Fuel System

• Note: Pay careful attention to which SabMag is being discussed. The fueling systems vary quite a bit from Sabre to Magna to Interceptor, and even between different engine sizes.

• Fuel Pump

  • Fuel Pump Relay

  • Replacement Contacts

• Fuel Sensor Repair

• Fuel Tank Rust

• Fuel Petcock

• Reserve Tank

• Hoses
  • Use bulk hose of the correct size. Honda dealers carry metric hose; it is a little expensive, but $10-$15 worth is enough to completely replace the fuel and breather hoses. We have one report that the large hose between the main and inside to keep it from kinking. Our advice is that if you're going to try this make sure the hose is neoprene. Some compounds don't stand up to gasoline. (It's not recommended to use hose not specifically labeled for fuel use. Mechanic Carleton Anderson in Framingham, MA further recommended NOT to use automotive tubing -- not sure why but apparently it breaks down faster than M/C-specific tubing. Any M/C shop should have proper bulk tubing at ~$4/foot.)
• Gas Octane: "Should I use Premium?"
  • "Premium" gas will not help your bike. The bike was designed for 87 octane and that's what you should use. The owner's manual may say "91 RON". That is the equivalent of the commonly known "87" octane. Higher octanes of gas can cause incomplete burning in the combustion chamber and can carbon it up.
  • "Premium" gas is designed for high compression engines (ours are not) to prevent pre-detonation or "pinging/knocking". Increased compression raises the mixture's temperature inside the combustion chamber. Just the compression alone can ignite the mixture - before the spark plugs produce the spark - and before the piston hits TDC. This is "pinging". To prevent this pinging, premium gas has anti-combustion\anti-knock additives to keep the gas vapor mixture from detonating before the spark plugs ignite the it.

  • For more information: Octane Rating