(too)Low mpg looking for possible cause

[agf]

Hi folks,
got about 6000 ks on my fz, but have been looking at others Fuelly signatures and the March survey on fuel.
I am only getting about 32.5 mpg and that seems to damn low!
I don't ride like a crazy man, I commute most of the time. Ten ks each way and prob dont get above 55 kmh for more that 2-3 minutes.

I had my 1st service at 1100 kms and the next is not due for a bit I was thinking I'll get my mechanic to do it coz Yamaha's are a bit impersonal
At least mine tells me what does and doesn't need doing and is up front about all costs.(BTW this is not the guy that did my brake lines the other week)
Anyway I read that people consistently get 40+mpg
What should I look for or what should I specify in a service, What should I change?
Not thinking about an exhaust re-vamp, but oil, plugs, airfilter are all basic maintenance. Will Iridium plugs, all synth. oil ora K&N air filter make much difference. Do I need to specify a throttle body sync, injectors clean/replace??
any advice gratefully accepted

 

[ChevyFazer]

Do you ride a good bit in dusty areas? Your air filter could be getting stopped up, plus towards the end of a oils life it's normally to expect a slight drop in mileage

 

[mave2911]

Will Iridium plugs, all synth. oil ora K&N air filter make much difference.

In a word, no.

I was geting 45mpg,using the previous owners Shell Advance dino oil, stock air filter and stock NGP plugs.

I put Motul 7100, K&N Airfilter and NGK Iridium (CR9EIX) and my economy was exactly the same over several tanks.

What year model is your bike? Might be you have the faulty TPS that affected 2004 and some 2005 model FZ6es.

Also, not knowing your refuelling methodology, but I use the occasional injector cleaner, and always use 98 RON fuel.

Also be aware you may be using fuel with ethanol which also will have a great impact on your mileage. (or maybe you go up a lot of hills?)

Cheers,
Rick

 

[mave2911]

The main benefit of the K&N is it's washable, and the main benefit of the Iridium plugs is their longevity, (last for 50000kms+), and they're a BASTARD to change on the FZ6.

The oil, on the other hand, probably wont do much to your economy, but it makes the bike super smooth on changing gears and, apparently, your bike will love you for it!

Cheers,
Rick

 

[fb40dash5]

Oil isn't very likely to be the cause, unless it's been neglected, or you have something like 20W-50 in it. Ditto the air filter, unless it's really, really restricted. I've put K&N filters on all my vehicles, and always have seen a small increase in mileage, but you're probably not going to see 10mpg out of it. If you're going to do the plugs, and especially if you're paying labor to have it done, I'd toss Iridiums in while you're at it, might as well make them last.

The wildcard is the FI system. I don't really know the specifics on how the FZ6 system works, specifically what it takes to set off the fault light, and how the O2 sensor is used. If the O2 sensor is used to fine-tune the mixture, as on a car, that could be the problem. The throttle body sync and checking injectors isn't a bad idea, either. A stuck injector would have worse consequences than just poor mileage, like washing the cylinder walls down with fuel and potentially diluting the oil, too. Could possibly be a coil/wire, too, your mechanic should be able to diagnose that easily, between reading plugs and testing with a multimeter.

Beyond that, not sure what to say. 32mpg is waaaaaay low, I think my worst tank was ~42mpg, and that was having fun with the right hand, and during cold weather.

 

[bd43]

You distance travelled and speed are both low in my mind so I am a little curious as to which gear you are in the most. At 55 kph for me I find is tough to decide to move it up to 3rd gear or stay in 2nd. I find that running at 6+ rpm in the city gives me poor mileage. I either drop to 50 kph or bump it up to 60kph and hit 3rd gear. Have you recorded what a tank of gas gets you on strictly highway riding? I’d be curious of that result as I can be anywhere from 4 to 5 L/100km.

 

[mave2911]

I don't ride like a crazy man, I commute most of the time. Ten ks each way and prob dont get above 55 kmh for more that 2-3 minutes.

That also has a great bearing - more warmup cycles.

I ride 60kms each way to work, meaning 6 warmup cycles per tank, and your bike is more efficient once warm (and the oil is where it needs to be etc)

What gear are you in? I ride approx 20kms at 110, 10kms at 100 and the rest in town (at 0500) and sit in 6th, at 60kph. (lucky to get 2 red lights on the way to work)

I try to sit behind a 4x4 or truck on the highway etc.

All in the name of efficiency! (but even without the drafting etc, I still get 40mpg+)

Cheers,
Rick

 

[mave2911]

At 55 kph for me I find is tough to decide to move it up to 3rd gear or stay in 2nd. I find that running at 6+ rpm in the city gives me poor mileage..

For stop/start, I'd agree, but when I have an extended drive at 60kph, I'm in 6th at this speed! (remember,leave home at 0415 to travel to work, so am going through the city, long before the roads fill)

Cheers,
Rick

 

[agf]

thanks for input so far,
I tend to stay in the lower 1/3 of the rev range 'cept for the occasional qwik take off, but usually I get up to 4th or 5th by 60 kmh, so the motor is by no means stretched.
I might follow up w the mech about the O2
I always run 92 or higher octane fuel never anything with ethanol in it and stopped using Shell when I read about some of the additives gumming up bike fuel systems



Just come from the Yam w/shop, they reckon it could be anything from stop/start to headwind, riding style( I don't know what they are saying there I'm always VERY stylish) tyre drag.... could be o2 sensor could be air filter, nothing substantial but I have a hwy ride set for the 18 March so we'll see what we get then

 

[callmegandhi]

Check to see if your parachute is deployed.

 

[SweaterDude]

you said you rarely/never rev it up....
i'd spool up the motor past 8k a couple times in 2nd or 3rd instead of shifting up on the highways just to blow any gunk that might be in the injectors. dont know if it will help mileage but it should help keep your injectors and cylinder sleeves clean

 

[agf]

Check to see if your parachute is deployed.

Man that just made me laugh out loud, I shouldnt really be checking the forum during work so "yer gonna get me in trouble"
thanks , I 'm still smiling and now people are wondering whats going on with me

 

[mave2911]

drag....

THERE's the problem, your stiletto heels with still be hitting the asphalt!

Can I suggest you wear manly attire without 8" heels?

Just trying to help! (and as a public service, please stop wearing that miniskirt, or mankini on the bike!)

Cheers,
Rick

 

[FinalImpact]

I vote the mpg's are being killed by style (a little pun intended ^^ {heels etc}) and the route, the distance, and lower speeds. All that stuff adds up as in more idle time in traffic, being in low gear often, not being in the power-band and no real long rides.

Where you see the hi 40, low 50mpg ##'s come from are the highway miles and spirited riding seldom into 1st and 2nd gear doing lots of stop and go.

On the open road revving it into 10k and pounding on it I can get 48 to 50mpg. Riding to and from work 50mi round trip cuts it to 42 mpg cause of being stuck in traffic. Hint I get a one way pass at freeway speeds to work in the morning. On the drive home stuck in traffic I creep and seldom have a need for 4-6. So I know if both trips were suck @ss like the ride home I'd be down around 38 to 40mpg maybe less.

Perhaps you need a 250 cc to keep it on the power band. That is if its just to commute with?

 

[agf]

The missus would kill me if I said I wanted another bike in the drive, think I'll just go for longer squirts,

and I think maybe its the skirt billowing like a parachute as mentioned above thats getting me in the most strife. oh well.

yeah its frustrating at times that I cant get out as often as I want, been a sh1te summer for rides actually, maybe just go the long way home a few freeway runs etc.
thanks folks

 

[mave2911]

and I think maybe its the skirt billowing like a parachute as mentioned above thats getting me in the most strife. oh well.

That's why I mentioned it - for absolute streamlining, go the mankini, just remember ATGATT, so you'll need the kevlar reinforced one. (gotta protect the man business!)

Cheers,
Rick

 

[agf]

Ok so today I left the mankini and the billowing crinoline in the wardobe and just wore proper real motorcycling clothes
so got that out of the way.

went for a 200+km ride today, filled up befor I left, that was pure peak hour trafficthat gave me the continuing appalling figure of 7.4 litres per 100km
the ride today which was a combo of twisties ( hmmm cheese, thats for the aussies) and hwy... returned a better figure of 4.5 litres per 100 km


for those over the pond... thats from 31.8 mpg to 52.3 mpg


I'm much happier with that... and damn it was a good ride!!

 

[hk_fz6_05]

thanks for an interesting thread - I discovered I have the exact same problem recently when I finally did the math on the numbers I've been collecting for a while (might start using fuelly now that I know about it).

I also ride conservatively and don't thrash it to death. No TPS issues.
Also I might add that my mileage doesn't change (much) between commuting in the city and long haul highway riding. Of course it goes up a little, but still stays reeeeal low around roughly 15km/l.

So I might have to take it to my dealer's soon - I have been wondering about the injectors. Also I think it smells like it's running a little rich (first bike so not too sure bout this, but I think I smell some gas on the exhaust)....above suggestions are interesting, but more are welcome....:thumbup:

 

[JimStl]

Nice improvement in mileage!

The only thing I was thinking, and it's kind of a no brainer, was to make sure the tire pressers are good. That can drag ones mileage down for sure. But glad to see that you got it worked out. :thumbup:

 

[fyrebug]

I too had this 'issue'. new to me 08 and I was gettign 32mpg thinking there MUST be a problem. but nope. 50mpg highway.

I guess this is odd because coming from the ninja 500 there was a difference between city/highway but not so drastic. more like 42/50 not 32/50.

I'll eat the gas hit though for the other slew of improvements....