Torq Loopz, Cobra exhaust, Octane and plugs question

[SpencerPJ]

So I recently bought a 2013 F6B. Love it. Previous owner installed torq loopz and cobra exhaust. I like the sound, not too loud at all, no drone, nice rumble(previous bike was a Venture and dead silent, lol).
1st question: Previous owner said he ran Premium gas. Cough cough, Do you feel that my setup truly warrants premium gas? I run mid-grade, and was thinking standard grade probably would be fine.
2nd question: Bike has 22k miles. Really don't know the maintenance story, but this winter I plan basics and all fluids. Would you keep the oem plugs with this exhaust setup, or change?
I'd really prefer to keep oem stuff, looking for advise from the pros.
Thx

[jm21ddd15]

If no maintenance records came with your bike, I would definitely change ALL FLUIDS. 2013 fluids possible? Don't take the chance. The oil, well you can look on the dip stick for color, feel for grit, and smell for burn. If it looks okay, that may pass as ok temporary. But I would for sure bleed the brakes and clutch and get fresh blood in there. Coolant too! These jobs are not hard, maybe time consuming, but not hard. As for premium gas, I guess that is a personal choice. The manual does not require it, so you be the judge. I switch from premium to regular about every other tank, and I ride the 6 hard, and I see no difference in performance. 78,000 miles on my horse, and she runs great! Glad you joined the F6B group! Fantastic bikes!

[Radical Taz]

I have loops and Rush exhaust for last 10k miles and always use 87 octane without any issues...avg 36-41 mpg
Also have 33k on bike and still have original plugs, I will perform plugs and air filter replacement this winter using OEM
Changed brake and clutch fluid last season81198120

[willtill]

Yeah, I now have 29,598 or so on my bike. Will be changing out the spark plugs in a couple hundred more miles. Supposed to do them every 15k APAIK but I felt that was too early.

Someone here took a pic of their plugs around 30k and posted it; they looked normal and could've gone on for longer.

[F6Dave]

Your engine will tell you if the octane is too low. If you use higher octane than it needs, you won't hear a thing, but you'll spend more than you need to. Here are my experiences with four Honda 6 cylinder engines:


My 1998 Valkyrie Tourer runs fine on any fuel I feed it, even the 85 octane junk they label as regular in high altitude regions, like where I live. I usually use the 87 octane ethanol free they sell at the local Murphy Express because this bike doesn't get ridden much, and I've had problems with ethanol absorbing water when it sits around for a while.


My 1999 Valkyrie Interstate will knock badly in very hot weather if I run anything less than 91 octane premium. Most of the time it runs fine on 87, so I usually run the ethanol free stuff in this one too. The need for higher octane could be because Honda installed an ignition module on the Interstates with a more aggressive advance curve, to compensate for the extra weight.


I owned a 2013 F6B that would occasionally knock on 87 octane fuel. This is a more advanced engine than the old Valkries with 6 carbs, with a knock sensor and computer that retards the timing when knock is detected. You can actually hear this adjustment take place. I remember one very hot day when accelerating hard it knocked for a fraction of a second, then stopped, then knocked again. It went through this cycle a few times in just a second or two. I assume the engine management computer was ratcheting back the timing in increments to compensate for fuel it didn't like. After that I started using premium whenever I rode in 95+ heat. It was very easy to hear this engine knocking because of the nearly silent exhaust note on the 2013 models.


My current 2016 F6B runs fine on 87 octane fuel in any weather. I've never heard it knock at all. I have no idea why my two F6Bs had such a different tolerance for fuel. The engines are supposed to be identical, except for that droning exhaust note on the later versions. I'll add that my 2016 doesn't feel quite as powerful as my 2013.


Higher octane fuel will only prevent detonation; it won't increase performance. In fact, premium fuel actually contains slightly less energy than regular.

[F6Dave]

Here are my plugs at 36K. They could have lasted a lot longer, but I was removing the trim strip to install a set of Aero Pegs, and thought I'd do it anyway.

http://dchealy.com/valk/plugs-f6b-36k.jpg

http://dchealy.com/valk/plugs-f6b-36kDtl.jpg

[willtill]

Here are my plugs at 36K. They could have lasted a lot longer, but I was removing the trim strip to install a set of Aero Pegs, and thought I'd do it anyway.



Yes, that was your post I remembered. And again, now I am debating with myself to just leave them in for longer. If it's not broke, why fix it?

[F6Dave]

Yes, that was your post I remembered. And again, now I am debating with myself to just leave them in for longer. If it's not broke, why fix it?

Some of these things are so easy I just go ahead and do them, like the plug change. I just did the coolant change too. But then there's that darn air filter!