Under-revving an IL4?

Since I have my Fazer a couple of friends have told me not to ride with too low rpm's since it can damage the engine... and that you need go stretch the engines legs from time to time, I get that, I'm doing it in the car as well.

I just don't understand why it should be bad for the engine.

Overrevving or lugging (under revving due to being in the wrong gear) are both bad as they cause the engine to have to work unnecessarily hard. There are more technical explanations but I like this one: on a bicycle you need to be in the right gear when going up or down a hill. If you're in the wrong gear you'll overwork yourself - same with an engine.

Since I have my Fazer a couple of friends have told me not to ride with too low rpm's since it can damage the engine... and that you need go stretch the engines legs from time to time, I get that, I'm doing it in the car as well.

I just don't understand why it should be bad for the engine.

Out of interest, define low RPM?

When I first got my ER6 there seemed to be a fair bit of advice at generally running it at around 3k-7k RPM. Which does take a bit of adjusting to when you've been driving a car for years and think as soon as you hear the engine whirring you need to change up.

Since I have my Fazer a couple of friends have told me not to ride with too low rpm's since it can damage the engine... and that you need go stretch the engines legs from time to time, I get that, I'm doing it in the car as well.

I just don't understand why it should be bad for the engine.

That is myth coming from car engines. Motorcycle engines are designed to work hard. Ride the way you like. The fact is Fazer wants to be ridden in higher revs because of other reasons - power band and the nice sound. Means I prefer 1st gear in 20 mph then 3rd gear when slowing down for two reasons the engine stopping power is better and the IL4 screaming sound of "incoming" makes me feel great

It's pretty hard to over rev a motorcycle engine as the rev limiter usually keeps them within manufacturer's limits. Bikes tend to thrive on running at high rpm because the load in the engine per revolution is less. Conversely allowing an engine to labour can increase wear and oil consumption. Most running in guides advise more against allowing an engine to labour than running at higher rpm.

In the days before knock sensors you'd hear a labouring engine pinking which is pre-ignition shockwaves within the cylinders. That can be a very destructive force within the combustion chamber. Bikes don't tend to use knock sensors so if you labour the engine you can create pre-ignition though it's seldom audible.

A load of Tosh!

Carry on riding the way you are you will get to know your bike and when you are in a too low gear or not but it won't cause damage!

A load of Tosh!

Carry on riding the way you are you will get to know your bike and when you are in a too low gear or not but it won't cause damage!

I'm a bit surprised as I've seen plenty of engines damaged by pre-ignition shockwaves. Even your humble Haynes manual used to display a photo of evidence of spark plugs destroyed by the effect.

A load of Tosh!

Carry on riding the way you are you will get to know your bike and when you are in a too low gear or not but it won't cause damage!

 

I'm a bit surprised as I've seen plenty of engines damaged by pre-ignition shockwaves. Even your humble Haynes manual used to display a photo of evidence of spark plugs destroyed by the effect.

Labouring and mates saying you ride in too low rpm can be two totally different things especially if they are saying that he needs to stretch its legs

My guess is that he is riding it just fine and just not to his mates satisfaction

Modern electronics even on the fazer have taken care of the old days of pinking and killing the motor in fact I have not heard of a modern engine getting destroyed by riding in a low gear

I had a 4.2 jag that died from being too lean and suffering det a disintegrated plug and a melted piston, this was caused by shit engine tuning company many many years ago.

Since I have my Fazer a couple of friends have told me not to ride with too low rpm's since it can damage the engine... and that you need go stretch the engines legs from time to time, I get that, I'm doing it in the car as well.

I just don't understand why it should be bad for the engine.

 

Out of interest, define low RPM?

When I first got my ER6 there seemed to be a fair bit of advice at generally running it at around 3k-7k RPM. Which does take a bit of adjusting to when you've been driving a car for years and think as soon as you hear the engine whirring you need to change up.

I mean going at around 2500-3000 revs though town and cruising in top gear at 3500-4000 revs . The bike doesn't feel out of place at those revs.

Under 2000rpm you can feel that the engine is a bit shaky so a bit of clutch control to raise the revs and it's butter smooth as it usually is, speaking of 2nd, 3rd gear...

I never took the rev-counter over 8000(honest officer) yet because it really starts to pull in a surge of power from 6500-7000, and there's a nice buzz(tingles) from the engine like it's being awaken Not prepared for that yet, it's plenty powerful under the powerband. Can't find the place and time to make the bike scream.

It's pretty hard to over rev a motorcycle engine as the rev limiter usually keeps them within manufacturer's limits. Bikes tend to thrive on running at high rpm because the load in the engine per revolution is less. Conversely allowing an engine to labour can increase wear and oil consumption. Most running in guides advise more against allowing an engine to labour than running at higher rpm.

In the days before knock sensors you'd hear a labouring engine pinking which is pre-ignition shockwaves within the cylinders. That can be a very destructive force within the combustion chamber. Bikes don't tend to use knock sensors so if you labour the engine you can create pre-ignition though it's seldom audible.

Isn’t pinking more to do with using the wrong octane fuel in an engine?, I know most cars have knock sensors that adjust for this, my car is meant to run on 98+ octane but it will run ok on 95 but just be a bit less responsive and down on power.

I’d have thought modern bikes might have knock sensors in?, but I don’t know, I’ve always just put Super Unleaded in my last few bikes.

It's pretty hard to over rev a motorcycle engine as the rev limiter usually keeps them within manufacturer's limits. Bikes tend to thrive on running at high rpm because the load in the engine per revolution is less. Conversely allowing an engine to labour can increase wear and oil consumption. Most running in guides advise more against allowing an engine to labour than running at higher rpm.

In the days before knock sensors you'd hear a labouring engine pinking which is pre-ignition shockwaves within the cylinders. That can be a very destructive force within the combustion chamber. Bikes don't tend to use knock sensors so if you labour the engine you can create pre-ignition though it's seldom audible.

 

Isn’t pinking more to do with using the wrong octane fuel in an engine?, I know most cars have knock sensors that adjust for this, my car is meant to run on 98+ octane but it will run ok on 95 but just be a bit less responsive and down on power.

I’d have thought modern bikes might have knock sensors in?, but I don’t know, I’ve always just put Super Unleaded in my last few bikes.

Pinking can be caused by low octane fuel but it can also be caused by excessively labouring an engine, low rpm and high load will also cause pinking. Damage to pistons is often caused but to be fair we're talking about excessively low rpm for load.

In terms of putting super unleaded petrol into bikes there was a thread on here a while back about how cars can benefit from higher grade fuel but most bikes don't have the management systems for it to make any difference. It's worth buying branded fuel because it contains better detergents but not the premium stuff as you won't see any increase in performance or mpg. Cars are different, I use premium in the cars.

It's pretty hard to over rev a motorcycle engine as the rev limiter usually keeps them within manufacturer's limits. Bikes tend to thrive on running at high rpm because the load in the engine per revolution is less. Conversely allowing an engine to labour can increase wear and oil consumption. Most running in guides advise more against allowing an engine to labour than running at higher rpm.

In the days before knock sensors you'd hear a labouring engine pinking which is pre-ignition shockwaves within the cylinders. That can be a very destructive force within the combustion chamber. Bikes don't tend to use knock sensors so if you labour the engine you can create pre-ignition though it's seldom audible.

 

Isn’t pinking more to do with using the wrong octane fuel in an engine?, I know most cars have knock sensors that adjust for this, my car is meant to run on 98+ octane but it will run ok on 95 but just be a bit less responsive and down on power.

I’d have thought modern bikes might have knock sensors in?, but I don’t know, I’ve always just put Super Unleaded in my last few bikes.

 

Pinking can be caused by low octane fuel but it can also be caused by excessively labouring an engine, low rpm and high load will also cause pinking. Damage to pistons is often caused but to be fair we're talking about excessively low rpm for load.

In terms of putting super unleaded petrol into bikes there was a thread on here a while back about how cars can benefit from higher grade fuel but most bikes don't have the management systems for it to make any difference. It's worth buying branded fuel because it contains better detergents but not the premium stuff as you won't see any increase in performance or mpg. Cars are different, I use premium in the cars.

My bike doesn't say what fuel to use it has a sticker on the tank saying E0 E5 E10 so I know it's fine running on ethanol blended petrol but that's it, the difference in cost is so small with filling up the bike that I just put Super in it to be safe really.