / 149.7 / 210.4 / 210.0
90% Evap. / 316.5 / 240.1 / 218.0 / 214.5 / 318.9 / 319.6 / 228.0 / 210.4 / 219.1 / 217.1 / 216.0
E.P. / 323.4 / 328.6 / 237.3 / 230.0 / 341.4 / 346.7 / 233.3 / 242.9 / 266.7 / 225.7 / 238.0
Lead / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / No / No / Yes / Yes / Yes / No / No / ASTM D 3237
Oxygenated / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / No / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Elem Analysis
Color / Pale Green / Clear / Yellow / Pink / Pale Yellow / Pale Blue / Green / Clear / Clear / Clear / Ora-
nge
To maintain the original properties and comply with Health and Safety regulations, fuels should be handled and stored in a cool place and
always maintained in tightly sealed drums. Do not expose the fuel to direct sunlight as the ultraviolet rays will oxidize the lead.
The VP Racing Story
At VP, we've been making the best fuels for motorsports since 1975. We’ve developed a well-earned reputation for producing high quality racing fuels respected for their power and consistency. In fact, we've fueled the NHRA Pro Stock Champions for 30 consecutive years – a record unmatched by any major sponsor in the industry.
However, our track record isn't limited to the drag strip. We've fueled champions in off-road, off-shore, circle track, road race, motocross and even airplanes. A VP-powered racer has won every major championship in North America that allowed the competitor a choice of any fuel producer.
VP’s involvement in motorcycle racing dates to the late ‘70s, producing fuels for the U.S. racing divisions of Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. In the late ‘80s, VP became involved in Europe with F1 teams and VP continues to be a major producer in all forms of motorcycle racing on the continent. VP currently produces fuels for the U.S. factory teams of Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha.
Total control over our products is just one of the reasons VP has achieved such consistent success. We blend all our own fuels. We lead them. We dye them. We drum them, test and store them. Our chemists, engineers, dynos and test engines are dedicated to one single-minded purpose – creating the best fuels in the industry. But we don't spend all our time in-house. You'll find us working with racers on their dynos and at the track working with their vehicles. We do all this to stay ahead of our competition so you can stay ahead of yours.
VP Racing products are conveniently distributed through warehouses across the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Europe.
VP also carries a complete line of racing synthetic oils, two-cycle lubricants, performance chemicals, traction adhesives and racing accessories – all of which are available for export worldwide. Distributor inquiries are invited.
The four most important properties of racing fuel
You can't make a racing fuel that has the best of everything, but you can produce one that will give your particular engine the most power. This is why we produce different fuels for different applications. The key to getting the best racing gasoline is not necessarily buying the fuel with the highest octane, but getting one that is best suited for your engine.
- OCTANE – This is simply the rating of a fuel’s ability to resist detonation and/or preignition. Octane is rated in Research Octane Numbers (RON), Motor Octane Numbers (MON), and Pump Octane Numbers (R+M/2). Pump Octane Numbers are what you see on the yellow decal at the gas stations and represents an average of RON and MON. VP uses MON because this test method is more relevant to racing. Most other companies use RON because it is higher, easier to come by, and sounds better in marketing messages. Don't be fooled by high RON numbers or an average -- MON is the most important for a racing application. However, the ability of the fuel to resist preignition is more than just a function of octane.
- BURNING SPEED - The speed at which fuel releases its energy. In a high-speed internal combustion engine, there is very little time (real time - not crank rotation) for the fuel to release its energy. Peak cylinder pressure should occur around 20° ATDC. If the fuel is still burning after this, it is not contributing to peak cylinder pressure, which is what the rear wheels see.
- ENERGY VALUE - An expression of the potential in the fuel. The energy value is measured in BTUs per pound, not per gallon. The difference is important. The air:fuel ratio is in weight, not volume. Remember, this is the potential energy value of the fuel. This difference will show up at any compression ratio or engine speed.
- COOLING EFFECT: The cooling effect on fuel is related to the heat of vaporization. The higher the heat of vaporization, the better its effect on cooling the intake mixture. This is of some benefit in a four-stroke engine, but can be a big gain in two-stroke engines.
2/06