Best Full Tank Mileage Ever!

cedillon said:
Ok so totally off subject here but I can't find anywhere else this would even remotely apply.
So I have access to free aviation gasoline (100LL), the key word being free.
I only get a small amount but when I do get some it's about 5 gallons, so it's enough to fill a tank in my bike. I usually get it to run lawn mowers and such but now I finally have a bike I might be able to save on fuel a little.
I already know that leaded fuel will clog catalytic converters so I want to know if my bike (2003 FZ1) has one?

The more important question is that I've been warned that aviation fuel will/might cause damage to my engine.
I already know that the fuel is the same as auto fuel, but will the Tetra-ethyl lead additive do damage to my engine?
Does anyone have a solid answer to this question or know someone/somewhere where I can get an answer?
Thanks!
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'03 FZ1 does not have a catalytic converter so no worries there. The lead wont harm your engine and as long as the octane value is at least an 87 (it's probably higher) you should be fine. However I would hesitate to run straight aviation fuel because from what I remember it's volatility might be somewhat different and you may end up with a bad case of vapor lock. Just to be on the safe side do a 50/50 mix with regular gas...
 
NJFZ1 said:
'03 FZ1 does not have a catalytic converter so no worries there. The lead wont harm your engine and as long as the octane value is at least an 87 (it's probably higher) you should be fine. However I would hesitate to run straight aviation fuel because from what I remember it's volatility might be somewhat different and you may end up with a bad case of vapor lock. Just to be on the safe side do a 50/50 mix with regular gas...
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From what my brother, a bush pilot told me. Aviation fuel is 120 octane.
 
Oldschool said:
From what my brother, a bush pilot told me. Aviation fuel is 120 octane.
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Aviation gas for piston engines has a different octane rating system. It comes in different grades with UL 82 being the safest for FZ1s with or without cat converters. UL 82 is unleaded and about 90 equivalent car octane. I wouldn't use the leaded fuels even without a cat because it leaves some lead ash to foul valves and spark plugs. The real advantage of avgas is long storage life, quality control of volatility and clean burning with UL. The down side is expense and you're cheating by not paying road tax :nono:
 
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cedillon said:
...So I have access to free aviation gasoline (100LL), the key word being free. I only get a small amount but when I do get some it's about 5 gallons, so it's enough to fill a tank in my bike...
Thanks!
Click to expand...
I worked at a small airport after high school and your free gas is probably wing tank drainings to remove water so watch what settles out. The LL is low lead but still high enough to leave an ash deposit so I would dilute it by 1/2 with car rot-gut regular.
 
My last long-distance ride was about 140 miles and in sub 30 degree weather. I was averaging about 60 MPH and when I got home my guage was just about on E but not flashing. I'd say in normal weather and about 65-70 MPH riding I can get about 160, maye a tic more but I've never taken it to a dry tank either. I keep saying I'll carry a bit of gas and let it go dry to see how far I can stretch a tankfull. Problem is the mileage can vary a lot depending on whether I'm in the throttle deep and in an on and off kind of riding or keeping it fairly constant on the slab. Id say abot 160 miles is a pretty good average for a Gen II.
 
I too notice steady highway speeds in 6th give the best mileage and tank range. When the "F" odometer comes on I try to refuel in the next 20 miles but have never come close to the theoretical 4.75 US gallons the tank holds. If non ethanol gas is avalible it helps mileage too. I don't find a difference between 87 or 91 octane, just the ethanol.
 
Lonerider59s post above is pretty much spot on for my Gen II. No engine mods, stock sprocket and exhaust - I have managed just shy of 170 miles on a tank of gas. My average refuel point is about 150 miles per tank which includes a mix of highway and some city driving, as well as the occasional rapid take off from stop signs, etc.
 
bsly said:
Lonerider59s post above is pretty much spot on for my Gen II. No engine mods, stock sprocket and exhaust - I have managed just shy of 170 miles on a tank of gas. My average refuel point is about 150 miles per tank which includes a mix of highway and some city driving, as well as the occasional rapid take off from stop signs, etc.
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+1.....:ditto:
 
I'm getting 24 mpg on a 160 mile tight twistie loop, with some slab miles getting to and from, using mostly first gear with speed not more than 80 mph in the twists on short straights.

This bike does hit the fuel hard with high rpm's.
 
Well this is day four for my FZ1 GenII and a full tank of Shell 93 took me 247 miles before I had to fill up with still no warning light comeing on. I'm not sure about the warning light yet as this is a new to me machine. The warning light does function on turning the key to on and the guage cycling and reset to zero when you pre start and turn on the key.
ps. I failed to mention that it was all at legal speed limit with mild accelerations to speed with 30/70, 30% in-town and the rest highway. I did do two high-speed bursts to a buck-ten-fifteen or so however, but no aggressive acceleration on that tankOOp's, it seems that, 'and I'm not sure',,, that the button on the dash may display in either kilometers and in miles......if this is the case, perhaps I should correct that mileage I listed here? Subsequent mileage was in the 'JUST' less than 200 miles reading when the amber fuel light came on, at which point it took me about 10 miles to find a station.
 
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The low fuel Warning light is nothing but the blinking last bar on the fuel guage and the odo switching to f-trip. Something is wrong with yours 247 miles? Are you sure you reset the odo after last fuel up? 247m even on a 4.75g tank translates to 52 mpg. The best I have got was 51 on touring backroads. Your tank must be almost empty at those miles.
 
Is the display also in kilometers with the button setting? that may be the discrepancy. At any rate, yes I did set the button and was reading double 00 if I remember correctly, but, again, I didnt experiance the light coming on, which by the way had me wondering if it was infact opperating. A later tank showed that the light was infact working, but this time I was still 'just' under 200 miles. Well, the test will be done again to determine mpg at soft riding paces, for maximum distance per gallon.
CrazyBiker said:
The low fuel Warning light is nothing but the blinking last bar on the fuel guage and the odo switching to f-trip. Something is wrong with yours 247 miles? Are you sure you reset the odo after last fuel up? 247m even on a 4.75g tank translates to 52 mpg. The best I have got was 51 on touring backroads. Your tank must be almost empty at those miles.
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I nearly got 190km/118 miles the other day before the reserve started flashing. This is my best yet.

I can't imagine getting more than 210km/130miles before reserve:eek5:.
 
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