there are lots of differences in the fuel numbers in the way they are measured around the world and many people get confused
1. RON (Research Octane Number)
Mild test conditions
Higher number
2. MON (Motor Octane Number)
More severe test (high speed, load, temperature)
Always lower than RON
3. AKI (Anti-Knock Index) — used in the USA
This is the average:
AKI=RON+MON2AKI = \frac{RON + MON}{2}AKI=2RON+MON
That’s why US fuel numbers look lower:
US 87 ≈ Australia 91 RON
US 91 ≈ Australia 95–98 RON
this means when you look at a number in the manual you need to make very sure whether they are talking US numbers or Australian numbers! not being able to work this out properly could mean that you are using a lower fuel grade than your engine manufacturer stipulates