Unleaded fuel in Mongolia.
 

Can't remember whether I've asked this before but how available is unleaded fuel in Mongolia? Now have a bike with a catalytic converter (XT1200Z) and planning a trip UK to Mongolia and back and would like to know whether I should be changing the exhaust headers for a non-cat variety.

doh :oops2: Just found out that I have already asked this but only had one reply which suggested no problem. Does anybody have any other thoughts?

The person who gave you that reply is amongst the most knowledgeable here so I would run with what he has said.

For completeness, your question from 4 weeks ago and the definitive answer: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...mongolia-64781

What the OP should be looking at is his bike's ability to cope with lower octane fuel.

In some remote places 76 octane fuel (or lower) can be the only one available - so keep topped up with higher grade.

in all the towns you can get 92, in very very small towns sometime they only have 80. if however your buying it from some ones Ger it could be anything.

dropping the cat and making the exhaust cat-free (google JETEX exhausts for home-made pipes and bends, they provide exhausts for the kit-car industry), would help, but ultimately you need to lower the compression ratio to reduce pinking. (pre-detonation).

On the Peking to Paris rally we had a Morris Minor, and an 1800 BMC Landcrab, both burn holes in a piston as the compression ratio was too high and ignition too advanced, so unable to run properly on bad petrol.

Thanks for the comments. I agree that the answer to my original post seems to be the best answer and I agree that octane rating might be the main factor. But has anyone on HU actually taken a modern, high compression, cat equipped bike to Mongolia (what about the plethora of GS's out there?) and if so what are your personal experiences? Sorry to keep on about this but I think it is a major issue.

I have taken my KTM 950 there last week no problem with fuel (water crossings on the other hand).

While there I know of BMW GSs, 650Xs KTM 690s and 990s at the same time. Including the above mentioned Walter Colebatch on his BMW. There are many overlander travelers in Mongolia.

There are also all manner of modern Japanese and European cars on the roads.

Unleaded fuel, in various octane ratings, is all the petrol thatis available. There is no leaded petrol.

Thanks Craig - that's just what I hoped to hear!