Fuel Grade (regular, mid-range or premium)

[iSteve]

Your right 86 not 85. I used 91 last year but with prices this year 89 will be my choice.

 

[Redback]

I use premium unleaded which is 95 and 98 when i am near a Bp i like cleaner fuel can only but help but who knows what some dodgy petrol stations are up to
looks like you are still getting cheap fuel compared to us cost me around $20 dollars aussie to fill up which is more than the us dollar at the moment woohoo

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[AlexL]

Has anyone done a real dyno test to back up their super accurate "butt dyno" claims that premium gives the bike more power?

 

[mrtrees]

I used to work for Magellan Pipeline and at the moment I work at an airport and get to see where and how all sorts of different fuels are used. Trust me the Premium to Regular is like Grey Goose vs Hawkeye vodka in some cases. But at any rate don't be putting ethanol in you tanks. Even though, living in Iowa, it boosts my local economy tremendously it's a load of horse **** and costs more to produce and maintain than the energy and money it "saves". And it gums up your engine faster than pure. That goes for ALL engines.

 

[kdburtch]

I used to work for Magellan Pipeline and at the moment I work at an airport and get to see where and how all sorts of different fuels are used. Trust me the Premium to Regular is like Grey Goose vs Hawkeye vodka in some cases. But at any rate don't be putting ethanol in you tanks. Even though, living in Iowa, it boosts my local economy tremendously it's a load of horse **** and costs more to produce and maintain than the energy and money it "saves". And it gums up your engine faster than pure. That goes for ALL engines.

Used to be a corporate employee of a large gas station. This is simply untrue in pump gas. Octane is RESISTANCE TO BURN and that is it!!! Higher prices are related to increased difficulty refining higher octane fuel not because its better. now different gas stations have different quality standards and additives. If you are using higher octane than needed you are wasting money and if you are I can also tell you that tour bike will run cleaner and faster if I touch the tank, I offer my service for 2 dollars a tank!!!

 

[davtex]

The minimum you can buy around here is 95. 98 is just a bit more expensive and almost nobody use 100+ because of its price and use only in ss bikes and the most expensive cars. If you get 87 in eu engines, you will surely feel the difference and diagnostics will go mad. Just buy whatever is stated in the manual and you wont have a problem.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[cap'n]

Used to be a corporate employee of a large gas station. This is simply untrue in pump gas. Octane is RESISTANCE TO BURN and that is it!!! Higher prices are related to increased difficulty refining higher octane fuel not because its better. now different gas stations have different quality standards and additives. If you are using higher octane than needed you are wasting money and if you are I can also tell you that tour bike will run cleaner and faster if I touch the tank, I offer my service for 2 dollars a tank!!!

This is exactly correct. Higher octane only does you any "good" if you have sufficiently high enough compression that your engine needs it. If your engine does NOT need it, like the FZ6, then you are just wasting money. It is not cleaner, purer, shiny-er, or in any way more magically power-boosting. It simply resists detonating under higher compression levels, which DO NOT EXIST in your FZ6 motors. Save your bucks, kids.

It feeeeels like you're doing the right thing for your baby, because it costs more. You aren't.

 

[Marthy]

You guys should all get on the waggon...



A lot of rider on the 6R forum are in there... kind of very addictive. I did the test. I've been using Premium since I bought the bike. I usually get 45-46 MPG within few then/mile. I tried Regular on one of my last tank. Barelly 40 MPG, so I'm back with premium...

 

[iSteve]

Although our bikes can use any grade of fuel, mainly because of FI that doesn't mean there are not times higher octane could be a advantage. The FZ6 does have a 12.2 : 1 compression ratio. On very hot days, in heavy traffic, two up ridding or high RPM track days a otherwise fine running engine can suffer pre-ignition. If you ever hear a pinging or knocking on a hot day when engine is under load a higher octane wouldn't hurt.

 

[cap'n]

Although our bikes can use any grade of fuel, mainly because of FI that doesn't mean there are not times higher octane could be a advantage. The FZ6 does have a 12.2 : 1 compression ratio. On very hot days, in heavy traffic, two up ridding or high RPM track days a otherwise fine running engine can suffer pre-ignition. If you ever hear a pinging or knocking on a hot day when engine is under load a higher octane wouldn't hurt.

I get this, but I've never heard knocking or pinging.

I'm doing a quick spreadsheet to see if the mpg increase (assuming he's right) at current fuel prices winds up with a net savings, and it does, using today's AAA national avg fuel prices for low/mid/premium. Hold on...

 

[iSteve]

I agree no need to spend extra money. But if you think of all the money bike riders spend on mods because they can cut a quarter of a second off there 0 to 60 times then a few dollars a month doesn't seem that big a deal.

 

[cap'n]

Ok, so I took the following assumptions and ran with them:

1. Mpg goes from 40 (low octane) to 43 (mid grade) to 46 (high), which is what was stated but with a linear assumption for the missing mid grade number.
2. People drive 5 days a week (in this model) to and from work, between 10 and 70 miles, with 33 as a midpoint... because my actual commute is 33 miles and I made the spreadsheet.
3. "1 Year" is 51 weeks, even though in my case it's more like 38 with winter, but let's say this is in the south or the west coast. Either way I show a weekly and a monthly (4 weeks).
4. Gas could stay where it is (AAA avg for this date), or go way the hell up to $5/gallon for premium.

So in the first shot I leave everything as it is today but play with "Mile To Work:"

In the second, I do the same with miles to work but I crank up the price per gallon:

So it does save you money, but not a lot. Interesting.


edit: It occurs to me I didn't need to put a Gallons/Tank figure there, nor an extended cost per tank. They weren't used. -shrug-

 

[Marthy]

Hummmm! Very interesting... So by using premium my bike run better and I get a free set of tires! Woohoo!!!

Thanks for "Riding by numbers"

 

[cap'n]

You guys should all get on the waggon...



A lot of rider on the 6R forum are in there... kind of very addictive. I did the test. I've been using Premium since I bought the bike. I usually get 45-46 MPG within few then/mile. I tried Regular on one of my last tank. Barelly 40 MPG, so I'm back with premium...

Can you give me the 30 second synopsis on what this is?

 

[Marthy]

Can you give me the 30 second synopsis on what this is?

It keep track of your fuel consuption. Just clic on the image, it will get you on the site. You can even dothe update on the road with your phone... And it text you backyour MPG and put it online. You can also add it to your signature on the forum, kool $hit!:rockon:

 

[pulverizer]

Ok, so I took the following assumptions and ran with them:

1. Mpg goes from 40 (low octane) to 43 (mid grade) to 46 (high), which is what was stated but with a linear assumption for the missing mid grade number.
2. People drive 5 days a week (in this model) to and from work, between 10 and 70 miles, with 33 as a midpoint... because my actual commute is 33 miles and I made the spreadsheet.
3. "1 Year" is 51 weeks, even though in my case it's more like 38 with winter, but let's say this is in the south or the west coast. Either way I show a weekly and a monthly (4 weeks).
4. Gas could stay where it is (AAA avg for this date), or go way the hell up to $5/gallon for premium.

So in the first shot I leave everything as it is today but play with "Mile To Work:"


In the second, I do the same with miles to work but I crank up the price per gallon:


So it does save you money, but not a lot. Interesting.


edit: It occurs to me I didn't need to put a Gallons/Tank figure there, nor an extended cost per tank. They weren't used. -shrug-

I think you would need a much larger sample set to assume 40MPG on Reg and 46MPG on Premium.

 

[cap'n]

I don't disagree. I was testing the numbers I was given, though. Easy enough to plop new numbers in. Hell, what do I get these days... 165 miles to reserve, how many gallons is that?

edit: Yep I'm getting about 42mpg right now, very consistently, on low grade gas. I will fill up this afternoon on premium and see if it comes up different, and I will know for sure if it does. I hit reserve within 2 or 3 miles of the same amount every time, 3 times a week.

 

[pulverizer]

I don't disagree. I was testing the numbers I was given, though. Easy enough to plop new numbers in. Hell, what do I get these days... 165 miles to reserve, how many gallons is that?

edit: Yep I'm getting about 42mpg right now, very consistently, on low grade gas. I will fill up this afternoon on premium and see if it comes up different, and I will know for sure if it does. I hit reserve within 2 or 3 miles of the same amount every time, 3 times a week.

Should be interesting to see, especially since you have a commute that allows you to do an equal comparison.

 

[Marthy]

Might not want to compare our bike... I was giving my numbers as example. I have a FZ6R with a Marthy 6R Viper can + PCV. But I'm very consistent in my fuel number also. It was a back to back comparison between both fuel grade.

 

[red06]

regular is :squid: