Regular or Premium gas?

[OneTrack]

The manual recommends regular unleaded...will premium gas do anything for my 06 FZ6 except cost me more?

[fz6xlr8r]

Nope, it just cost more. These engines are built so they can operate in every region of the world, even in places where good quality gas can't be found. Unless you plan to raise the compression ratio of the engine 87 octane will work perfectly.

[OneTrack]

That's what I figured...thanks!

this thread made me reread that section ( 3-9 ) of the owners manual.

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.

I haven't payed attention but the little math equation looks familiar I think I've seen that on the pumps. I've always ran premium, normally its only .20cents a gallon more, even if my tank was bone dry it would only be a buck more. anyways, if anything it makes me feel better running 91.

[ant_mb]

Holy carp Danny! That is $1.02 higher per gallon than it is here. I don't envy you.

Originally Posted by ant_mb

Holy carp Danny! That is $1.02 higher per gallon than it is here. I don't envy you.

that pic is from a rip off station in Idyllwild, I normally pay around $3.14 per gallon for 91.
still I wish I was paying 2 something!!!

[craig007]

The higher octane in premium does nothing for the (short term) performance of your bike. If it is designed for 87, that's all you need. However, premium gasolines usually have better additive packages. This means that they have more detergents that should (in theory) keep your engine cleaner and prevent buildups. This is a long term effect so if you looked inside two engines after 50k or 80k miles, you should be able to tell the one that used premium.

Given all of this, what do I used in my FZ6..... I use regular

[VEGASRIDER]

Compramise, use 89 octane

[poorwboy]

More octane means more power.Not true the octane number is a measure of a fuels resistance to detonation, or knocking.
High performance, high compression engines are more likely to detonate, and so require higher octane fuels. However, the higher the octane, the slower it burns and you want the fuel fuel to burn fast. But a fuel that burns to fast will cause detonation, so you want to use the lowest octane number you can for your motor.
The best race fuels are leaded (so no catalytic converters please ), whereas all pump gas is now unleaded. Lead increases a fuels resistance to detonation, and raises the fuels octane. Formulated racing fuels, however, can have a lower octane rating, but still produce more power than pump gasoline.
However surprisingly, the vp fuel used by ama superbike teams has an approximate octane of 93.

[VEGASRIDER]

I just read the owner's manual for the R6, they have instructed to only use premium unleaded of 91 octane or higher. Our FZ6 manuals recommends to use regular unleaded fuel. If these two bikes have the same engine, why do the owner's manual differ in what type of fuel to put in?

your thoughts?