socker77
Junior Member
I say nothing but the best for my baby!
Should be interesting to see, especially since you have a commute that allows you to do an equal comparison.
Marthy said: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.
Ok, I was wrong about what I'm really getting right now on low grade. I filled up (with premium) after I left work, then did the math quickly on the phone calculator, and I've been getting exactly 45.6mpg week in and week out.
And on a side note, please don't take this the wrong way but
...damn. You're down 20hp AND down on mpg's versus a bone stock FZ6 with givi hard bags all over it, much less a modded one with no bags.
I know...I know... I don't have Givi bags, just soft saddlebags. To be honest with you I was aiming to get the FZ6 but the dealer didn't have any on the floor... so the 6R was my second choice. I haven't rode for a solid 15 years before I got my ride last summer. I wanted something not to kill myself to get back on the saddle. I miss those 20 ponies now... The exhaust and PCV got some life out of the bike, kind of more exciting to drive around but it's not 20 HP...
Well, my wife just quit her job to go to school full time now... might have to wait for an upgrate... Still a very nice all around confy ride...
Totally understand. I think you chose wisely, given the circumstances. I just kinda ssumed the mpg's would be better than ours, given the changes to the engine. Sounds like you're getting nicely re-trained and ready to ride.
Ok, I was wrong about what I'm really getting right now on low grade. I filled up (with premium) after I left work, then did the math quickly on the phone calculator, and I've been getting exactly 45.6mpg week in and week out.
Sounds about the same as me. I have a 60 mile RT commute (~40 HWY/20City), and I have been getting about 45 MPG on regular. I also did the same previously with premium, so I didn't really notice any statistically different MPG.
Well, the first tank of premium is done. And when I did the math at the pump, you'll never guess what my mpg was... 45.4
In other words, octane does not appear to make any difference on a stock FZ6. I have never experienced any knocking or pinging, nor should I... the engine compression isn't high enough, and the manual doesn't call for high octane gas. There are no magical additives that make 93 octane gas "better" for your baby. It just. costs. more.
For the sake of thoroughness, when I filled up just now I went with not just 93 but the special "93 PLUS" version Shell sells, in case someone might say the last tank was "polluted" with 89 octane still. But yeah. There is no mpg gain, power gain, or engine longevity gain. You just pay 30 cents too much for every gallon.
+1
i wonder how much of big oil's profits comes directly from the marketing that 89 octane is 'inferior' to 93/95... they're laughing all the way to the bank-on-a-foreign-island-so-they-don't-have-to-pay-taxs-either.
There really is a need for higher octane fuel. Just because the FZ6 will run on cheaper fuel doesn't mean high performance car and bike engines will be happy with it.
there aren't many that can't compensate on the fly. don't think I would purchase something that can't. sure, a bugatti with 4 turbos.... but I'm never going to own one in this lifetime.
Your Yamaha engine has been designed to use regular unleaded gasoline with a pump octane number [(R+M)/2] of 86 or higher, or a research octane number of 91 or higher. If knocking (or pinging) occurs, use a gasoline of a different brand or premium unleaded fuel. Use of unleaded fuel will extend spark plug life and reduce maintenance costs.
I switched to premium 2 years ago and felt a huge difference in engine smoothness in the infamous FZ6 "buzz range" between 6K and 7K rpms. My mechanical engineering mind tells me that this is likely due to the fact that higher octane is less volatile and probably ignites just a few milliseconds later than 87 octane resulting in a smoother power band...even if I'm loosing 0.5 hp.
My father is a chemical engineer for a major oil company and there is more to "Premium fuel" than the octane rating. Premium fuel's from Shell, Exxon and BP have the maximum additive package which includes detergents that keep your engine and fuel system clean...it's not just hype...Premium has significantly more cleaning agents.
Also the higher the fuel price, the better value premium become since it's always only about 25 cents/gallon higher than regular...that's only $1 per tank in the FZ6...I'm getting 55mpg commuting...I think I can afford an extra $1 per week to have a smoother, cleaner running FZ6.
The manual says "Regular unleaded" but it also says a minimum of 95RON which is regular (from what I understand) in most of the world. In the US we use the AKI (anti-knock index). After the conversion, that means we have to run a minimum of 91 octane (90.8 roughly without ethanol and 91.4 with) as measured at the pump. Common is 89 for mid, and 93 for premium in the US.
Therefore, the manual says to use premium.
I'm just sayin'. But in the end, if your engine doesn't b**** about regular, then use it. Mine does, so I use premium. The oil companies say to use whatever grade doesn't make your engine knock. The auto/motorcycle manufacturers say to use a grade that's going to ensure that none of their engines knock, even the weird outliers. So if yours does fine at regular, enjoy the 20-30 cents a gallon savings. After two tanks of regular, my engine basically says :Flip: until I put premium back in it.
But even if you need premium to keep from knocking, you can usually alternate tanks between regular and premium and be fine.