So now that I have finally found out why my Roadie hates regular gas, (HC pistons were dealer installed when bike was new, and I bought the bike without knowing this annoying fact...)
Now my brain has been wracked with all sorts of things to worry about.
I am stuck using more expensive gas with this bike, I guess. It does get super great gas mileage, which I hope offsets the extra cost of premium.
But the HC pistons only add about 8 HP, and almost no gain on the torque. So in my mind, the upgrade done to the motor was not really worth it from a performance point of view.
But when I go on trips, I am unable to find anything but regular gas in most of the small towns and villages we ride through.
My question to you guys is: Will the occasional use of regular gas cause damage to the engine even if I am careful not to lug it, and I hear no severe knocking?
What else can a guy do if there's nothing but regular gas available for 100 miles or so?
This one of the reasons I did not want a bike that required the use of premium.
Can I change to different temperature sparkplugs to help? What number of plug should I be running, if different than stock?