VTR1000 SP1 - fueling problem and FI light

[Marmoot]

Calling all VTR1000 SP1 (preferably red :D )

Does your bike run on 98 in this kind of month (autumn-winter)?

I put Mobil's 98 and after 1 week it splutters and cough and could not idle at all. Everytime I close the throttle, it died. When it's not dying, it runs like 1 cylinder is out.
Put 91 back on and doze half a bottle of injector cleaner, took it for a 5 minute ride on 1st gear (above 5k rpm) and it cleared itself up.
Constipation, I reckon?

Also, if I turn it on without waiting for the fancy self-test (when you turn the key on) to finish, sometimes after 1 minute the FI light will come on and stay on until I restart the engine (properly, waiting for the fancy selftest to finish).
Cyclespot doesn't know what's wrong.
And I don't have the bike manual (they haven't given it to me).
Ever experienced the same problem?

Heeeelp.....Deano?......anybody?..... :no:

[murhf3]

Hi mate ,I have just filled my bike with 91 as having a few idle and bac fire probs, as this is what someone rec to me so will let u know the results soon. :cold: :ride:

[hondacmx450]

DONT USE MOBIL GAS NOT NOW NOT THEN NOT EVER I KNOW 3 BIKES IN THE LAST WEEK THAT HAVE USED IT AND THERE BIKE RAN LIKE SHIT AND CRAP BUT THIS IS ONLY WHAT THAY HAVE SAID AND I HAVE SEEN

[modalx]

Honda specifically recommend 92 or higher octane ratings for the sp/rc51. The compression ratio is only 10.8:1 but combustion chamber shape, piston dome and squish require more anti-knock. You will actually get a few more horsepower with the lower octane fuel. The trouble is the additives in 96. I have heard of others having trouble with Mobil 98 but have no personal experience. I use BP Ultimate and have no problems with it.

[vifferman]

If you are going to use 'high' octane fuel (i.e., other than 91), make sure you use only Gull or BP Ultimate - everything else will soot up your plugs and injectors, and the bike will feel like it's got a fuel blockage and/or water in the tank. The reason is that apart from the high octane fuel imported from Australia, the fuel here has xylene and toluene in it - the higher the octane, the more crap it has. Cyclespot should know that - when I bought my VFR750 (from RedBaron) in 2000 I was told not to use 96, but did anyway, and although the reasons they gave were bogus ("It will wreck the rubber parts in the fuel system") the advice was correct.
FWIW, I run BP Ultimate in the VFR - it has a slightly higher compression ratio than the VTR, and the recommended fuel is 92 RON. It runs OK (ish) on 91, but when it's hot it pinks when taking off from standstill. Plus the Ultimate seems to result in smoother running due (from what I've read in the UK forums) to the composition keeping the injectors etc. cleaner.

Hope this helps.

[Marmoot]

Thanks Guys (esp. Viff) for the additive explanation.

I always thought that the ECU (on FI bikes) will automatically adjust/compensate for octane difference, unlike on carb bikes. But I never thought of the additives side.

That's it.....bye bye Mobil.

Btw, do you think Mobil fuel is still ok for cars? Is this problem bike-related only?

[bugjuice]

isn't the FI light the injectors? I have one on my bike and the manual says that when the FI light comes on, kinda panic a little, don't ride it and get it checked out asa.. When I lowsided it (shhhhh.. didn't really happen), and I picked it back up, the light was on and the bike wouldn't fire up. In the stress of it all, I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't start, then I saw the light. I switched it off and waited a minute, then fired back up. The reason being was the drop sensor trigged the bike to stop, but also fuel stopped going to one or more of the injectors, so the light came on. Cause when I picked the bike up and reset it, it ran fine. no real point here.... sorry

If the injectors etc have been checked and are fine, then whats the chances of a faulty sensor or ECU?

[F5 Dave]

From time to time when you fill up with some brand 98 you get another brand 98 from the pump. This is because when they run out they sell it to each other. 'Course they don’t mention this & it might well affect the two specific brands you are talking about, but I didn’t say that. & neither did my friend who used to organise this. . .with the two specific brands that I didn't mention.

[vifferman]

isn't the FI light the injectors?
On the Honda, the FI light is actually the warning light for the ECU, but as most of its work is to do with the EFI system, any fault will mean that the EFI system is probably compromised. When you turn the bike on, it goes through its diagnostic cycle, checking all sensors, then the light goes out. If there's a fault, it will either stay lit (for a serious fault) or blink a code, and you can look at the diagnostics in the manual to find out what it's complaining about.
In Marmoot's case, it may have been complaining about the O2 sensors (if it's got them), otherwise, I dunno.

Marmoot - you could try the UK Firestorm forum:
http://www.abercon.co.uk/vtr1000/phpBB2/index.php?sid=a7b679ad9bf3c5e89192c5ee04010f73


Btw, do you think Mobil fuel is still ok for cars? Is this problem bike-related only?
Depends on the car - bikes are less tolerant, because they have very small sparkplugs and small injectors, so these are easily fouled. We've got three injected cars (Peugeot 306 and 205 GTi, and a Fiat Punto), and while they do run better on 95/96 than the VFR does, after a while they do tend to misbehave a little, and not run quite so smoothly.

[bugjuice]

On the Honda, the FI light is actually the warning light for the ECU, but as most of its work is to do with the EFI system, any fault will mean that the EFI system is probably compromised. When you turn the bike on, it goes through its diagnostic cycle, checking all sensors, then the light goes out. If there's a fault, it will either stay lit (for a serious fault) or blink a code, and you can look at the diagnostics in the manual to find out what it's complaining about.
In Marmoot's case, it may have been complaining about the O2 sensors (if it's got them), otherwise, I dunno.
yeah, that's it.. I think it's the same with mine. Don't have the book to hand (as much as I love my bike, I'm not bringing in the manual to work), but that sounds familiar..