I personally run Super Techniplate @ 44:1 with highest octane pump gas as I can get. They run better on race gas, but like you said price is an issue. The ratio depends on the riding you normally do. 32:1 say for a beginner. 40:1 for a modeate skill level. High revs for say drag racing or road racing more like 80:1 up to 100:1. Guys running lean mixtures like that rebuild frequently. Remember though, you're 2-stroke oil lubes piston, rings and crank. You're not wasting money on good oil there. I'd say 40:1 is a good ratio, but go with a synthetic oil (not castor) and I'm not sure about the ATF in the transmission. I do know, do not use synthetics in the transmission. It causes alot of clutch slippage. Hope that helps.