Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

Hey guys while researching stuff about fuel knocking in superbikes and fuel quality in India , I stumbled upon a Z800 thread in teambhp about a product called Fitch Fuel Catalyst a week ago.

This product improves the overall fuel quality for effective burning in low quality 91 octane fuels, which is unfortunately the standard petrol available everywhere in India.

So I did some digging and found that the product is made in USA and independently tested in many universities and organizations and has been available since 1995 if I remember correctly.

Seems to have good positive reviews. It improves fuel economy and power very slightly, but what the main advantage seems to be is that it improves the fuel quality basically on lower octane fuels like 87-91 octane to almost factory refinery levels. It also stabilizes the fuel and makes it remain the same quality even after two years of storage without any issues. Many Harley Davidson riders have been able to eliminate knocking issues it seems.

For motorcycles it's basically two pellets which we have to drop inside the tank.



For power levels below 75 bhp even one pellet does the trick it seems.
[MENTION=92730]ady2k[/MENTION] I guess you can try this one and see if the idling issues get solved.

I've already suggested this to my friends who currently own the Street Triple and Bonnevilles, I will get back with you if any changes can be seen.

Source: https://fitchfuelcatalyst.com/recrea...vehicles-1/f5t

Original Source I learned about this info:

"Its basically a hardware the size of your little finger that you drop into the tank and that stays there. Has a life of 250,000 miles. Btw, I recently learnt that X-Torque in Bangalore sells this product for about Rs 2,900 if my memory serves right. Seems it is currently running on 15-18 of their customer bikes. Worth checking them out and letting us know how they fare."





Cheers!

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

I love the way you've described the Z900, a gentleman who knows what he's capable of.

Can any of Z900 owners share their experiences of the after sales service and possibly the costs of owning a Z900? I am very eager to know how well Kawasaki is handling things, post the Bajaj split-up.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

Thanks for the info, I ll check on it. I have just pinged XTorque, hope they have it in stock.
Will update.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

I would suggest to avoid using the Fuel catalyst. There is no replacement for 97 RON rated fuel period. Having said that, I see no major issue in running your bikes on regular fuel from a good quality pump. Whenever you can source higher octane great but if not a lower rating fuel will mostly make the bike run coarser with increased vibes.
With over 90,000 kms of touring just on my Gen 1 and 2 , I can safely say that I have yet to come across an oil that when added will work as a replacement for higher octane fuel. Again, some products are purely snake oil while others are neutral. Unless bike is being stored for an extended period and you need an ethanol protector , for everyday use nothing beats a good quality fuel from a reputed pump.
This is a topic that has had extensive discussions on all biking forums world over so proceed with what you think works best for you.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

Thanks for the info, I take the bike for touring, and in my place finding BP Speed is hard to find. I ll be taking the bike to the dealer to check on the throttle body. The technician claims the low idle rpm is due to bad fuel and the throttle body can be cleaned, and suggested to always fuel up in a good pump. I ll check on the forums as well.
Thanks for the info.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

Is the bike shutting off at idle or with clutch depressed?
How old is the bike? Normally cleaning throttle bodies is something that is done after piling on some kms. But yes, if you used highly compromised fuel on one of your trips it could lead to clogging of the injectors.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -



Its a brand new Z900, 3 months old - 4000kms ODO. idle should be 1100 but running after around 1000kms or so the idle rpm drops to 500,
due to low idle rpm it shuts off in traffic, while shifting. At speeds 40 - 60 kmph shifting gears engine shuts off. Had to keep the throttle applied a bit white changing gears to avoid engine off. I used normal petrol from the time I took out the showroom, BP speed 30% of the time rest normal fuel.
checked online, seems other new owners too face this low rpm in their z900s

please advise on fuel..

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

4000 km is nothing. Try filling fuel from a different pump for a few days and see how the bike responds. And have the injectors inspected and if needed cleaned.
Although , I see no reason why your bike should do whats it doing due to using regular fuel. Even if you used highly spurious quality of fuel, cleaning the injectors/fuel pump/spark plugs etc should rectify the issue.
Tell your dealer you using high octane fuel and the bike still switches off. Lets see what explanation he has.

As a side note, give your bike to a different dealer for opinion.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

sure will do, Yea I ll be taking it to a different dealer in a couple of weeks. I ll update.
thanks

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

And i forgot to add, like earlier discussed sync the throttle bodies. I recollect a similar situation with another Kawasaki and i think syncing the throttle bodies worked.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

sure will speak to the dealer about it. thanks.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

THanks for the info. I bought my Z in November. I face this issue every 600-700 kms. Cleaning the throttle body seems to do the trick ( Have got it cleaned thrice since purchase). BTW, i only use SPEED and have tried multiple petrol stations in Trivandrum but to no avail. Will check with my dealer regarding your throttle body syncing solution.

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

How much does cleaning of throttle body costs?

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

How is sound as compared to street triple and cbr650? I felt even though it’s inline 4 but sound is not there yet

Re: Kawasaki Z900 -

It costs nothing if you get it done by the Service Center but the issue is opening of the panels and other parts to clean the throttle body at regular intervals, which may not be good for the overall health of the vehicle

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Even though I have not had the chance the hear CBR's or Triple's exhaust note, I am pretty sure Z900's exhaust note is meaner and got more bass. However, because of the EURO 4 regulations Z900 scores less than Z800 on the decibel level scales. Still, you will definitely not be disappointed by the exhaust note.