Higher octane gas burns slower than the low octane stuff.  That's why it'll "wait" for the spark and not ignite under compression diesel-style.  That's why the other name for "knock" or "ping" is "pre-ignition".  Higher compression engines need higher octane gas.  A modern engine with a computerized ignition control system can get by on a lower octane gas, but there will be some loss of performance or mileage as a result.  Our thumpers don't have all that electronic stuff, so it's moot for us.

Since lower octane gas burns faster, it will give a crisper power pulse.  It's also what our engines are designed for.  If you feel that you're not getting all the additives you need, just add a little Techron to your tank every now and then.  That'll keep those fuel injectors nice and clean -- oh wait, we have carbies!

So I use the cheap stuff.  I'll take the twenty or thirty cents a gallon I save and use it to offset the high cost of espresso!

I concur, High octane is a waste of money in the low compression Savage/S40. It burns much slower. Heck ,my car requires only regular with 10.5 compression, but of course it has a much more sophisticated ignition system including knock sensors. So save even more money with cleaner,better burning 87 octane. And yes the Cessna 150 and lots of other planes will run better on lower octane, but 80/87 is almost extinct so we have no choise but to run 100LL which is full of lead. You can put this in your bike (make sur there's no water) but NOT in your car or a catalist equipped motorcycle) I put it in my Interstate in winter since it gets ridden very little and Avgas doesn't age much;)
Note; DO NOT run avgas exclusively when using synthetic oil since that oil does not keep lead in suspense and it WILL form a greyish slug and WILL ruin your engine. That's why Mobil pulled MObil1 Aviation oil of the market after it ruined many an aircraft engine

I didn't just buy a motorcycle on impulse. First I did the math then I bought it on impulse

I was commuting about 20 miles per day durring the warm months in a Ford F150 with a v8. About 15 mpg if I took it easy. When it rained, I took public trans. How could I avoid a motorcycle? Here are some of the numbers I fudged crunched to justify the bike purchase:

Item	Savage	F150	@ 4,000 mi/year
Gas(gallons)	74	266	$670
Insurance	94	450	Fixed
Government A$$holes	70	230	Fixed
Parts&Acc	350	400	$50
Parking Tickets	0	200	$200
Depreciation	400	1400	$100
Books,Companion CD,SuzukiSavage.com	80	20	($55)
Labor	$0	500	$500
Annual Savings			$965
Cost (used)	$2,100	$7,700	$5,600
Break even			about 3 years.

All in all, I'm not far off from hitting the break even point this summer. The annual savings are pretty close to a grand. I used .52 per mile for the Ford F150, and .18 per mile for the Savage. I've since replaced the F150, but the cage that I replaced it with has a very high depreciation per mile figure, so I keep it at .52 until I get a better number.

The more I use the  LS650 for transportation, the faster it pays for itself and the more I extend the life of my cage. I usually keep a cage for about seven years. If this scheme adds just 2 more years to the life of the cage, the bike would have paid for itself even if gas were free.

Oh, and it's fun too.