Best motorcycle MPG

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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).