HIGHOCTANE RIDE TO PENANG

PETRON recently rounded up 15 motoring journalists for a trip to Penang, powered by its RON100 fuel. The “Fuel Happy Road Trip” convoy was flagged off from Petron MRR2 Selayang by Petron marketing manager Danny Chen. The two-day trip took the riders to Penang via the North South Highway, with a pit stop in Petron Bercham in Ipoh to refuel and a food stop in picturesque Taiping.

After crossing the Penang Bridge and another stop at Petron Jalan Hussein Onn in Sg Dua, the convoy made its way to Batu Ferringhi, where they stayed for the night.

The media riders turned up on a variety of motorcycles, including a 1980s 750cc Katana.

They clocked about 700 kilometres throughout the entire journey, all powered by Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4M.

Since its 2016 introduction at seven pilot stations, Petron Blaze 100 is now available at 71 stations nationwide. It will be sold at more Petron stations soon to cater to increased demand.

The premium fuel is currently the highest octane fuel pump available at petrol stations, with a Research Octane Number (RON) of 100, which represents the knock resistance of the fuel.

So, did we notice a difference when using RON100 fuel?

There are too many factors to take into account on rides like this to make an informed conclusion, but Petron briefed us on the benefits of the fuel during a presentation held after dinner.

Petron Blaze 100 uses a formulation called TriAction Advantage which contains a mix of different additives to deliver better power, engine protection and mileage. It comes with organic combustion enhancer, which Petron says provides better engine responsiveness, power and acceleration.

The fuel is also formulated with a fully synthetic detergent for increased engine protection, which functions to keep dirty deposits off the engine parts, said Petron.

Another additive is friction modifier, which reduces friction between engine parts. These two additives work together to give better fuel efficiency on each tank of Petron fuel.

We rode a 2017 Ninja 650 and recorded a fuel consumption of 9.064 litres for the journey from Petron MRR2 to Petron Jalan Bercham in Ipoh, a distance of 201km. That was an average consumption of about 4.53 litres per 100 km, which, we honestly think, was remarkable given the speed that we were travelling.

To put things in perspective, Kawasaki gives a fuel consumption average of 4.3 litres for the Ninja 650 on some of their European sites. No doubt these figures were recorded under the best circumstances.

To have our high-speed joyride from Selayang to Ipoh return an average fuel consumption within a whisker of the claimed consumption is a testament to the fuel economy of the twin-cylinder Kawasaki, or the efficiency of RON100, or perhaps both.

However, it is worthy to note that RON100, at the time, cost RM3 per litre.

How many times do you have to fill up with Petron Blaze 100 to begin to reap the dividends for your engine? According to Petron, refilling the tank full for eight times is good enough to get the additives to do their job.

Now in its fourth year, Fuel Happy Road Trip is organised annually for media members to experience Petron’s fuels and customer service.

“The road trip gave us the opportunity to show the high-performance benefits of our Petron Blaze Euro 4M for two-wheelers. The result affirmed its superior capability and efficiency, giving riders a smoother and better drive, as well as greater value for money,” said Faridah Ali, head of retail business of Petron Malaysia Refining & Marketing Bhd.

“Since launching Blaze 100 in January 2016, we have been receiving positive feedback from customers. Its unique Tri-Action Advantage guarantees more power, and better engine protection and mileage due to its low sulfur content, making it environment-friendly.

“Blaze 100 proves our commitment to delivering innovative products and services for our valued customers,” she added.