Interesting tread.. I build vintage British motorcycles for land speed racing. My one bike has held several world speed records . Getting 1.5 hp per cubic inch out of 1930's air cooled designs is a challange, the engines are stressed to the limits of durability and a small error in tuning can stick a piston...
The bikes have spent hours on the dyno be thrashed while tuning to get every thing it has..I'm no genius so I had to learn this from trials
and discussions with experienced engine builders.
Because of cylinder pressures ,high octane racing fuel is necessary...I use VP C12, a 110 octane leaded fuel. Once the 5 gallon can is opened so the fuel has a limited lifespan. After the racing I pour the few gallons of leftover race gas into my street bikes. The ratio maybe 50 to 80 percent depending on how much pump gas was in the tank...These bikes run fine on 91octane pump gas and run exactly the same on the high percentages of leaded race fuel...The pipes do get a light gray color just like back in the days of leaded pump gas.Nothing blows uo nothing gets red...
I do know both car and bike racers using aviation fuel and they do pretty good.It's not as good as race fuel in my opinion but it does suppress detonation.
Detonation needs time to occur, best way to avoid it is a faster combustion burn or fuel additives the suppress spontanous combustion of the perimter gases in the chamber. That's what the tetraethyl lead does...Saying hi octane fuel burns slower contradicts this...
There's a lot of info out there from fuel chemists and engine designers on this topic....
