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Author Topic: Worst Glee mpg  (Read 5281 times)

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Offline UK_Vstrom650

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Worst Glee mpg
« on: November 17, 2016, 22:20:17 »
Today I recorded my worst ever mpg on the Glee.

155 miles down the A1, heated jacket, heated grips, satnav, spot lights and dashcam, BP petrol and travelling mainly at motorway speeds, average mpg according to the bike... 48.9  :bawl:

Return journey I got 55.2 mpg (Shell petrol). Not used to this as usually never dips below 60mpg at this time of year - a trip to Sheffield on Tuesday was 63mpg. Perhaps I need to check sparkplugs?
(Don't think brakes are binding, but off next week so time for TLC)
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Offline Holmsey

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2016, 22:45:45 »
Your lowest is still higher than TLP on his good day .
I'm currently 58 mpg in town ... probably due to the fact I've not changed the air filter since I got her... its probably as black as Newgate's Knocker. :shy:
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Offline UK_Vstrom650

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2016, 23:37:38 »
 lol I cleaned the filter (K&N) in July so hopefully not that. And don't think it's right wrist related as travelling with heavy traffic down the A1, so not at silly speeds.

May clean brakes, check/change plugs (think they were last done @ 14,000 miles - now 28,000), and might pop original air filter back in to see if mpg goes back up. Not sure if it was running a bit rough or whether that's just in my head? Still pulls like a train if you open it up.
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Offline bigpie

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2016, 14:59:06 »
Cold air is more dense so more drag?
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ProfG

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2016, 15:02:30 »
Is it not the other way round?

Warm air holds more moisture hence it is more dense. One reason why airlines fly at such high altitudes because they would then use less fuel.
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Offline Rich:-)

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2016, 15:21:16 »
Nah, cold air is more dense.
Airlines fligh higher as the air is thinner up there (lower pressure), nothing to do with it being colder, it's a gravity related effect.
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Offline Hondaman

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2016, 15:35:46 »
Cold is denser, warm a sealed container & the air inside it expands.

48.9mpg, you really must try harder 
My best (worst) was 43 mpg after a rather spirited run on the Autobahn into a headwind last year. I thought there was a hole in the tank!

BTW, an over oiled K&N can be restrictive.
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Offline TLPower

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2016, 16:59:10 »
You poor b*stards. My heart bleeds for you.

Not. ###
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Offline Hondaman

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2016, 17:12:01 »
Quote from: TLPower on November 18, 2016, 16:59:10
You poor b*stards. My heart bleeds for you.

Not. ###
We forget to mention that on a good day 70mpg is easy enough
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Offline Holmsey

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2016, 17:38:07 »
Easily 70 mpg.
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Offline Buggrit

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2016, 18:38:18 »
It's only a couple of weeks ago since the clocks went back, if you did the bike display, is it possible you set the mpg display to US gallons instead of imperial whilst cycling through?   :eusa-doh:
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Online Rusty Nuts

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2016, 19:39:45 »
Headwind / tailwind??
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Offline UK_Vstrom650

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2016, 20:27:19 »
Well, it didn't seem windy, and bike's readings are definitely imperial  (not silly US version  :neen:). Rode down the A1 from 07:30 till 11am. Stopping at Peterborough to fill up for return journey. Reset trip meter but still stayed at 49mpg. Coming back from 19:00 to 21:30 got me 54-55mpg. I think temp was reading 8c going down and 6c coming back.

Cleaned the K&N in July with no noticeable change in mpg then, and on Tuesday in similar conditions bike displayed 60mpg on M1. Tyre pressures are OK and I don't think I've eaten that many pies in the last two days...

I'll have a poke about for anything obvious (maybe another ride out is in order to double check?)
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Offline NTBooth

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2016, 23:40:08 »
Jesus....I get around 29MPG....hahaha
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Offline vstroman

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2016, 18:29:43 »
Quote from: UK_Vstrom650 on November 18, 2016, 20:27:19
Well, it didn't seem windy, and bike's readings are definitely imperial  (not silly US version  :neen:). Rode down the A1 from 07:30 till 11am. Stopping at Peterborough to fill up for return journey. Reset trip meter but still stayed at 49mpg. Coming back from 19:00 to 21:30 got me 54-55mpg. I think temp was reading 8c going down and 6c coming back.

Cleaned the K&N in July with no noticeable change in mpg then, and on Tuesday in similar conditions bike displayed 60mpg on M1. Tyre pressures are OK and I don't think I've eaten that many pies in the last two days...

I'll have a poke about for anything obvious (maybe another ride out is in order to double check?)

Did you find out what caused the sudden drop in mpg?
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Offline Joe Rocket

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #15 on: December 03, 2016, 19:37:23 »
I've always found speed (motorway limit +) and not running low revs in gears (below 4.5k) pushes consumption up very sharply.

My Glee is happy in 5th/6th on National roads even two up and often fully loaded with luggage too. As I've kms to contend with the consumption comes out thus:

Average over the long term is 4.2 or 4.3 l/100kms. I've had 3.9 l/100 kms in short spells.

Briefly 70 mpg is 4 l/100kms, 60 mpg is 4.7 l/100 kms and 50 mpg is 5.6 l/100 kms so overall my Glee returns around 65 mpg!

Confused? You should be.  lol
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So how's it going so far then?

Offline UK_Vstrom650

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #16 on: December 03, 2016, 20:41:46 »
Been under the weather since last posting on this thread so not had much incentive to get into the garage and investigate. Only ridden the bike once since posting (:bawl:) and mpgs seemed to return to c.63 going to Sheffield and back down the M1 on Tuesday this week. The only thing I've done since posting was on Monday night I sprayed all the callipers with brake cleaner and left it overnight and on Tuesday I filled up at Asda.

Was pretty sure it wasn't the brakes dragging as I'd checked the rotars when I got off at the last run and they didn't seem excessively warm, and never noticed any increased braking when rolling off the throttle.

I'm also not sure if the bike is running a bit rough or if it's in my head - I thought it might be hunting a bit at 70mph, but not sure if I'm imagining it  :shrug:

I've got two weeks off at Christmas  ( :happydance:) but the mother-in-law is also staying (:shock:) so it could be a good time to investigate further  :fix: I'm also thinking the valve clearances are due a check which I've never done before so good time to have a poke around the bike. Will update.

Edit: I should have said on both runs the bike stayed in 6th gear for the majority of the journey at motorway traffic speeds so between indicated 60 and 70mph (unless on the A1 I was stuck behind a lorry who decided to overtake another lorry on a hill  :dl_smiley_banghead:)
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Offline Holmsey

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #17 on: December 03, 2016, 21:29:33 »
I have noticed that my mpg goes higher when I travel in 5th gear and not use 6th on the way to work on the dual carriageway. .. Also I use only 3rd whilst in town.  :shrug:
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Offline vstroman

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #18 on: December 03, 2016, 22:14:50 »
I got less than 50 mpg today, always got 62+ before, up around 70 on a run,
maybe a plug or a coil has gone bad, or I got bad petrol somewhere, though I usually fill up at the same place,
my bike feels like it's not running well either, likes it's misfiring or something, or maybe it's all in my head,
I'll let her run this tank out,only a few bars left, refill with fresh petrol and check again,
brakes aren't dragging and trye pressure is all fine.
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Offline Offtheclockuk

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Re: Worst Glee mpg
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2016, 08:37:05 »
Quote from: NTBooth on November 18, 2016, 23:40:08
Jesus....I get around 29MPG....hahaha
Just thinking the same, I've just done a tank in 110 miles on the vee haha!

.

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