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Well, I'll save you the happy dance, but I finally killed the 100 MPG barrier I was up against. 103.6 on the last tank. Check my logs. I really need to go delete all the really bad tanks that were less that 90mpg. They were all the result of off-roading. Is that cheating?

I'm going to try some more tricks. Anyone have any information on desiging aeordynamic flaps or air redirectors that would help with the drag?

I'm shooting for 120mpg now. ...and I don't mean at 30mph. Running 40mph is doable on my commute. Running 30 is not.

I know that in part my cafe` shield that I got from Jimbo C off the TW200 forum site helped with the drag. I may have to do some experimentation. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know as to where to put flaps, spoilers or any type of surface that will "smooth" the aerodynamic profile of a bike.

-TR

Hi TheRider:

___Sounds like someone lit a fire under your ride :D And congratulations! Not sure what the 30 and 40 mph stuff was all about but you always have a number of choices once you are off the arterials. Biggest drag adder is you. A little tuck here anytime you are over 40 will help tremendously of course!

___Good Luck and congrats!

___Wayne

Sweeeeet! I don't know about the 2005 model, but the 2009 model is rated at 78 MPG , so you have exceeded it significantly. I wish I could hit those kinds of numbers on my 4 wheeled commuter!

Congratulations - there's nothing like your first 100 miles per gallon tank.

You were asking for ideas to help you reach your next goal. Like you, I have ridden dual sport bikes for many years but mostly for recreational enjoyment exploring forest service roads and light duty off-road trails. Mine is a 1982 Honda XL 250R in mint condition.

Here's some thoughts (my apology if you have already done these things):

1. Consider synthetic oil for M/C in 10W-40 weight. The oil lubes the gearbox and clutch too.
2. Be sure the sparkplug is in good shape and gapped properly. If a platinum tipped one is available to fit, try one!
3. If your bike sits around over the winter as many do, the carb and needle valves might benefit from carb cleaner fuel additive to help remove gum deposits, etc.
4. Your bike has very wide donut tires with knobby treads. A narrower front tire with a less aggressive tread would lower rolling resistance (but affect your off-road adventures). You may find the rear tire more difficult to substitute owing to its unusual size.
5. Years ago I rode a 305cc Honda Dream with a removable windscreen. I could not keep up to the speed limit on hills if I removed it, proving how much it reduced wind resistance. If possible, you might experiment with adjusting the angle of yours.
6. If you never carry a passenger, remove the footpegs and any other related hardware.
7. Many riders of dual sport bikes have altered their gearing for highway use. I believe you have already changed the front sprocket. A smaller rear sprocket may be available too. As mentioned before, this will hurt off road performance.

I notice many more small/mid displacement bikes on the road these days so I expect many others have been "dusting off" their bikes like you have.

Good luck reaching your next milestone.

Cheers,

Roger

Dream'R, the windscreen reduced resistance? I'm a relatively new rider but most of what I've seen/read indicates that windscreens increase resistance and decrease mpg. Please elaborate, thanks!

Dream'R, the windscreen reduced resistance? I'm a relatively new rider but most of what I've seen/read indicates that windscreens increase resistance and decrease mpg. Please elaborate, thanks!

Depending on the size of the windscreen I think it can smooth the airflow compared to taking it on the front of your body. Obviously riders using a tucked position may see little benefit. My riding position is/was normally fairly upright on what I ride. I think TheRider could comment on his experience. His bike is a dual sport style which normally gives you an upright riding position.

I'm no expert on this. Perhaps others can chime in on this subject.

Cheers,

Roger

You were asking for ideas to help you reach your next goal. Like you, I have ridden dual sport bikes for many years but mostly for recreational enjoyment exploring forest service roads and light duty off-road trails. Mine is a 1982 Honda XL 250R in mint condition.

Here's some thoughts (my apology if you have already done these things):

1. Consider synthetic oil for M/C in 10W-40 weight. The oil lubes the gearbox and clutch too.
2. Be sure the sparkplug is in good shape and gapped properly. If a platinum tipped one is available to fit, try one!
3. If your bike sits around over the winter as many do, the carb and needle valves might benefit from carb cleaner fuel additive to help remove gum deposits, etc.
4. Your bike has very wide donut tires with knobby treads. A narrower front tire with a less aggressive tread would lower rolling resistance (but affect your off-road adventures). You may find the rear tire more difficult to substitute owing to its unusual size.
5. Years ago I rode a 305cc Honda Dream with a removable windscreen. I could not keep up to the speed limit on hills if I removed it, proving how much it reduced wind resistance. If possible, you might experiment with adjusting the angle of yours.
6. If you never carry a passenger, remove the footpegs and any other related hardware.
7. Many riders of dual sport bikes have altered their gearing for highway use. I believe you have already changed the front sprocket. A smaller rear sprocket may be available too. As mentioned before, this will hurt off road performance.

I notice many more small/mid displacement bikes on the road these days so I expect many others have been "dusting off" their bikes like you have.

Good luck reaching your next milestone.

Cheers,

Roger

Roger, thanks for the tips.

I can't wreck the offroad performance completely. I've changed the gearing to be just about the max for that (15/42) is the biggest/smallest I can get. I have considered making a custom rear down to about 35 just to see how it would do on the road. Changing rear sprockets is about a 15 min job. (Especially mine! I JB-Welded the bolts in the holes on the last swap.) Now I don't have to back them up with an end wrench to get the nuts off. I just used a "heavy spot" on the head of each bolt so I could knock them out if I needed to. Any lower ration (higher gear) would make it kind of worthless on the trail. Its close to that now. If its not a clear trail, you're done.

I've thought about some more "road like" tires. On the front, especially. I could easily "slide" a road tire through the mud. With the low fender of the TW200 heavy mud becomes a sliding proposition on the front, anyway. The stock tire wore out in 5500 miles. The new one (a little different tread), is wearing very well. Not sure how long I can deal with it. I may just junk it before its time. Its misshapen and gives me some wobble (no its not out of balance). Since its really a rear tire anyway (the TW200's front is the same rim size as the rear on may bikes), the tire, a 5.3" wide 80/20 (road/trail) tire, really wasn't designed for the road or for the front. I hate to pull a good tire but I'm betting I could sell it to someone with a dirtbike easy enough.

Oh, and about "dusting off", not me. I've been riding this steady for 2 years. I put over 3000 miles on it between thanksgiving and easter. But you're right, I think many DS bikes are coming out of mothballs because of the gas prices.

Strange thing is, I'm seeing more of them for sale. I think they bought them thinking of the mileage but then rode them awhile and started thinking about their butt and decided to go with something bigger. :)

The comment about the windshield intrigues me. I have one off of a harley that a buddy bought for me for 10 bucks. I just have to figure out a way to mount it. Its got like a snap on deal. That would be so cool. Snap off for trail. Snap on for MILEAGE!!!

Thanks,


-TR

Dream'R, the windscreen reduced resistance? I'm a relatively new rider but most of what I've seen/read indicates that windscreens increase resistance and decrease mpg. Please elaborate, thanks!

Trun,

He's not kidding. I have a little "Cafe Shield". Its just about a 10 or 12 inch extension to the TW200s bikini faring. I could tell a significant difference in drag once I put it on. Without it, I probably would not be happy with my current 15/42 sprocket set up.

-TR

Great numbers. It's interesting how the motorcycles brands are pushing MPG now...

Yamaha lists the MPG in big numbers in the corner of each picture/link.

Kawasaki even has a dedicated page showcasing their best MPG models:

http://www.kawasaki.com/mpg/

The Honda and Suzuki sites don't seem to be pushing MPG yet...