Average MPG

[WJBertrand]

My Gen I and I average 42-43 mpg by the math on Kalifornia's gas. On a full day below 60 mph I can see almost 50 mpg. Me and a friend on a second gen did the same loop, he got 37 and I got 44. Kinda shocked me.

I had a similar experience with my regular riding buddy, both of us on Honda ST1300s. I always seemed to get 4-5 MPG better than him, mine being a 2005 and his a 2004. We speculated on what might be the differences between the bikes. Then one day on a cross country ride we switched bikes for a tank. Guess what? I still got 4-5 MPG better than him!

 

[Sierra1]

It's your shifting habits. My dad and I have always had manual transmissions. We usually get better mpg than the window sticker predicts. We, and obviously you also, just listen to the engine before shifting. Of course, that being said, modern computer controlled automatic transmissions are getting better mileage than their manual counterparts. ::001::

 

[2daMax]

American gas with the Ethanol doesn't gives good mileage, some figures I've seen suggests a 10% drop. Cold weather drops the mpg. Hot weather somewhat makes it better in mpg. Lugging all the luggage also drops the mpg. Using Platinum with projected tip plugs improves mileage by 0.5 km/l plus it makes the bike more responsive.

 

[holligl]

For me it is all driven by the speed and wind.
~80 MPH drops to ~40MPG, 55-60 MPH 50+ MPG. (Based on the computer)
I have also noticed some drop in mileage with the Mitas E-07 Dakars, compared to the OEM Battlewings.

 

[Nikolajsen]

I have now done about 6000 km on my new S10, and the dashboard say 22 km/l (52 mpg) in total average for all 6000 km.

 

[WJBertrand]

For me it is all driven by the speed and wind.
~80 MPH drops to ~40MPG, 55-60 MPH 50+ MPG. (Based on the computer)

Regarding the on-board MPG computer, I've found it mostly optimistic by 2-3 MPG, but on several occasions it has been pessimistic by a similar amount. I use the mileage recorded by my GPS and the gallons used at fill up to calculate and check against the on-board computer.

 

[Overlander]

I have a 2014 ES and regularly get 54 mpg on super unleaded in genuine tank to tank tests not what the fuel computer tells me.

 

[Cycledude]

Last year on a 9,200 mile round trip to the artic ocean mine averaged 41 mpg which seemed pretty lousy.
This year on a 4,500 mile trip it averaged 46 mpg which is a nice improvement but still nothing to brag about.
The highest I’ve seen was 59 and the lowest was 28 mpg, that’s all actual mpg not the way optimistic numbers from the dash readout.

 

[Checkswrecks]

On longer trips where I can get away with speeds in the 80s I plan for 38 mpg and it's usually around there, depending on hills and such. If I'm on the east coast and droning in the low 60s the mpg is usually closer to 50. Same bike and rider.


The aerodynamics on adv bikes are horrible and similar to an unpaired bike. But the trade-off is sitting upright with the ability to stand on the pegs.
To show power required over speed:

And the difference the aerodynamics make. It's counter-intuitive at first to see that the Cd of the racing bikes went up. But the bikes also got a lot smaller over the last half century so it became more about the aerodynamics of the riders.

 

[Dogdaze]

While the debate and questions regarding mpg can go on with little or no solution, we ride for pleasure after all (at least I do), and if I were to commute I would look at something scooterish if fuel economy was my concern/goal. Back in the very late '90's I had the pleasure to own a Suzuki gsxf blown out to 1460, with massive carbs........ If I was lucky, it would get 20 mpg. Saying that, on full chat it would get 16-20mpg, so kinda gave up trying to save fuel. Aah, the good old days!

 

[Nikolajsen]

While the debate and questions regarding mpg can go on with little or no solution, we ride for pleasure after all (at least I do), and if I were to commute I would look at something scooterish if fuel economy was my concern/goal. Back in the very late '90's I had the pleasure to own a Suzuki gsxf blown out to 1460, with massive carbs........ If I was lucky, it would get 20 mpg. Saying that, on full chat it would get 16-20mpg, so kinda gave up trying to save fuel. Aah, the good old days!

I agree, but I don't mind good mpg

 

[Sierra1]

While the debate and questions regarding mpg can go on with little or no solution, we ride for pleasure after all (at least I do),....

I'm with you. Many people get bikes for economy. They're built for pleasure. There are small, inexpensive, safe, reliable cars that get 40+/- mpg, and have heat & A/C. Their tires will last at least 30k miles, and you can put a weeks worth of groceries in them. The sole purpose for a bike, for me, is to enjoy.

 

[WJBertrand]

My biggest concern about MPGs is really range. Most motorcycles have a lot less range than the cars I've owned. I admit to being somewhat spoiled by my previous ST1100 and ST1300 with 7.4 and 7.7 gallon tanks respectively. Either thrifty fuel use or a larger gas tank works for me.

 

[jb]

Hello,

I am also primarily concerned about range, as I do solo camping in very out-there places... I just recently experienced an anxious situation riding along highway 12 on a trip up to the North Cascades Highway - there was a road repair/detour, and I was so glad that the S-10, especially when babied, will do about 51 mpg... Secondly, I am a real miser, and with the additional cost of premium these days, I like to squeeze all I can out of a tank...I must say, every now and then I switch to "S" mode and have some fun...

Thanks,

--John

 

[bob dirt]

Miles per gallon is never gauranteed. On my longer trips, the range is hardly ever the same on every tank. I try to stay off interstates. Running in the 80's with a headwind will suck your tank dry at 150 miles. We like the back roads to get to the dirt stuff. I can get near 250 miles out of a tank running in the 60's. For me, it's the adventure and I couldnt care less about milage. I carry spare fuel on the back on my panniers. My wife drives a hybrid...she's the only one who cares about milage

 

[Tenman]

On my 2013 I usually get 43. Its been flashed and has Arrow headers with yoshimura can. My computer is always about 7 mpg optimistic. I have run out at 200 miles into a hard headwind doin 80 mph. I coasted in a gas station.

 

[jbird]

I have a 14 with 18,000 miles and my cumulative mpg is 51.3. Jbird

 

[Roge]

I haven't reset my fuel average since I bought the bike earlier this year so in 15000km it's reading is 4.6l/100km. I didn't notice the flashing fuel warning yesterday which had given up counting the kms on reserve and just said Lo I squeezed in just over 20l and it had done 428km on that tank full

 

[Tenman]

Am I the only one with the avg mpg (on the dash) off by 7-8 mpg?

 

[eemsreno]

Am I the only one with the avg mpg (on the dash) off by 7-8 mpg?

I find the average mpg on the dash to be very accurate. I have even checked mpg at the pump and I was actually getting a bit better than the bike said.
My 2012 does not calculate average mpg the same way that the 2017 does.
On the 12 if it hasn't been reset for thousands of miles it still changes very quickly, if I happen to head into a head wind at high speed it can drop 3 or 4 mpg in just a few miles. [ indicating it is not using more than just a couple hundred of the last miles to calculate the average]
On the 17 it is very slow to change it's average if it hasn't been reset for thousands of miles. [indicating that it is using a lot more of them miles to do it's averaging]
I'm still trying to determine if one gets better miles per gallon than the other.
If I had to guess I would say the 17 gets better millage at lower speeds and the 12 does better at interstate speeds.
One of my reasons for that assumption is on a trip last fall to Zion, I was on the 12 and riding with two other 2nd generation Teneres and on the Interstates I always used less fuel at the pumps.
The 17 holds a very high average on the dash for just sight seeing on back roads two up with Michelle. [I just love saying that name "Michelle" she has a very pretty name]
I need to fill them both up and have my boy ride one and we go for a long ride together.