Fuel economy

[F14CRAZY]

What kind of fuel economy do you guys get? I took up tracking the fleet's consumption using Fuelly (free at fuelly.com)...





My lowest MPG was during a freeway run last weekend, averaging 80 mph or so, while the highest including commuting but most of that mileage was from a two-up ride, mostly cruising at 60 mph.

I read some spec somewhere that a K75C should get like 56 mpg at a steady 60 mph but I don't really see that happening.

I added some Sea Foam to my gas a few fill-ups ago. Most of the time I fill up with Sam's Club gas (87 octane) and have the side cases on

[Zipster]

I get around 45 mpg as an average on my K1100LT but I can't stick to a steady 60 mph!! For some reason I keep going faster!!

[richarddacat]

Just figured a tank today and got 49mpg, 4.3 US gallons. So far my best tank.

Which btw, I'm cruising along and realized I'm at 200 miles and the reserve light hasn't come on. I stop, pop the cap and see what I got left. Start the bike back up and the reserve light is on. Ten miles later I'm filling up.
Could the reserve sending unit be affected by the vacuum release of the cap and could I have a pinched vacuum line?
Last time I remember the reserve light coming on it was around 190 miles but again that tank got 45 mpg if I recall.  :dunno

[F14CRAZY]

When my reserve light comes on I can pump like 3.5 gallons...I guess staying on the cautious side is better than pushing it but oh well I've got a fuel gauge

[bocutter Ed]

I stop, pop the cap and see what I got left. Start the bike back up and the reserve light is on.

Did you keep it upright or use the sidestand? Float is on the right side.

[richarddacat]

I stop, pop the cap and see what I got left. Start the bike back up and the reserve light is on.

Did you keep it upright or use the sidestand? Float is on the right side.

Always upright.
Side stand has been removed.

[rbm]

My best has been 3.9 L/100km and that was just after I rebuilt the whole bike.   It was so low that I thought it an anomaly.  So far, on straight highway runs, I'm getting a very close 4.1 - 4.5 L/100km, so it may not be an anomaly.

[Green Monster]

I'm getting the same fuel economy as Zipster on my K11RS...averaging anywhere between 46-50 mpg in the twisties here in North Georgia mountains maintaining legal (albeit very difficult to do) speed limit.... :hehehe

[pdg]

By my calculations (and we all know how bad they are ;) ) I'm getting around the same as F14, from my 75... (54mpg UK, 45mpg US - from a base figure of approx average of 12 miles per litre.)

Mine doesn't seem to alter wherever I go on whatever roads - town/open road/motorway are to all intents the same 'economy'.

I'm kinda hoping some service parts will up that figure a little though...

[vintagemilano]

I'm in the mid 40's with purely inner city type riding, stop light every two blocks type of commuting. If I get to do a whole tank on the highway which tends to be a hilly highway then I'm in the high 40's.

[drut]

Ave 47mpg(UK gal) from my 16v K100RS,not thrashing it but definitely not holding back.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I have been keeping track of fuel efficiency of my K75RT for the past 5000 miles. 

Running one up at 65-75mph 90% of the time on freeways I am getting a consistent 46mpg (U.S. gallon) on 10% ethanol and about 47-48 on ethanol free gas.

[jacksdad1963]

So you USA guys are getting around 50mpg: is that on a US gallon of 6 pints?  :dunno2:

[F14CRAZY]

8 pints in a US gallon

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I assume that you guys who are getting high 50's to 60 mpg are talking about 10 pint Imperial gallons.

[Uffda]

47 mpg overall.  If I leave the side cases off, usually around 49.  Mostly commute to work miles.

[bocutter Ed]

8 pints in a US gallon

Yes, and 8 pints in an Imperial galllon.

US pint = 16 oz
Imp pint = 20 oz

[pdg]

Every gallon has 8 pints in... Pints vary though.

Personally, I run off litres as a non-variable base and convert as required. 4.54 litres in an imperial (uk) gallon. 3.8litres in a US gallon - close enough for government work.






Of course, if you want to get very pedantic you should weigh it.... 1litre of fuel is lighter at 30c thab it is at 15c. We should all work in lbs/kilos instead when calculating efficiency.

[jacksdad1963]

I've just checked online: 1 US gallon = 6.66 pints  :dunno2:
1 UK gallon is 8 imperial pints
Doesn't matter if you change to litres....the conversion factor is still different!

SO....how many Imperial Pints make a US Gallon...6 pints?

[pdg]

My point with litres is that all over the world a litre is a liter is a litre, all of them, wherever you are, are 100cl or 1000ml. (Plus, because we buy fuel priced by the litre here it's a consistent start.)

An imperial (UK, Canada, etc. - mainly ex-commonwealth) gallon is 8 imperial pints and is 4.54609 litres. It is also just about the same (temperature and atmospheric pressure dependant) as the now defunct US 'dry' gallon.

A US gallon is 8 US pints and is 3.78541 litres.

Over the many years, there have been nearly 20 different sized gallons in statute use - these ranged in size from roughly 3.5 to 4.7 litres.

Even comparing the two by using fluid ounces is off, there is a discrepancy between the two (US and imperial floz)...

1 imperial pint = 20 imperial oz = 19.2 US oz....
1 US pint = 16.65 imperial oz = 16 US oz...

It really doesn't seem a lot like that, but an imperial gallon = 160 imperial oz = 153.7 US oz. 7 oz different? That's nearly half a pint (in the US...) over a tankful you're getting a bit further out - give it 10 tanks for a longer term fuel efficiency calculation and you're well off.

The only thing is reliably consistent is the litre/liter, well, consistent except for the spelling of course.

[rbm]

Canada is metric, so you can't buy "gallons" of fuel at the pump, only litres.

[pdg]

Canada is metric, so you can't buy "gallons" of fuel at the pump, only litres.

You haven't been able to buy a gallon of fuel in the UK either for quite a few years now, you have to get 4.54 litres...

As far as I know, the 'historic' Canadian gallon was the imperial size rather than the US one. I'm more than happy to be 'corrected' on that.

[jacksdad1963]

You still need to know just how big a US pint or gallon is before you can convert it to litres, though!
We need someone in the US to pump a 'gallon' into a fuel can then pour it into a litre calibrated fuel can and post the answer
Once we know how many litres you get, we can call the measurement any name we like, as we will have a fixed point to refer to  :2thumbup:

[Elipten]

There are published standards you can look up.

[pdg]

You still need to know just how big a US pint or gallon is before you can convert it to litres, though!
We need someone in the US to pump a 'gallon' into a fuel can then pour it into a litre calibrated fuel can and post the answer
Once we know how many litres you get, we can call the measurement any name we like, as we will have a fixed point to refer to  :2thumbup:

3.78541 litres in a US gallon

0.473176 litres in a US pint