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I fill up my 2006 Yamaha Vstar 1100 today and to my suprise my iphone calculator showed 53.855 mpg. The best I have ever gotten before hypermiling was about 49 mpg.

That improvement was made by just accelerating slowly and using the no brakes theory as well as keepoing my highway speed under 60 mph.

On a side note, I installed by ScanGauge2 in my 2007 Titan this morning. I had to make adjustments to the speedo as it was slow by 2 mph according to my GPS. I was only down a 1/4 tank but filled it up and hit the fill up button. I have been filling up at a 1/2 tank lately; should I run the tank down to 1/4 before refuling to check for any descrpencies.

My mileage improved in the Titan also. 18.5 to 18.8. I getting there.

Thanks for listening.

Good job! Running the tank down low before refueling will reduce the error in MPG calculations.

As far as increasing FE by reducing speed, I know on my Dakota that running down the I at 60-65MPH will take half the gas of running at 75 MPH. Yes, it is THAT pronounced a difference. Running at 55 takes the same MPG but more time.

Again, Congratulations on increasing your FE.

I am currently getting 47 mpg on my DL1000. This is with a smaller rear sprocket. Last chain replacement they sold me the wrong size and I figured I would just run it. With the original size I got 50mpg. Next chain change I am going to go bigger than stock and see what that gets me.

I don't drive with mileage in mind, typically fast starts and too fast speed. I could probably get this thing up close to 60mpg if I really tried.

Best mileage I got on any motorcycle was a Honda VT500 Ascot. I got 70 MPG (U.S.) one tank while mostly tooling around in upper new York state. I wasn't doing anything special, just mostly going 50 - 55 MPH on very rural roads. That same motorcycle would also yield a dismal 24 MPG when traveling really fast on the freeway. At similar freeway speeds my Concours would be a very consistent 40 MPG.

I also have a DL1000. My fuel economy improved once I put some miles on the bike. My mileage on the bike varies with speed. At 80 mph 44-45 mpg, 75 mph 47-48mpg, 70mph 50-51 mpg, 65 mph 54-55mpg. My normal day to day riding without much attention to speed gets me about 52 mpg. That is almost all highway miles.

My best mileage has been 57.344228804903 mpg
My worst mileage: 44.416144200627 mpg
Lifetime average: 50.9636341630256 mpg

I would really like to see the numbers from a DL650 for the same type of riding. I would think it would be possible to break into mid 60's using hypermiling techniques.

I have been watching HDT for the release of the diesel bike they are working on. They report a claimed 100+ mpg. Unfortunately it is looking more like this bike will never see light of day. The forum for that bike reports the president of the company saying something like 50 bikes have shipped so far of the bikes promised to the government. Things are sounding rather fishy so my hopes for this bike are slowly slipping away and it is doubtful that the commercial version will ever ship.

Guy

A diesel motorcycle would be cool. Imagine the torque. Running on Bio would be a great clean efficient commuter.

"to my suprise my iphone calculator showed "

i calculate with my iphone too:) but look forward to getting a scangauge.

:)
k

My best mileage has been 57.344228804903 mpg
My worst mileage: 44.416144200627 mpg
Lifetime average: 50.9636341630256 mpg



You should probably work on making your calculations more precise. :p ;)

"to my suprise my iphone calculator showed "

i calculate with my iphone too:) but look forward to getting a scangauge.

:)
k

Wish I could put a Scanguage on the bike.

In dead stock form my 1980 SR500 would get about 60 mpg in city riding(with some city interstate mixed in).Currently-hopped up and geared down -it will get about 40 mpg. My 1983 VT500 Ascot-same as 2tonjellybean-will get about 45mpg or so in all city riding.
If these bikes had EFI and electronic controls and were set up to get good mpg they could probably get 70+mpg.The old carbs were real gasoline wasters.
The is/was a diesel motorcycle made in India.It was about 15 hp.
Charlie

Has anyone here ever attempted to adapt a modern EFI to one of the older carburetor bikes?I would bet that any of the midsized(engine size and 1-2 cylinders) bikes would be capable of 70+mpg.
During the gasoline crunch of 79,80,81 we would gear the bike up- either a smaller rear sprocket,bigger countershaft sprocket(cheaper to go with the countershaft sprocket), drop the MJ a little and raise the needle a bit,change the jet needle etc.
The gearing changes gave better mpg; the jetting changes weren't too successful. The bikes didn't run well.
Adding weight to the external flywheel/alternator/stator could also help.It should allow you to gear it taller without lugging.
Some of the modern sportbikes might respond to gearing changes,and you might be able to piggyback on one of the performance modules and instruct it to jet leaner for economy.They are usually used to increase hp, but they might have a fuel economy mode.
Charlie

http://www.megasquirt.info/

Hey,thanks. It might be tough to install a megasquirt on my SR500. I'm not sure how I would get a cam position sensor hooked up.I could certainly plumb in O2 sensors,and mass air sensor.Maybe it could just work off ignition timing?
Thanks,
Charlie
PS The FI from a SV650 or something of that type might work ok for either the 1 or 2 cyl bike.

My 1980 Suzuki 450 would average 66MPG with careful driving. I regeared it at chain changing time, upping the gearing 15% & raised my mileage to ~74MPG average. Sometimes it would give me 77MPG on the right level road.

I plan on going to a higher gear as well. Last chain change they sold me the wrong sprocket(and I didn't check) and I am now lower geared than stock. My bike has more than enough power to go much higher.

Hi thetonka....If you change gearing remember: if you raise top gear 15%, your first gear will also be 15% higher. You'll have to forget about fast starts. But once moving, your acceleration will be fine. Such high gearing will lower vibration a lot. You'll have to decide if that is good or bad. Me...I loved a nice smooth ride as I traveled 245 miles with my 3.7 gallon tank.

I can start in second now without much clutch slip. If I get into in 1st of 2nd I usually end up single wheelin' it. Should be a problem. I think the DL1000 is rated at 98hp and something like 74 lb-ft of torque. Its got some go to it. I am sure I will need to down shift going up some big hills to avoid lugging it, but on the downhills and flats its should be real nice.

Hi TheTonka:

___The SMART Fortwo weighs ~ 1,800 lbs and with 350 #’s of bodies in it, the smallish 1.0L Mitsubishi rated at just 70 HP and 68 ft.-lb’s of torque moved it around quite nicely. I was never anywhere near the WOT throttle ratings so I am sure your bike will move you along just fine at whatever ratio you want to install!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Yeah, its a BIT overpowered. I have been looking at programming options, but most everything out there is focused on performance. Gotta focus on programming the nut in the saddle.

Just shy of two years ago I purchased a new Sportster to ride back and forth to work as I commute 46 miles a day round trip. Living in NW Florida I can ride all year. One of the reasons I chose a Sportster was that it runs on regular fuel. That saves $.20 a gallon. In 2007 they went to fuel injected and now run premium. It is also a bike that can tour if needed. So far I have not added any windshield or fairing to help with the fuel mileage. I do mostly hi way to and from work. If I run 60-65 I get 55 mpg. If I keep it 55-60 I get 60 mpg.

Hi HD883XL:

___Welcome to CleanMPG and those are some excellent stats to achieve while enjoying the great outdoors on the Harley.

___Although I am not a big Harley fan, I respect those that own them due to the FE if driven in a leisurely fashion.

___I hope to hear of more 60 mpg tanks than 50 mpg ones and of course the stories are always a good read from the bike riders!

___Good Luck and welcome.

___Wayne

Thanks for the welcome Wayne.
A few notes concerning mileage I have noticed over my years of riding.

Wind is a big factor on a motorcycle. Even the clothing you wear makes a difference and will reflect the mileage you get. Especially without a windshield. I have a rain jacket that acts like a sail when I wear it in warm weather. As I suit up for cold riding with layers under it this effect changes and my mileage improves.

Helmets and face shields affect the wind also. I wear a flip up shield on a 3/4 helmet.

Another item on bikes with a choke is how long you leave the choke on. As soon as I get up to speed on my way to work I turn the choke off.

These little things don't seem like much, but when you add them all together it does make a difference.

Wind is a big factor on a motorcycle.
I didn't fully appreciate how much of a factor until a couple of weeks ago, on my last ride of the season before putting her to bed for the winter. I was going downhill (on my Honda Shadow 600 VLX) at a particular spot on my route where I can easily gain speed while gliding in the Prius. I released the throttle and pulled the clutch in, and lost speed, even after crouching down behind the windshield.

Recalling that and reading your post moved me to do a quick Google search on motorcycle coefficients of drag. I was amazed to see how high they were, at least compared to the Prius' 0.26 -- anywhere from 0.3 to 0.6 for sports bikes, and up to 0.9 for touring bikes. Makes me appreciate crotch rockets a little more -- though I don't see a lot of them being ridden for maximal fuel economy. ;)

Wind is a big factor on a motorcycle. Even the clothing you wear makes a difference and will reflect the mileage you get. Especially without a windshield. I have a rain jacket that acts like a sail when I wear it in warm weather. As I suit up for cold riding with layers under it this effect changes and my mileage improves.

Helmets and face shields affect the wind also. I wear a flip up shield on a 3/4 helmet.

Motorcycle aerodynamics are pretty bad - anything you do to improve your wind profile will help your MPG.

Years ago there was a company that sold aero fairings for bikes - I think it was Rifle? You could get a almost fully enclosed fairing. Wish something like they made back in '80's would be offered today. Maybe as the cost of fuel goes up there will be a demand

So far, my best is 53.22 on an '04 Honda Shadow Sabre 1100. Usually comes out between 50-51 on the open road and around 45 when doing the commute.

Check out Craig Vetter's web site. Years ago he ran MPG test and the results are suprising as to the motorcycles that got the best milage. Old timers remember the Vetter Farings. I had a 1976 full dress Harley 74 cu. with a Vetter Liberator faring and consistantly got 60 mpg at 55 mph.

my 04 Harley Superglide ~1450cc~ gets 51mpg if i stay off the throttle and under 70mph and that's with a carb rejet, high flow air cleaner and pipes. i did tweak the carb just a tad for better mid range fuel economy. that seemed to work because it's about as efficient as it was stock. strange though.... i hear a lot of guys with fool injection only getting around 40mpg or less. and the addition of another gear on the later harleys didn't seem to boost economy.

the most effective way to increase mileage on a motorcycle is to keep the tires inflated properly.

I have SV650S. I am constantly getting 65 MPG (US). I am on highway in 80% on the time. The best MPG was 70MPG and the worst is the first tank of fuel is ~54MPG

Although I am not a big Harley fan, I respect those that own them due to the FE if driven in a leisurely fashion.

wayne: there is a lot to hate about HD but after looking at all bikes, i bought a new 04, Superglide for several reasons.

#1. parts availability... i'll be able to keep this bike till i die and still be able to easily get parts. you can't do that with a foreign bike.

#2. simplictiy.... i wanted a bike with two cylinders, one carb and a belt drive, that i can work on myself. i did not want a fuel injected bike. they are far less efficient and a lot more complex. unfortunately all harleys are FI now.

#3. looks and sound.... i wanted a bike with good looks and nice rumble.

#4. value.... i wanted a bike that held its value.

#5. low rider.... i wanted a low seat height.

I have a 05 Honda 600rr..The best I have got out of it was 44mpg..Of course the nature of the bike got the best of me several times on that tank..and that was before I was keeping a close eye on FE

My VFR800 has a VTEC engine, I always keep the RPM below 6000 such that the VTEC does not kickin. The MPG has been less than impressive. I get 50 mpg.

what's the point of having a vtec crotch rocket if you don't rev it? that bike was not designed to be coddled.

my carbureted, pushrod, superglide has an engine almost twice as big as yours and no fairing but gets the same mpg. :cool:

Harleys have always been know to get good mpg in stock configuration.Even the large touring rigs could get 50 mpg at 65 mph if they were geared right.Of course many Harleys can't be regeared as easily because of the drive belts.I don't follow them closely, but I'm sure the aftermarket offers pulley options for folks to gear up or down a bit.It isn't as cheap as buying a 1-2 tooth bigger countershaft sprocket(under $20), but still possible.
They got the good mpg by keeping the RPMs down.The heavy flywheels allowed low RPMs with fairly open throttle plates(on pure slide carbs,CV slide butterfly carbs or FI),so the pumping losses were low,and the friction losses were low.The very heavy motors aren't an issue-mpg wise-at steady highway speeds.They have fairly narrow frontal area-a big plus-less than a 1000 cc straight 4(across the frame, not BMW long ways).
I'm not sure how rich they "jet" the newest EFI Harleys.If they push the power they jet richer.Tab-are the FI Harleys poorer mpg wise than the older carbed ones?Wow,that is a shame-they should do much better.Do they have catcons?The downside of catcons is they allow motorcycles and cars to run richer-push the power envelope-but still get by EPA sniffers.
Thanks,
Charlie

My VFR800 has a VTEC engine, I always keep the RPM below 6000 such that the VTEC does not kickin. The MPG has been less than impressive. I get 50 mpg.

That's about right for most 800cc units, unless you do a lot of freeway riding...then I'd say it should be up past 55mpg avg.

As for high-revvers...that's what my SVT Focus is (peak power @7k, redline @7500), but I still short-shift @ 1500. Then again, I'm not much of a revver, never have been.

charlie: i just read a review of an 08, FI, harley, ultra. it got a dismal 35mpg. that was in-town and highway combined. but heck, it has a six speed trans, fairing and only 8 more cubes than my superglide with a 5sp. it is much heavier though. BUT, i've heard other FI harley riders with bikes similar to mine getting far less than 50mpg.

one of the reasons i bought a superglide was the simplicity of design. two cylinders and one carb. that's the way, uh hu uh hu, i like it, uh hu uh hu.... adding FI to such a simple machine is a crime. i would like to get a 6sp trans though or maybe a smaller rear sprocket because most of my riding is done on the highway.

but one of the best ways for harley riders to increase gas mileage is to lose the beer gut. ;~}>

87 Hurricane gets 50-55 mpg on the freeway at 75mph regularly, if it is not revved beyond 5,000. Riding like a complete idiot it will do no worse than 30mpg. It has some breathing modifications (airfilter, pipe and is jetted for sea level) otherwise bone stock.

A friend in college has a honda shadow 750 that would hit 70+mpg regularly.

does anyone have any experience with a Yamaha XT225 or XT250?

no exp with the XT225 or 250 but if yer riding in traffic, get something bigger.... much bigger.

no exp with the XT225 or 250 but if yer riding in traffic, get something bigger.... much bigger.
Thanks, I like to like in the dirt also so the XT250 is pretty attractive. This would be my 11th bike. There all dangerous! (but I love them all):)

Louis B

Just have to add again - my '81 Yamaha XS850 gets a miserable 35mpg (with bags, mostly 80 mph).

Wow,
You guys get better mpg than I usually did with my mainly midsized mcs.My XS850 definitely brought up the rear-a stellar 35 mpg-just like Maxx.The SV650(2001 carbed) got maybe 40mpg-the 550,600's got about the same.Now all this was mainly stoplight to stoplight city riding.In 1980/81 when it was dead stock the SR500 would get 62mpg with about 1/2 being city interstate.
The VT500-grandfather of the Shadows-gets about 40 and change, but I think it is seeping at the petcock.
Tab-35 mpg-not so great.It must have a CatCon-the FI and CatCons allow them to tune for power.Shame that FI isn't giving the FE it should.Heck,I would bet that the EFI with sensors-02,and mass air sensors,and the quick computing speed-allow a EFI car to get at least 15% better FE than a carbed vehicle.Heck,in the 70's when you would take a sea level carbed vehicle to 5000 ft(Denver)-the power and FE would drop like a stone.Now you actually get better FE at altitude.
Thanks,
Charlie

no exp with the XT225 or 250 but if yer riding in traffic, get something bigger.... much bigger.

I would disagree - if the objective is maximum MPG's, a 185 to 250cc would be ideal for most situations.

If it's pure freeway/interstate, a 305 to 400cc will still work.

And I agree with the statement that all bikes will have some level of risk.

The Yama XT225-250 would be great with a sprocket change to drop the RPM's.

high mileage doesn't do you any good if you die achieving it. there's something that needs to be taken into consideration when riding a motorcycle in traffic. the bigger, badder, and louder your bike, the less chance there is that someone will try to kill you. riding in a pack is recommended.

people are evil. put a steering wheel in their hands and they become vicious evil. i've met lots of them and you can't tell by looking which ones will attack.

Tab-35 mpg-not so great.It must have a CatCon-the FI and CatCons allow them to tune for power.

it was a road test of a new, stock, FI Harley Ultra. 35mpg is all it got.

Well, on my trip to DC last week I had a best tank of nearly 58mpg. I can't say that Harley's EFI is doing any good for fuel economy, but now that the engine's loosening up, it's netting some good mileage. Hopefully my commute ride will come up to the 47+range as well, it's been hanging out at around 44mpg.

I'm curious what mpgs I got if I could shift under 2000 like car drivers here, but for some reason that 650cc single Rotax in my BMW F650CS can't stand such low revs :(
I'm not a revver by nature, I'd like to cruise at like 1000rpm if it would be possible :D but even the idle is higher than that and in 5th she really hates revs under ~3000...
Still she doesn't see revs over ~3600rpm when I don't go faster than 90km/h (~56mph, normal non-freeway speed limit here), and when I'm hypermiling I usually don't even pulse faster than that.

Anyway, F650 riders usually get mpgs in the 50s, 60s or 70s (at f650.hu it's said that you'll work hard to get over 4l/100km on normal roads) depending on their riding style, I could reach 89.45USmpg (2.63l/100km) over one tank with frequent coasting (even some NICE-Off). I'm really curious what can I achieve with her!

Unfortunately now her clutch is broken and won't release. I'll take her to the mechanic on Friday. I hope it isn't the coasting that broke the clutch (I've been doing it frequently only for the last 2000 kms or so) - if it is, I really don't know what can I do. Coasting is so much fun and really helped to get better FE... or could that little P&G lately be a bit too much? I hope not, though it's less fun than long coasts without too much pulse...

We have another bike too, Ciliegia, a Hyosung GV250. Potentially a very good candidate to get good mpg, though I couldn't catch Teresa with her in this respect. She's not even mine to begin with, I just ride her sometimes... a few experiments with removing the windshield and probably synching the carbs can help. Changing chain sprockets to get more economical gear ratio can help too, I think it worth a try.

If the clutch won't disengage it sounds like the linkage is broken but the clutch is fine.

I don't know if it was caused by the coasting but I doubt it.

Yeah, even low-revving Harleys still lug at relatively higher RPM's than cars - mine lugs at ~1800-2000rpm.

If the clutch won't disengage it sounds like the linkage is broken but the clutch is fine.

I don't know if it was caused by the coasting but I doubt it.

The strangest thing is that she changed her mind after I started her to carefully ride to the mechanic... And even the mechanic couldn't say better without taking her apart, what he didn't even suggest. I'll keep her under surveillance till the 40k maint (2300km, so it's due in late September or early October), I think.

I reached new heights with Teresa: the tank I finished yesterday ended with 2.53l/100km (93 US mpg) :Banane35:
Riding slow (~75km/h = fourty-few mph) works very well, as well as NICE-On coasting and even FAS (in my daily commute there are 4 slopes in 120kms that are worth FASing if the traffic is mild enough - I inevitably slow down too much on the 2 freeway ones if I do so... but that super-silent, almost zero consumption (lights are on and I use the starter at the end...) 2.4km ride downward feels soo nice...).
I have to work more on handling heavy city traffic though. I ride mostly off-town, I'm not used to the agressive, crowded Budapest traffic enough to handle it well enouh (=feel pleased about the efficiency). Next tank has a segment of Budapest from yesterday, with some stop&crawl, I don't know how much impact it'll have on it.

At the weekend my commuter will be Ciliegia (the Hyosung GV250), I'll try to ride her the same way I do with Teresa. I must improve her average, the best is 3.23l/100km so far...
(The 250cc V-twin spins faster than the 650cc single but their idle is similar so it has to respond NICE-On coastig even better, I think)

update: I did a refill on Ciliegia. At long last, the 3l/100km barrier is broken. New personal best is 2.86l/100km (82 US mpg). I'll totally hand the bike to shiNIN soon. It's hers, after all... but I'll do one more fill before, now totally *miling, 1-up, weekend (I'm working in night shift this Friday to Sunday). I'm so curious!