I want more MPG!

[mick-b]

Done a little test on mine this week , covered 220.7 miles and done 211 miles before the fuel symbol started flashing . The digital readout indicated 63 mpg but fuelly came out at 64.3 mpg ,all rides had the top box fitted  ,one with the panniers and once with a pillion on some twisty b roads . Kept it under 5k rpm most of the time sitting between 60/65 mph apart from the odd overtake and a about 5 miles of town /city riding a day .

[Jacko]

Seems about right from my experience.. Good riding technique plays its part..

[Fat Rat]

I couldn't care less about MPG, it's a bike and I ride because it's fun. If I wanted fuel economy I would buy a moped  

[Abercol]

Quite right Fat Rat....

I don't particularly give a hoot about fuel consumption & I think the Vee's not bad, given that my old CB900 in the '80's was doing well to return low to mid 30's mpg for much the same speed/style of riding. I remember getting under 80 miles to a tank if I really thrashed it.

I look at fuel consumption when I buy a bike - more in relation to overall range rather then mpg. I ride for fun, not my 85 mile a day commute, I leave that up to the car, easy to get 60mpg with that if I keep it under 70 ( averaging 53mpg...so not sticking under 70   ).

[Andy M]

You aren't riding in the most interesting places if range isn't a factor. I really don't want to spend my days looking for petrol and I don't want to buy from scratty country garages with water filled storage. My F650 had a 27 litre tank and was good for over 350 miles. Most days you stopped once for fuel and hardly worried. The Bonneville was a nightmare (140 miles) so I had an auxilliary tank made. I would like 300 miles from the Wee, but safely over 250 isn't bad. I'd have to live with the annoyance of a jerry can for the sort of trips I used the F650 for, but that probbaly isn't going to happen for the life of this bike.

Andy

[Fat Rat]

You aren't riding in the most interesting places if range isn't a factor.

Agreed, and most people buy this kind of bike (amongst other things) for the larger tank and range.

[Brockett]

I couldn't care less about MPG, it's a bike and I ride because it's fun. If I wanted fuel economy I would buy a moped  

   
 I have to say Fat Rat is right.
My Honda Jazz (aka the blue slug)is showing 54.8 very boring MPG  

As a "V" rider......... (spirited riding is about 36mpg   ) my only concern is trying to make it to the next fuel stop.
That said low MPG figures may indicate a problem ( like time for a new air filter, pump up the tyres etc.)

[Chris Graves]

I don't get fantastic mpg but I have very enjoyable rides, my back tyres don't last long either. I'm more concerned with points per miles ridden, currently I'm back to zero.

[jabmotorsport]

I usually get 65-70 MPG two up .. and we have a great time ... that's with a 33bhp restricted ECU but all that means is she has to try a little harder  )

[Jacko]

It's all about mileage and range for me.. I have a sportsbike for fuel rinsing duties..

[mick-b]

I couldn't care less about MPG, it's a bike and I ride because it's fun. If I wanted fuel economy I would buy a moped  

couldn't agree more as I said in a earlier post ,I have never brought a bike for fuel economy . Just thought I would do a little test to see what I could get out of it ,normal service has now resumed now and its back down to 51 mpg at the mo  

[Jacko]

I couldn't care less about MPG, it's a bike and I ride because it's fun. If I wanted fuel economy I would buy a moped  

It's all relative. I wanted fuel economy, so I bought a 650 Vstrom..

[Juvecu]

I've noted every fill up since I bought the bike at 28955 miles on the odo. It's now just over 101k with an average MPG of 51.36 over all those miles. For a single spark plug Wee, with a K&N air filter and a Scorpion exhaust with the most free flowing (read: loudest) baffle in this is perfectly acceptable. I'm not sure why I still keep track of it all, it's probably just my little OCD, because I don't really care what the MPG figure is as long as it stays roughly the same. If I wanted high MPG I'd buy another Yamaha SR125 Custom and rag it to within an inch of it's life and get 100mpg average still. I've tried taking it slower to improve MPG on the Wee back when I was still doing the ~186 mile round trip everyday for my commute. That didn't last long, I was bored out of my skull on the motorway within about 4 days.

Funny thing is that if I load the panniers and put the good lady on the back I get better MPG, I put this down to taking it easier when she's with.

[Andy M]

Tracking the MPG tells you early about problems such as sticking brakes, blocked filters and leaks. It teaches you where not to buy their water contaminated, stood for 3-years, 10% sewage content "petrol". It also gives more confidence in range calculations even if the bike is a later one that does fuel flow vs tank gauge position.

Work rather nicely installed an SPC package on my box, I put the numbers in there. 20th fill up since the bike was new a year ago will be this morning: 65MPG average, but only 61.5 MPG over the last 5 as winter means longer on the choke and shorter runs. A sticking back brake dropped it to 58.

Andy

[greywolf]

winter means longer on the choke and shorter runs.

Fuel injected bikes don't have a choke. Longer warm up times would be more like it. I don't know if the UK uses a different blend fuel with higher volatility in the winter but I suspect it does. Winter blend fuel is one cause of lower fuel economy. Others include longer warm up times, denser air which is harder to punch through and colder lubricants.

[Andy M]

Pedant!

OK then: longer on the richer mixture section of the fuelling map and incresaed idle speed related to a sub-optimal operating temperatures.....  

UK fuel is to EC 98/70 , EN 228 which allows multiple grades. National governments can pick which grades to use. The British government does not define any specific grade for winter/summer.

Andy

[greywolf]

I wouldn't call objecting to the use of the word "choke" on a fuel injected engine an undue display of learning. It's basic information for petrol heads. I'll happily accept corrections on "petrol heads" though.

I find it strange that the recent Euro emissions standards are more stringent than even the California standards in the the USA yet there are no charcoal canister vapor traps on Strom fuel tank vents or seasonal fuel blend changes. I don't think the seasonal temperature variations in the UK are exactly tiny though they aren't as wide as the USA range.

[kernow kamikase]

That does seem low for a Glee.  A K7+ (dual spark) should get better than that and I can get 59/60 on my K5 (single spark) (well could until I screwed the elecs.) if I sit on the motorway at 65 (indicated 70mph).

Take it for a 300 mile trip on the motorway, pin it at an indicated 70 and report back.

GW is right, revs matter less than speed and being heavy on the throttle.  Once over an indicated 75 they get a tad more thirsty.

Oh, and avoid alcohol loaded fuel (Tesco esp.) as this will hit the economy.

Alcohol loaded fuel? Please elaborate

[Strommer]

It's the (up to 10%) bio-ethanol added by some vendors to make their fuel more green...  Up to 15% across the pond.

It attracts water, reduces mpg by 3% (at least)....

[Andy M]

If it costs 4p a litre less you are therefore better off!

Andy