Gas Mileage sucks...Halp!!

[SlimDizzleATL]

Ok. So I got my R6 a month ago tomorrow. It had been previously sitting for a year. Ive started to notice my gas goes pretty quick. So after some calculations, I went 123 miles and im on reserve. This model R6 has a 4.5 gallon tank. So I'm getting 27 MPG. Shatty. I think this bike is rated for 40. So I was wondering, since it was sitting, is it likely that it needs new plugs? Maybe the airbox is clogged? I'm getting the oil changed soon, will this help? Thanks in advance. This is getting ridiculous.

[TarzanMan]

123 is only a bit short. 40 mpg is on the high end of what the R6 should get. mid-to-high 30's is more normal.

If the tank was full, then your gas light came on after 3.7 gallons. This is 33 miles per gallon and in the general ballpark (a little low, but not ridiculously so)

[Georgiacbr]

Ok. So I got my R6 a month ago tomorrow. It had been previously sitting for a year. Ive started to notice my gas goes pretty quick. So after some calculations, I went 123 miles and im on reserve. This model R6 has a 4.5 gallon tank. So I'm getting 27 MPG. Shatty. I think this bike is rated for 40. So I was wondering, since it was sitting, is it likely that it needs new plugs? Maybe the airbox is clogged? I'm getting the oil changed soon, will this help? Thanks in advance. This is getting ridiculous.


Hate to say it might be normal. I've had my plugs changed and cleaned out my K and N and I still get like 28 MPG. I have to fuel up 2 times when I ride to the North Ga mountains. I might be looking at the power commander and have Marmo go into the settings and mess around with it but overall it might be normal.

[SlimDizzleATL]

Well, kind of a relief. I was told these things are supposed to get good mileage...kind of the point. lol. Just wanted to make sure before I started freaking out. I think Izzy is going to change out my air filter anyway and look at my plugs when he changes the oil. So its all good.

[Ringo®]

How does the tire pressure look?

[SlimDizzleATL]

How does the tire pressure look?

32 front
34 rear. last time i checked

[chance]

my z1000 gets about 34 or so whenever i check it. wtf, i thought the 600's were supposed to be 40+

[SlimDizzleATL]

my z1000 gets about 34 or so whenever i check it. wtf, i thought the 600's were supposed to be 40+

Thats what I'm screaming. I had a V8 Impala with Active fuel management that got 27 mpg when I drove conservatively. So...I think something's afoot.

[John]

Depends on how you ride more than most anything else. Quisk acceleration and high RPM's will destroy mileage. 600's love quick acceleration and high RPM's. Typically even on the highway the Rev's will be up there pretty good because of the gearing.

[SlimDizzleATL]

Depends on how you ride more than most anything else. Quisk acceleration and high RPM's will destroy mileage. 600's love quick acceleration and high RPM's. Typically even on the highway the Rev's will be up there pretty good because of the gearing.

I generally dont ride very hard. I mean, everyone get after it every so often. I'll ride a little more conservative this tank and see if it helps.

[Bill3508]

If someone has had the tank up you could have a kink in the fuel line. I'm not sure how the R6 line looks coming off the bottom but if its similar to the FZ1 hookup(which does have a problem kinking once the tank is raised) then it could be part of the problem. I'm assuming Yamaha used similar fittings so that might be one thing you need to check.

[Lazarus]

Wait a minute. I thought you had a F4I?

Btw, I think I'm getting 27 mpg on my 600RR but I think my older 600R was getting alot more, then again I rode it slower.

[redciv1]

Wait a minute. I thought you had a F4I?

Btw, I think I'm getting 27 mpg on my 600RR but I think my older 600R was getting alot more, then again I rode it slower.

Haha. I was thinking the same thing SLIM. Well If I can chime in with the antique carb set-up, I believe my Kat's tank is about 5gl. and I riding to work 110mi one way is a little over half a tank. I may be able to go a tank and 3/4 before running out of gas. Alot of my afternoon ride is traffic on 285 and 20. I ride at about 70-80 with rpms's usually around 6-7k. So I guess I normally geta little over 40 mpg. Slow Kat has it's advantages.

[SlimDizzleATL]

Wait a minute. I thought you had a F4I?

Btw, I think I'm getting 27 mpg on my 600RR but I think my older 600R was getting alot more, then again I rode it slower.

Dont worry about what Ive got Laz...Just answer the question. :Poke: :).




Haha. I was thinking the same thing SLIM. Well If I can chime in with the antique carb set-up, I believe my Kat's tank is about 5gl. and I riding to work 110mi one way is a little over half a tank. I may be able to go a tank and 3/4 before running out of gas. Alot of my afternoon ride is traffic on 285 and 20. I ride at about 70-80 with rpms's usually around 6-7k. So I guess I normally geta little over 40 mpg. Slow Kat has it's advantages.

Yeah, The Kat's gas mileage was stellar. I got rid of the F4i about a month ago. WoW hustled a naive Slim and I got the short end of the stick. So I cut my losses and got the R6 which was newer and has a lot less miles.

Bill, I dont think the tank has ever been off. All the previous owner did was change the oil and replace the battery.

[Lazarus]

Geez man. Don't you know better than to buy a used bike from a dealer? As for gas mileage, the 04 R6 was still Yamaha's supersport 600 bike. So yea mpg might not be all that great. Try riding slower.

[bluerider]

My 08 goes 120-125 constiently around town before the low fuel light comes on, has since day 1.

[Bill3508]

Dont worry about what Ive got Laz...Just answer the question. :Poke: :).





Yeah, The Kat's gas mileage was stellar. I got rid of the F4i about a month ago. WoW hustled a naive Slim and I got the short end of the stick. So I cut my losses and got the R6 which was newer and has a lot less miles.

Bill, I dont think the tank has ever been off. All the previous owner did was change the oil and replace the battery.

You don't have to lift the tank to change out the battery on the R6? I haven't looked at one close so I don't know. You do on the FZ6 and FZ1.

[SlimDizzleATL]

You don't have to lift the tank to change out the battery on the R6? I haven't looked at one close so I don't know. You do on the FZ6 and FZ1.

I believe its under the seat. I have to look at the service manual again.

[Lazarus]

It was under the seat on my 98 600R and my RR. No tank removal required.

[TarzanMan]

To paraphrase a user on an R6 board:

"If you're buying a super-sport motorcycle to get good gas mileage, then you probably need your head checked"

[SlimDizzleATL]

To paraphrase a user on an R6 board:

"If you're buying a super-sport motorcycle to get good gas mileage, then you probably need your head checked"

Didnt buy it to get good gas mileage. Just thought it should be closer to what its rated for. I cant complain too much, only costs around 9 dollars to fill up.

[Bill3508]

I believe its under the seat. I have to look at the service manual again.

Yeah, not sure I might be confused on that. I would have thought you would have gotten better than what you are mileage wise. The worse I got on my 06 FZ6 was 40, best was 58 coming from the Gap. I know their are only similar engines but still thought you should be seeing better.

[MX Tuner]

I got as little as 25mpg on my '07 R6 and that wasn't pushing it that hard for that long. About the same as my 1098. I'd be doing good to get 100 miles from a tank of fuel before the low fuel level light came on.

[Over TWO Customs]

Riding the 09 R1 it calculates your real time gas mileage. In cruising speeds in 6th gear it gets around 40mpg highway. On the street and actually riding the bike its more like 18mpg.

[SlimDizzleATL]

Riding the 09 R1 it calculates your real time gas mileage. In cruising speeds in 6th gear it gets around 40mpg highway. On the street and actually riding the bike its more like 18mpg.

Thats interesting. Maybe they were calculating highway mileage...hmmm

[MX Tuner]

It goes off injector duration and actual gasoline quantity injected. It is a calculated value and its accuracy can be suspect but is still a fairly good indicator.

[Over TWO Customs]

Thats interesting. Maybe they were calculating highway mileage...hmmm

It calculates in real time while riding on the dash. Im sure its not 100% accurate but I would suspect it to be pretty close. Its average mpg is around 27

[Nycool]

Can't believe no one has asked but do you have stock gearing or does it have a quick acceleration kit on it?

[SlimDizzleATL]

Can't believe no one has asked but do you have stock gearing or does it have a quick acceleration kit on it?

Yep, a valid question. Bone stock everything except my slip on.
Update: Ran through another tank. Got up to 133 this time before the gas light came on, which puts me at a whopping 29.5 MPG. Whoo hoo. But that was taking it "easy" and putting 87 octane gas.

[BlueLghtning]

Yep, a valid question. Bone stock everything except my slip on.
Update: Ran through another tank. Got up to 133 this time before the gas light came on, which puts me at a whopping 29.5 MPG. Whoo hoo. But that was taking it "easy" and putting 87 octane gas.

You are still calculating your fuel mileage wrong! You are taking 133 / 4.5 gallons, but you didn't use all that gas. In your first post, you also calculated it wrong when you mention that you did 123 miles and you divided that by 4.5, but that would have been if you had ran completely out which you didn't. Tarzanman adjusted that for you saying the light comes on around 3.7 gals, but its still just an estimate.

You calculate your fuel mileage by the fuel you used and the easiest way to do this is to always start from a full tank and record the gallons you used for that tank & the miles you rode for that tank. You really need to reset your trip odometer each time you fill up and take your total mileage you ride and divide by the gallons you put in. Start with a full tank everytime (being careful to fill to the same height) and keep a running total. (Mileage ridden / gallons used = MPG)

There are a lot of factors that affect your mileage. Try riding easy one tank and see how it affects you. You might be surprised at how just backing down a bit will really help your mileage. BTW, ethanol in our gas hurts our mpg too. Unfortunately, its getting really hard to find non-ethanol gas these days.

I'm actually a fuel mileage freak and love getting good mileage and keep track of it every tank. I have an app in my droid phone that does awesome too. My vstrom 650 is almost always at 55+ when I take it easy and rarely drops below 50mpg when running 80+ on the interstate. This past trip I just got back from with my Dad, I avg 55-59mpg the entire trip. My Dad was at about 48-49mpg on his R1200RT, but he's still breaking it in. Sarah's BMW F650GS (single) gets 65-70mpg every tank!

[SlimDizzleATL]

That makes sense Dan. When I filled up it only took about 3. something gallons. I thought the capacity was 4.5 + the .9 reserve tank. Guess I was wrong. So maybe my mileage is a little better than expected. I usually reset one of my trip ODO's when I fill up. I'll get back to you with my findings. Thanks for the good advice. And PS, Im totally jealous of your 55+ MPG