Fuel Grade (regular, mid-range or premium)

[toddincharlotte]

I've been using premium simply because before I got a chance to check out my owner's manual I assumed any engine with a 12.4:1 compression (or whatever it is) would take premium... Then I saw the manual but I'm hesitant to "downgrade"... Eeehhhhh...

"Your Yamaha engine has been designed to use regular unleaded gasoline with 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."

The manual is kind of confusing but I interpret this as "use Premium". I take their meaning on "regular unleaded gasoline" meaning pump gas vs. racing fuel.

 

[The Dude]

Being that it says a RON of 91 or higher, this means high-octane fuel.

I believe this section was added specifically due to different octane numbers in different states. Here in Florida, we have as follows:

Regular: 87
Middle: 89
High: 91/93 (depending on where you go)

So what I get from this is.. It doesn't matter what 'level' of fuel you use, as long as it's a minimum of 91. So to all of the people who use 'regular' fuel that is 87 octane (because Yamaha says so and they know what's good for the bike), you may not be using what is recommended after all.

"Your Yamaha engine has been designed to use regular unleaded gasoline with 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."

The manual is kind of confusing but I interpret this as "use Premium". I take their meaning on "regular unleaded gasoline" meaning pump gas vs. racing fuel.

Regular fuel in the US is 91 RON.

Octane rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[oaks]

"Your Yamaha engine has been designed to use regular unleaded gasoline with 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."

The manual is kind of confusing but I interpret this as "use Premium". I take their meaning on "regular unleaded gasoline" meaning pump gas vs. racing fuel.

Octane ratings at the pump vary by country. Are you in the US? The US averages the "R"esearch and "M"otor octane numbers -- that [(R+M)/2] sticker you see on the pump.

The above might not be from a US-spec manual. Mine actually reads "... 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 ..."

Regular is typically 87 around here, so that's what I've always used without problems.

 

[toddincharlotte]

Octane ratings at the pump vary by country. Are you in the US? The US averages the "R"esearch and "M"otor octane numbers -- that [(R+M)/2] sticker you see on the pump.

The above might not be from a US-spec manual. Mine actually reads "... 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 ..."

Regular is typically 87 around here, so that's what I've always used without problems.

Got it.....confusing as hell.

So, here's my question...can I switch back to 87 without damaging my engine? I'm using a synthetic oil and they tell me to not to go back to petroleum based.....does the same apply to octanes?

 

[ohgood]

Got it.....confusing as hell.

So, here's my question...can I switch back to 87 without damaging my engine? I'm using a synthetic oil and they tell me to not to go back to petroleum based.....does the same apply to octanes?

yes, just run the gas... lots of it

as far as oil goes, there are 1.3 billion discussions about that right now. i could care less, 15/40 or 20/50 or whatever i have that isn't going in the truck ... will go in the bike. the only oil that is 'bad' is when there is a lack of it. :BLAA:

 

[oaks]

So, here's my question...can I switch back to 87 without damaging my engine?

Yes, it's safe to switch grades of fuel, so long as it meets Yamaha's specs. Wouldn't be surprised if you get better gas mileage, too, with Regular.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/39382-gas-mileage-normal.html

 

[toddincharlotte]

Yes, it's safe to switch grades of fuel, so long as it meets Yamaha's specs. Wouldn't be surprised if you get better gas mileage, too, with Regular.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/39382-gas-mileage-normal.html

Thanks for the other thread. I'm going to stick with 93 for right now. My bike runs like a champ and it's worth the extra $2.00 a fill-up to keep it as-is....call it superstition or ignorant....I just love my FZ and "wouldn't change a thing".

I do need an oil change soon though.....I usually run the 10/40 Lucas synthetic.

 

[ohgood]

Thanks for the other thread. I'm going to stick with 93 for right now. My bike runs like a champ and it's worth the extra $2.00 a fill-up to keep it as-is....call it superstition or ignorant....I just love my FZ and "wouldn't change a thing".

I do need an oil change soon though.....I usually run the 10/40 Lucas synthetic.

Someday, many years from now, you will stop to fill up your car/truck/boat (yes, boat, please boat!) at a gas station.

An old man will approach you, hobbling, with a big, ugly grin of dentures.

He will cackle a little, or maybe want to shake your hand.

He will thank you for ensuring his financial future, stammer about BigOil investments, and walk away.

That man, should I live that long, will be me.

 

[Grainbelt]

Regular fuel in the US is 91 RON.

Octane rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This bears repeating.

There is absolutely no reason to put premium in your FZ6. If you really want an excuse to be choosy about fuel, purchase from Top Tier retailers and run a bit of seafoam thru it every now and again.

Top Tier Gasoline

 

[prowler1]

i use premium

 

[Dave in Houston]

The manual says regular, so I use regular. I generally use Chevron, or another tier 1 gasoline.

 

[ChevyFazer]

I buy 20 bottles of octane boster and just use that for fuel after i dump a box of mothballs in the tank that were dissolved in golden grain

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[mrphotoman]

I buy 20 bottles of octane boster and just use that for fuel after i dump a box of mothballs in the tank that were dissolved in golden grain

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I assume you also use one of those electronic fuel transformer wavelength modifiers that magically turns your bike into a 3000mpg 80000whp time machine that is absolutely guaranteed to work or you get none of your money back and that has proven results because martha wilson in wombat, michigan said "wow it works great i promise!" for the low low price of $300?


Fitch fuel catalyst
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Fitch fuel catalyst
Fitch fuel catalyst

 

[ChevyFazer]

Its closer to 4000mpg and 90000whp lol

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[Dave.TX]

Though I haven't read the many pages here I didn't see anyone saying they used Sunoco racing fuel, or VP for that matter. Go out and buy some 116 octane Sunoco and see how that runs. I'm dying to hear about it. Since some are throwing money away with this gadget and that doodad or running anything higher than 87 (in the U.S.A. or 91 in other countries) octane, go ahead and try some racing fuel. At $10/gal I bet you get 75mpg or so, maybe 100! I like the moth balls in the gas, that has been proven to sell more moth balls and nothing else. Maybe go to New Orleans and have a witchdoctor perform some ritual with newt eyes, chicken feet and the rib of a pig and I bet your mileage will increase 0.03%. Put about 3 tablespoons of vinegar per fillup in there. I heard from my dad's therapists sister's neighbor 4 houses down that their daughter's friend's brother's dog farted with that mixture... free gas!

 

[ChevyFazer]

Though I haven't read the many pages here I didn't see anyone saying they used Sunoco racing fuel, or VP for that matter. Go out and buy some 116 octane Sunoco and see how that runs. I'm dying to hear about it. Since some are throwing money away with this gadget and that doodad or running anything higher than 87 (in the U.S.A. or 91 in other countries) octane, go ahead and try some racing fuel. At $10/gal I bet you get 75mpg or so, maybe 100! I like the moth balls in the gas, that has been proven to sell more moth balls and nothing else. Maybe go to New Orleans and have a witchdoctor perform some ritual with newt eyes, chicken feet and the rib of a pig and I bet your mileage will increase 0.03%. Put about 3 tablespoons of vinegar per fillup in there. I heard from my dad's therapists sister's neighbor 4 houses down that their daughter's friend's brother's dog farted with that mixture... free gas!

In all seriousness i always run 91 even though here in the us 91 is premium everywhere else in the world 91 is regular and i have also run a couple gallons of vp 110 through the bike, when i was at the dragstrip i was pretty much empty so i bought 3gal. Cant speek for gas mileage cause i didnt pay attention to miles but let me tell you what, that sucker ran like a raped ape, keep pulling the front tire up.

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[Marthy]

No disrespect to anyone... but I can't believe this thread is still going on strong! LOL Luckily there's only 3 different types of grade... LOL

VP fuel is top notch! The cat hate it though... But that stuff smell good when it burn. I worked for a Formula Ford team in Montreal back in the days. My commute was crazy long, I had to fill up my car every other day. One day we were doing some cleaning at the shop and I found some gas can. I ask what it was... they told me that they got it from the F1 team, left over gas that they left there. I dump a 5G jug in my Accord. That $hit was so strong... my eyes were watering driving down the freeway... Still surprise the engine didn't blew up. Good thing it was about 50/50 mix with whatever was left in the tank.

 

[cap'n]

What I'm more amazed by is not that this thread is still going, but that so many people posting in it still think that higher octane gas has more "power" of some sort. 50% funny, 50% depressing.

 

[ChevyFazer]

No disrespect to anyone... but I can't believe this thread is still going on strong! LOL Luckily there's only 3 different types of grade... LOL

VP fuel is top notch! The cat hate it though... But that stuff smell good when it burn. I worked for a Formula Ford team in Montreal back in the days. My commute was crazy long, I had to fill up my car every other day. One day we were doing some cleaning at the shop and I found some gas can. I ask what it was... they told me that they got it from the F1 team, left over gas that they left there. I dump a 5G jug in my Accord. That $hit was so strong... my eyes were watering driving down the freeway... Still surprise the engine didn't blew up. Good thing it was about 50/50 mix with whatever was left in the tank.

We used to buy cotten candy scent to put with the fuel in out old race truck...now that smelt good

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[dcoffman7]

I always use Premium grade in high revving motors. I'm also positive that the gas mileage increases with a higher burning octane, which burns hotter and cleaner with the added Ethanol. Lucas makes an Ethanol additive which cleans and helps burn it off. I've never used it but I've heard good results.

Good luck with whatever you use :rockon: