Author Topic: mpg revisited (Read 4869 times)

rascaltrousers · « **on:** March 14, 2011, 17:13:51 »

I've mad a few modifications to riding style in the past week or two to see what effect it has on fuel consumption. Slightly more gentle accelaration and a couple of mph less plus smooth riding and less braking. The last tank yielded 48.2mpg which is a considerable improvement on my previous best on the KLV1000 of 46mpg.

Bandageman · « **Reply #1 on:** March 14, 2011, 17:25:50 »

My last mpg was 41mpg, so I must slow down a bit to try to make a difference to my mpg, but its not as much fun

2112 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 14, 2011, 17:37:30 »

The best run I had on my vee got me down to 32mpg.... Very naughty but great fun

hookie · « **Reply #3 on:** March 14, 2011, 18:50:18 »

It's a bit odd but on all the bikes I've ever owned I've never found much difference in fuel figures between careful and not so careful riding- usually only a matter of a few m.p.g. Cars on the other hand vary substantially, often as much as 15 to 20 m.p.g. I don't really know what my Vee does overall but probably in the mid 30s to low 40s at best. The car rarely goes below 50mpg even fully loaded and when driven carefully can get well into the 60s. I can't believe that the bike manufacturers couldn't make bikes a lot more economical if they really wanted to. Modern computer managed fuel injection systems, lean burn engines and low emissions should give us very economical bikes. When I started biking in the days of Amal carbs and what were really pre-war designs, it was common to get 60-70mpg without problems and cross country average speeds were often faster than today. Such is progress......

Squirrelciv · « **Reply #4 on:** March 14, 2011, 19:26:11 »

Fuel consumption was one of the prices I had to pay for the V-strom. Previous bike [XT600e] gave me 60mpg no matter how I rode it.

mrjames · « **Reply #5 on:** March 14, 2011, 20:12:39 »

My R125 did 100mpg! Those were the days ;)

Arto · « **Reply #6 on:** March 14, 2011, 20:57:32 »

My Vee does mid - high 30's at best, the mondeo 115 bhp and much heavier, does about 40's if thrashed, currently driving like an old fogey and seeing 53+mpg, as fuel is my biggest work expense, I now have to think twice about taking the car. But as the evenings draw out, the Vee will win becuause you can't put a price on enjoyment.

Bandageman · « **Reply #7 on:** March 14, 2011, 20:59:13 »

Yeah I once owned a CB100N, 100+mpg, granted it wasn't very quick but it was quick enough for me as a 17 year old

2112 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 14, 2011, 22:09:48 »

Quote from: "Bandageman"

Yeah I once owned a CB100N, 100+mpg, granted it wasn't very quick but it was quick enough for me as a 17 year old

Ditto - my first ever new bike at a whopping Â£395 on the road. It seemed a big bike back then...

Juvecu · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:28:27 »

My learner bike was a Yamaha SR125, no matter how hard I tried to ride it I would still get 100 mpg

Anonymous · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:34:53 »

I very nearly bought a versys over the wee-strom because of the widely reported 65-70 mpg figures and I really like parallel twins. However the lack of useful headlights killed the idea.

Getting high 40s mpg from a DL1000 is pretty good going - I suspect I'm only getting low 50s from the 650.

jonH · « **Reply #11 on:** March 15, 2011, 10:04:27 »

yeah high 40s from a KLV is not bad going, I can get high 50s from the same journey on my wee (when the brakes aren't dragging) and I go slower than rascaltrousers

Abercol · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2011, 10:19:10 »

Quote from: "2112"

Quote from: "Bandageman"
Yeah I once owned a CB100N, 100+mpg, granted it wasn't very quick but it was quick enough for me as a 17 year old

Ditto - my first ever new bike at a whopping Â£395 on the road. It seemed a big bike back then...

Hello...Me too, but Â£200 second hand (after having my first ever bike - a new CM125, stolen the day I bought it) ....it was a wreck compared to the then wife's H100S though.

Juvecu · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2011, 11:06:55 »

I read about a bloke with a diesel Royal Enfield that gets 170mpg, was in one of the Motorcycle Monthly issues. I'd consider that if it weren't for the fact that it has a top speed of 55 mph

If I could put on a screen, heated grips, bar muffs and get 80mph out of it I'd strongly consider it

Euroned · « **Reply #14 on:** March 15, 2011, 13:53:01 »

Well my riding must be doing something wrong then...cos I fill my tank up usually on second flasing warning(flashing pump symbol) and get around 220-240 miles, but then only put in around 18l. That means get 55-65mpg!

But unfortunately most of it is slow commuting and only has one bit of road can twist the throttle for about 1/4 mile! Now the question I have is when out on half decent rideout (150-200miles) when I go on much better roads and better speeds...I get nearly 250miles to about 18l fuel!?!

Like the Wee works better with more revs for getting around!?

Neil

ADV.john · « **Reply #15 on:** March 15, 2011, 14:14:50 »

Quote from: "Euroned"

Well my riding must be doing something wrong then...cos I fill my tank up usually on second flasing warning(flashing pump symbol) and get around 220-240 miles, but then only put in around 18l. That means get 55-65mpg!

But unfortunately most of it is slow commuting and only has one bit of road can twist the throttle for about 1/4 mile! Now the question I have is when out on half decent rideout (150-200miles) when I go on much better roads and better speeds...I get nearly 250miles to about 18l fuel!?! Like the Wee works better with more revs for getting around!?

Neil

I think it's because. constant throttle. not shut open ( town work). I only fill mine on the first flashing light

what does the second flashing warning look like ? .

Juvecu · « **Reply #16 on:** March 15, 2011, 14:50:42 »

Yep, constant revs does the trick. The first thing to flash is the petrol pump symbol, then after that the last bar starts flashing. When the last bar starts flashing it's time to fill up soon

Are most owners with a twin plug Wee seeing these higher (than my 52mpg) MPG figures?

hookie · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2011, 17:16:30 »

Showing my age again (and proudly wearing my *Grumpy old Git" tee shirt), the very first Honda 50s (called the C100- a little pushrod single pot 4 stroke with centrifugal clutch) in the early '60s would do more than 200mpg. If my memory serves me correctly some garages wouldn't serve owners as the fuel tanks was so small it wouldn't register properly on some petrol pumps used at the time. Then along came the 125, 250and 305cc twins which the British industry and media scoffed and sneered at but even then the writing was clearly on the wall for all to see. I can't see the growing Chinese exports representing any threat at present as the main difference is that these very first Hondas were quality products right from the start and nothing made by Chinese owned companies is anywhere near the mark.

Oldie · « **Reply #18 on:** March 15, 2011, 18:58:57 »

Quote from: "Juvecu"

.The first thing to flash is the petrol pump symbol, then after that the last bar starts flashing. When the last bar starts flashing it's time to fill up soon
?

Didn't know that (cos I ain't got the manual) so just assumed that I had to refil quickstyle when the pump symbol started to flash!

Jammo · « **Reply #19 on:** March 15, 2011, 21:42:43 »

I must be doing something wrong too... around 60mpg average...

I've been logging my fill ups on fuelly since day 1, it's a freebie site... You can see my results by the link below...
(Make sure that UK is selected at top left of the website link - tends to default to US)

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/vstrom/DL650

Author Topic: mpg revisited (Read 4869 times)

rascaltrousers

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