you're only putting in 3 or 4 gallons to get about 150 miles out of the bike, why not just use premium?
...It might. While the octane/power question rages on, one thing beyond debate is that higher octanes contain nastier chemicals. And I don't mean lead, which has of course been gone for decades now. Premium (and to a lesser extent, mid-grade) gets its octane from aromatics and alkenes, which are much more reactive. This means more smog regionally, more carcinogens locally.might as well use premium. Does it make a difference, who cares.