xcel
12-16-2006, 11:40 PM
According to totalmotorcycle.com, manufacturer- and rider-reported mileage figures are roughly equal, within 2% to 3% of each other. (http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hyw-qa6dec06,0,3536968.story?coll=la-class-autos-highway1)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_BMW_K1200.jpgSusan Carpenter - LA Times - Dec. 6, 2006
BMW K1200S - The Ultimate Driving Machine … On two wheels - Manufacturer spec = 49.9 mpg highway.
Question: Does the Environmental Protection Agency have a list of miles per gallon ratings for motorcycles? If not, where can I find MPG ratings for different motorcycles?
- Reza Muhammad, Los Angeles
Answer: There isn't any one source for motorcycle MPG figures as there is for cars. The EPA doesn't track them, and that's because the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 only gave EPA the authority to test passenger vehicles. The law wasn't interpreted to include motorcycles.
That leaves us with two main options: MPG reported from the manufacturers and MPG from the media, both of which have their problems. Manufacturers are not required by law to release mileage figures, so many of them do not. And if they do, they may not release them for every model or they may not be entirely accurate because there isn't standardized testing.
Cycle World magazine often reports MPG as part of its spec panel when reviewing a bike, but, again, the MPG isn't for every model - just the bike that gets a major road test or side-by-side comparison.
One of the best resources I've been able to find is the consumer website totalmotorcycle.com, which launched a fuel economy guide earlier this year. The guide isn't comprehensive, but it includes new and newish models from 17 manufacturers, with different models' MPG ratings posted at the rate of about two bikes per week.
BMW, Buell, Harley-Davidson and Victory all provide the site with their corporate-sanctioned MPG figures. The rest of the figures are reported from riders worldwide, who provide the exact model and year of the bike, along with its fuel capacity, city/highway MPG and the source of the riders' mileage information - whether it's their own riding experience or a figure cited in the media.
Corporation doubters take heart: According to site founder Michael LePard, manufacturer- and rider-reported mileage figures for the same models are roughly equal, within 2% to 3% of each other.
Question: I grew up riding Harleys, but my boyfriend is interested in buying a Vespa and thinks we can ride it up the coast. Is it comfortable for two to ride up the coast for a couple of hours?
- Ann Poeschl, Los Angeles
Answer: It depends on what sort of comfort you're looking for. Vespas, which are 250cc at their largest, may feel a little underpowered and top-heavy if you're used to riding hogs, which have significantly larger displacements and ride lower to the ground.
That said, there are plenty of Vesparados who do it.
"We regularly ride from Santa Barbara to Malibu for lunches or all the way to L.A. for rallies … so we could easily ride on any of the modern scooters two, three hours in the saddle, no problem," said Bob Weindorf, founder of the Vespa Club of Santa Barbara and owner of the Vespa Santa Barbara shop. "As with anything, it depends on your butt."
It also depends on what sort of Vespa you're talking about - new or old. New Vespas (read: the Piaggio Group Vespas that were reintroduced to the U.S. in 2001) have the same sort of closed foam seats that are standard issue on most modern motorcycles; they're a lot more cush on the tush than the vintage model saddles made from wire springs topped with padding.
Wind could also be an issue. Vespas don't come with stock windscreens, so after a couple of hours of wintertime coastal riding, you might feel like you're trekking Antarctica. If you aren't a purist concerned with ruining the classic lines of the bike, consider a windscreen. They're available in a variety of sizes for $130 to $200.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_BMW_K1200.jpgSusan Carpenter - LA Times - Dec. 6, 2006
BMW K1200S - The Ultimate Driving Machine … On two wheels - Manufacturer spec = 49.9 mpg highway.
Question: Does the Environmental Protection Agency have a list of miles per gallon ratings for motorcycles? If not, where can I find MPG ratings for different motorcycles?
- Reza Muhammad, Los Angeles
Answer: There isn't any one source for motorcycle MPG figures as there is for cars. The EPA doesn't track them, and that's because the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 only gave EPA the authority to test passenger vehicles. The law wasn't interpreted to include motorcycles.
That leaves us with two main options: MPG reported from the manufacturers and MPG from the media, both of which have their problems. Manufacturers are not required by law to release mileage figures, so many of them do not. And if they do, they may not release them for every model or they may not be entirely accurate because there isn't standardized testing.
Cycle World magazine often reports MPG as part of its spec panel when reviewing a bike, but, again, the MPG isn't for every model - just the bike that gets a major road test or side-by-side comparison.
One of the best resources I've been able to find is the consumer website totalmotorcycle.com, which launched a fuel economy guide earlier this year. The guide isn't comprehensive, but it includes new and newish models from 17 manufacturers, with different models' MPG ratings posted at the rate of about two bikes per week.
BMW, Buell, Harley-Davidson and Victory all provide the site with their corporate-sanctioned MPG figures. The rest of the figures are reported from riders worldwide, who provide the exact model and year of the bike, along with its fuel capacity, city/highway MPG and the source of the riders' mileage information - whether it's their own riding experience or a figure cited in the media.
Corporation doubters take heart: According to site founder Michael LePard, manufacturer- and rider-reported mileage figures for the same models are roughly equal, within 2% to 3% of each other.
Question: I grew up riding Harleys, but my boyfriend is interested in buying a Vespa and thinks we can ride it up the coast. Is it comfortable for two to ride up the coast for a couple of hours?
- Ann Poeschl, Los Angeles
Answer: It depends on what sort of comfort you're looking for. Vespas, which are 250cc at their largest, may feel a little underpowered and top-heavy if you're used to riding hogs, which have significantly larger displacements and ride lower to the ground.
That said, there are plenty of Vesparados who do it.
"We regularly ride from Santa Barbara to Malibu for lunches or all the way to L.A. for rallies … so we could easily ride on any of the modern scooters two, three hours in the saddle, no problem," said Bob Weindorf, founder of the Vespa Club of Santa Barbara and owner of the Vespa Santa Barbara shop. "As with anything, it depends on your butt."
It also depends on what sort of Vespa you're talking about - new or old. New Vespas (read: the Piaggio Group Vespas that were reintroduced to the U.S. in 2001) have the same sort of closed foam seats that are standard issue on most modern motorcycles; they're a lot more cush on the tush than the vintage model saddles made from wire springs topped with padding.
Wind could also be an issue. Vespas don't come with stock windscreens, so after a couple of hours of wintertime coastal riding, you might feel like you're trekking Antarctica. If you aren't a purist concerned with ruining the classic lines of the bike, consider a windscreen. They're available in a variety of sizes for $130 to $200.