Little Changes, Big Mileage

[buzzbomb]

Funny, when I posted my fuelly, I didn't expect it to turn into an octane and ethanol thread! It honestly didn't occur to me. I run whatever the local station has in the 87 octane. When I'm doing my (wonderful) random rides out in the wild blue yonder, I try to avoid stations where I think, maybe, their fuel might be old. So when I'm out, I try to find a station that seems like it's usually busy, and I try to stick to name brands. Doesn't always happen though.

I don't think there's any doubt that the biggest changes in fuel mileage come from weight, amount of stop-and-go, and throttle. I've got an average 12% city driving. Once the bike is in motion, it definitely uses less fuel, just like any other vehicle.

Note that my highest fuel mileage is just my light-ass self, on long runs. Running the RPM's up or down, and where one shifts? Less impact on MPG than where the throttle is, when that RPM is reached.

I do run quick on occasion. Heck, I ride a quick-ass bike, and sometimes I gotta play! But it's not how I generally ride. The biggest changes in my MPG seem to be due to weight and length of time between stops. If I was WOT all the time, the MPG would go down. When I have more weight on the bike, the MPG goes down. When I've got more city driving, the MPG goes down.

What I'm posting may not be average MPG. It's my light weight, easy throttle, mostly highway MPG. Change any of that, and the MPG goes down. Shoot, I just posted it because I thought it was really interesting how much it could vary.

If you're not 140lbs, generally easy on the throttle, and mostly highway? Your mileage may vary. Cheers!

 

[bobski]

My mileage sucks! Just did a 116 mile run, 80% county roads at average 50 mph, 20% through towns etc.. I only managed 32 mpg, while my buddy on a new F650GS (800cc engine!) got 47 mpg on the same ride with me. This is all calculated as mp(us)g for your comparison purposes. This just doesn't sound right to me. Gearing is stock sprockets, I'm 5'9" and 170 lbs and 60+ years so I sure don't ride it like I stole it. Any ideas, or is this just normal for some FZ6R's?

 

[nismos14]

My mileage sucks! Just did a 116 mile run, 80% county roads at average 50 mph, 20% through towns etc.. I only managed 32 mpg, while my buddy on a new F650GS (800cc engine!) got 47 mpg on the same ride with me. This is all calculated as mp(us)g for your comparison purposes. This just doesn't sound right to me. Gearing is stock sprockets, I'm 5'9" and 170 lbs and 60+ years so I sure don't ride it like I stole it. Any ideas, or is this just normal for some FZ6R's?

Riding it like I stole it I still get ~48MPG, something seems to be screwy with your setup.

 

[Marthy]

Normal commuting (warm up, 15 miles one way to work and same back) I get around 38-40 MPG on average. Freeway only I was able to get 45 MPG cruising at 70-75 MPH. (+1 front)

Big screen affect MPG a bit but at 32 MPG you must have a hole in the tank...lol There's not way... either you do the math wrong... (3.78 liter in 1 us gal.) or something is wrong with your cycle...

 

[JT]

I noticed that at about 130MPH it is not very fuel efficient. IDK why? lmfao

 

[yellowfz]

I noticed that at about 130MPH it is not very fuel efficient. IDK why? lmfao

Your just forgetting to open your face shield and stick your tongue out, helps cut down drag at 130mph. JK
I get consistent 51mpg, 48 low, 54 high, mixed riding. I don't ride like a grandpa either, if you know what I mean.

 

[daddyrack]

i ride 90% highway 60-65mph, i never get lower than 52! highest has been 56 now! :zombie:

 

[MNGreg]

With commuting to work now I am on a good mix of city streets, county roads and highway.

With this driving I typically am getting 48-54MPG commuting to work now.
If I am doing pleasure riding and keeping the bike around 5500K+ RPMS, then I seem to drop down to between 43-47mpg.

 

[aaronhaji]

Its not needed.

86 octane. Higher octane only needed if pinging occurs.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/service/manuals/2009/LIT-11626-22-77_FZ6R_1661.pdf

But... You are using non-ethanol right now and going to ethanol will hurt your mpg a little. At least thats how the non-ethanol stations are here. Only premium is non-ethanol.

i noticed that when i used 87 it ran like horse s@#$ slow and slugish whent back to premium big diffece i like shell they add nitogen so they say dose anyone know if that is trully going to make a diffrence

 

[06330i]

I'm 6'2" 260, run 93 octane with ethanol, and average 50 mpg on the freeway. As long as you keep it under 7,000 rpm you typically should be fine. I got 104 miles the other day and only used a half tank.

 

[cdsdave]

57 was my best mpg, but mostly in the 52-54 range. I ride all country roads with no stop and go traffic.

 

[bobski]

I'm going to fill up, reset my trip odometer to zero, and test another tank full. Bike runs like a clock so unless it's something dumb like miscalculating l/usg or klm/mi (but I did those things with a conversion calculator) etc. it's very odd for sure. Thanks for all your input, you guys and this forum are the BEST! I'll let you know the results of my re-test, I obviously want/need to get to the bottom of this mystery!

 

[jjb]

Octane rating has absolutely no effect on mileage. Unless your engine is knocking, which a stock engine will not do on regular unleaded gasoline. If it is knocking, get it looked at. Octane Rating has absolutely no effect on performance. Regardless of what your butt-dyno is telling you. :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead: :deadhorse::beer:

[url=http://www.actiondonation.org/articles/high-octane-gasoline-facts.html]Get Your Facts on High Octane Gasoline[/URL]

 

[Chevyfazer]

i noticed that when i used 87 it ran like horse s@#$ slow and slugish whent back to premium big diffece i like shell they add nitogen so they say dose anyone know if that is trully going to make a diffrence

As the temperatures go up in summer its fairly common for higher compression engines to start to predetonate (ping) and in that case running higher octane will help cure that. That could be what's going on with your bike, of if you have exhaust and intake mods with out it tuned. As far as nitrogen goes, yes it is great at cleaning carbon and other things of the sort.

 

[bobski]

I'm going to fill up, reset my trip odometer to zero, and test another tank full. Bike runs like a clock so unless it's something dumb like miscalculating l/usg or klm/mi (but I did those things with a conversion calculator) etc. it's very odd for sure. Thanks for all your input, you guys and this forum are the BEST! I'll let you know the results of my re-test, I obviously want/need to get to the bottom of this mystery!

And the Darwin Award goes to . . . ME lol. New test results: 53 mp(us)g; 65 mp(c)g. 77 miles on 5.43 litres . . and those are Canadian miles haha. Don't ask because I have no idea what I did. I thought I had filled up at the same time as my buddy, but I remember noting that my fuel guage showed the full set of bars and I think I decided not to bother fueling up . . and we all know that we can get at least 100klm without loosing a bar . . so I believe I simply used incorrect (way too low) mileage for the calculation. Duh !