2 SFC Questions

Spub

Spub

Hero member
Location
Pasadena, California, USA (Left Coast)
What fuel are SFC owners running? Straight pump gas, pump gas with boosters, or race/aviation fuel? I ask, because two SFC owners I have talked with use only 101+ (MON) and I have not been convinced this is absolutely necessary.

Also, when I received the bike (74 SFC - North American version) a previous owner had installed a mod to the Ceriani forks. There are two schrader air valves threaded into non standard cap (they do not have the hex fitting) and I do not know if these are simply just valves inserted to allow air pressure to be added, or whether this is part of new internals. If the latter, I would like to know what I am getting into before I start taking them off to service the fork. Wolfgang guesses they may be a Lance Weil mod, which if anyone is familiar with this, any information would be very helpful.
 
Hi Spud, Wolfgang is right, the air values in the caps were a Lance trick a mod that he did in the 70's. I have a 1976 3C that was lanced.  They serve no purpose, the internals were completely stock. I like to run ethanol free 92 ag gas in my SFC, all my classic bike for that matter. The gas is meant for agricultural equipment, not to easy to find, I found it in the wine county out were I live. 
 
Hey Spub,
I've been running my SFC on premium pump fuel for all it's 27k miles. Use to use 101oct with track use 20 years ago when it was easy to purchase.
Never bothered with lead additives either. Now in Oz our unleaded premium is available in 95 and 98oct depending where you are.
Over here in WA we don't have ethanol yet but over east they do. If I were you I'd go and buy an after market tank to use with your crappy Californian fuel.
Shame to bugger up the original tank.
 
Thanks for the info everyone...Here in California there are a few places that sell 100 octane (AKI) fuel. In California our fuels are rated according to the Anti Knock Index, which is an average of RON and MON. I've done some reading (always dangerous) and it appears Europe and OZ use just RON, which results in a 5 point or so higher octane reading for the same fuel. In most of the US pumps dispense premium at 95 Octane (AKI), but here in California for some reason 91 (AKI) is rated as premium...My understanding is that Europe typically dispenses 98 (RON) as premium (roughly equivalent to the US Non-California premium)...so it appears us stiffs here in California are the ones getting the shaft...
 
Spub,

I have in the past fitted air valves to the Cerianis on my 3C.
Firms up the front end somewhat. 
Also eliminates the fork noise that I?ve had on the bike since new.
However, the extra pressure promotes fork seal leakage earlier than would otherwise be the case.   
So, I don?t use them any longer.   
I also do use more fork oil than specified in the owners manual. 
See JLO?s Laverdamania.net site on this topic.
 
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