Well it finally happen!

[BOO]

Well it finally happen. I usually get from 39 to 42 MPG. I've been tweaking things for quite some time to try and help my gas mileage mainly because a few people have bragged about 48 to 50 MPG.

I recently went on a 954 miles trip over two days. The guy I went with was on a 03 Venture and I had never ridden with him before. I was watching our gas mileage and he consistently took less gas than me, actually on one run I put in 5.2 gals and he put in 4.3 gals for 213.4 miles. Darn near 50 MPG for him and not to shabby for me.

Overall I was able to check the first 823 miles because we didn't fill up at the end, besides it was raining. Any way I burnt 19.75 gals or 41.67 MPG and he burnt 17.18 for 47.9 MPG. Probably 90% interstate and at 70MPH indicated.

I ask him if I could take his bike apart to check all the adjustments but he declined. LOL

If he were to sell the bike I would be the first in line to buy it.

That just amazes me that the gas mileage could be so different.

BOO

[Sleeperhawk]

Ok, So tell us what YOU are doing to get 42 mpg at 70 on the interstate. The best I can get is 36 mpg on the interstate, 2up.

 

I may need V7Goose and you to come down here to SC and go through the bike.

[GeorgeS]

In 50,000 miles that would be $400 saved, at about $2.60 per gallon

[cecdoo]

Ok, So tell us what YOU are doing to get 42 mpg at 70 on the interstate. The best I can get is 36 mpg on the interstate, 2up.

 

I may need V7Goose and you to come down here to SC and go through the bike.

 

 

Me and Kim and the bike loaded, I have no trouble getting 45 mpg at an indicated 70mph, maybe its those loud pipes of yours they are blowing the gas straight out the back:big-grin-emoticon: Craig

[davecb]

George, you forget that you're carrying Bobbie and 500 pounds of other stuff on you bike..That will make a difference.. :rotfl:

[craigatcsi]

When we first bought our bike, we got 40ish, then we took it to the dealer for the initial check up & carbs balance.

Mileage has been mid 30s since!!!

Last summer we took a trip from Omaha to N. Carolina, up to D.C., then Chicago & back to Omaha. We DID get around 40ish mpg when we got closer to the east coast, then it dropped back down to mid 30s the closer we got to home.

We are heading to the West coast this year, I hope the mileage doesn't continue to drop the farther west we go.

craigr

[Sleeperhawk]

George, you forget that you're carrying Bobbie and 500 pounds of other stuff on you bike..That will make a difference.. :rotfl:

 

Are you saying I am over weight?

[N3FOL]

I don't know for me...I've Synched my Carbs and checked and adjusted idle at least 2X now and my average is still very close to 40 mpg. I ride mostly interstate, so now sure what else I can do to improve and impress myself that my Venture will actually get 45 mpg and up. I am closing in to 8000 miles and am looking forward in replacing my plugs and that may give me a slight improvement on mpg.

 

BOO, 48 to 50 mpg on a Venture is almost hard to believe until I really see my own Venture do just that (wishing).

[Eck]

Ok, So tell us what YOU are doing to get 42 mpg at 70 on the interstate. The best I can get is 36 mpg on the interstate, 2up.

My RS-Venture was the same as Sleeperhawks. Best I ever got was 41mpg and that was achieved by not going over 60mpr...which I just cant help. That left me with always getting 34 to 36 mpg........ and I rode single all the time and I rode at 68 to 70 mph all the time.

[Pecker]

I have ridden with Sleeperhawk several times, our fill ups are usually within 1/2 gallon difference on the same number of miles. I almost always burn just a little less gas than he does. Of course I ride solo and don't have the fairing or trunk, BUT I'm not carrying all that extra camera gear either.:crackup:I would love to see close to 50 MPG on my bike, but if I have to do 55 MPH all the time to see that, well that just aint gonna happen. 50 MPG at 70 MPH, I'll have to see it to beleive it.

[BOO]

I have ridden with Sleeperhawk several times, our fill ups are usually within 1/2 gallon difference on the same number of miles. I almost always burn just a little less gas than he does. Of course I ride solo and don't have the fairing or trunk, BUT I'm not carrying all that extra camera gear either.:crackup:I would love to see close to 50 MPG on my bike, but if I have to do 55 MPH all the time to see that, well that just aint gonna happen. 50 MPG at 70 MPH, I'll have to see it to beleive it.

 

 

50 MPG at 70 MPH, I'll have to see it to beleive it,,, That's what I have always said. There are several here on the forum that do get close to 50MPG. I finally met someone with that kind of gas mileage and he lives about 1,500 feet from me. He doesn't do anything fancy with the bike, just turns it off for the winter and starts it up in the summer and if any work needs to be done he takes it to the dealer in Woodstock. I don't know what to tell you, I rode behind him most of the time.

He probably weights 50 - 60 pounds less than me, I probably had another 30-40 pounds of stuff in the bags he didn't have and I ride with an oversize windshield, he has a standard windshield.

Oh oh, I know what it is, I wear a helmet and he doesn't.

I see you are in Elgin, he doesn't ride very much but maybe we'll try and get together sometime for a tank or so.

BOO

[flb_78]

Changing from the Clearview XXL to the Yammie shortie netted me 4mpg.

[BOO]

Ok, So tell us what YOU are doing to get 42 mpg at 70 on the interstate. The best I can get is 36 mpg on the interstate, 2up.

 

I may need V7Goose and you to come down here to SC and go through the bike.

 

You know the smartazz comment is "I'd have to kill you if I tell you" but I kind of like Bobbie and she needs someone to drive her around.

Actually it's an ongoing issue. I've probably had 6 or 8 different spark plugs in this bike. Even different heat ranges as well as adjusting the gap tighter and wider. Played games with the air cleaners, have tried the K&N filters and also tried letting it have more air with holes in the filter holders. Played with the Carburetors a little, mostly just shimming the needles. Made sure the chokes are completely off. Of course have the Carbs cynd whenever I run into you guys.

Bottom line, I use the standard NKG plugs in the heat range recommended. If I put the original three shims on the needles I get a little popping when I close the carbs. Runs best with no shims on the needles.

The exhaust pipes are quite black and one of these days I'm going to be somewhere where I can have the gases checked.

I'm also going to check the floats one of these days.

There you go, just a whole bunch of nothing but since I've owned the bike it has went from 38-39 to 40-41. Not much for all the work I have done to it.

I'll have a chance to check the mileage two up for about a 600 mile run in a couple of weeks.

BOO

[Semi-retired]

 

The exhaust pipes are quite black and one of these days I'm going to be somewhere where I can have the gases checked.

 

I'm also going to check the floats one of these days.

 

BOO

 

 

Hey, Boo........I'm curious to hear you mention the 'black pipes'.

 

I've always viewed the colour of my pipes with more than a little suspicion, mainly because my Midnight SMELLS like it's running rich all the time. (Which, of course, means I'm burning more gas than I need to in order to go the distance I'm going!)

 

I've often thought I'd probably be able to go to some sort of "freer flowing" input (K&N's or something else? Is there anything else?)....or a more "open" exhaust...WITHOUT having to do the usual jetting adjustment, simply because I'm already running rich enough to deal with the "extra" air. (which would normally result in leaning out the mix.)

 

Thoughts?

 

I'm even MORE curious to hear you say you're going to "check the gasses" someday.

 

What kind of test would that be? I'm up for it......cause I'm pretty sure I need it. Are you referring to some sort of "products-of-combustion" test? Aren't there garages that have something they can 'shove up your tailpipe' (if you'll pardon the expression) and give you a fairly accurate readout on what's being burnt and what's being wasted?

 

Any tips on mixture fixing greatly appreciated (starting with anything more accurate than reading the plugs!)

 

Thanks,

Mike

[Pecker]

Hey Boo,

I would love to get together with you, but I'm in Elgin, SC not Elgin, Ill. As far as the fuel mileage goes, maybe I need to rephrase myself. I am sure you are getting the mileage as stated, I guess I am just envious that I can't get it. Maybe it has something to do with how fast I get to 70 MPH. I do tend to hold second and third gear a little long. Sounds like you haven't done anything exotic to get the mileage up, so it might be riding habits.

 

BTW, didn't we meet in Asheville last year? At the BBQ joint.

[Bobby G]

I'm running a very stock '99 RSV, except for the Sampson slashcuts and a Show Chrome shorty windscreen, and I average 45 - 47 mpg all the time. Getting 50+ when only cruising the local roads and staying under 55 mph. Most of my riding is solo with not much added weight, except for my increasingly out of shape 220 lbs. I now have 44K on the bike, and have no real issues with it at all. Must just be livin right, I guess.

 

Only goofy thing on gas milage is that my reserve tank kicks in when I still have at least 1.5 gal left in the tank. Not sure why, but I'm not complaining.

[jfoster]

Well it finally happen. I usually get from 39 to 42 MPG. I've been tweaking things for quite some time to try and help my gas mileage mainly because a few people have bragged about 48 to 50 MPG.

 

I recently went on a 954 miles trip over two days. The guy I went with was on a 03 Venture and I had never ridden with him before. I was watching our gas mileage and he consistently took less gas than me, actually on one run I put in 5.2 gals and he put in 4.3 gals for 213.4 miles. Darn near 50 MPG for him and not to shabby for me.

 

Overall I was able to check the first 823 miles because we didn't fill up at the end, besides it was raining. Any way I burnt 19.75 gals or 41.67 MPG and he burnt 17.18 for 47.9 MPG. Probably 90% interstate and at 70MPH indicated.

 

I ask him if I could take his bike apart to check all the adjustments but he declined. LOL

 

If he were to sell the bike I would be the first in line to buy it.

That just amazes me that the gas mileage could be so different.

 

BOO

 

Dumb question..do you guys shift gears at about the same speeds? According to the owners manual, the recommended shift points are very low, but on here I've read that its better to shift at alot higher speeds. FYI my 06 RSTD at best was maybe 40 mpg on the interstate at (true) 70 mph. Most of time it avgs 35 to 38 mpg. Something else to consider for those that haven't recaliberated their speedometer is the odometers show alot more miles than they actually run, giving a false reading of more mpg's.

[KevinsDa1]

I live in Round Lake Beach. I've only had my Venture for a little over a month, but I am averaging between 40-41 mpg. A thing that a lot of people don't take into consideration is that our fuel in the Chicagoland area has so many damn additives in it that our mileage generally suffers a little until we get gas away from the area. On my old bike (a V-Star 1300), I generally got 42-45 in this area. However when I went on cruises 50-75 miles out of the area, my mileage generally went up to 45-47, I also got a lot more decel popping in those areas. Just my 2cents.

 

Kevin:322:

[Guest Ken8143]

A thing that a lot of people don't take into consideration is that our fuel in the Chicagoland area has so many damn additives in it that our mileage generally suffers a little until we get gas away from the area.

Kevin:322:

I have wondered that very thing. Maybe my imagination, but it seems like I can tell when there is ethanol in the mix by drop in fuel economy. Am I crazy in the head with this notion?

[Wrongway]

I have wondered that very thing. Maybe my imagination, but it seems like I can tell when there is ethanol in the mix by drop in fuel economy. Am I crazy in the head with this notion?

 

 

Not crazy at all. I find that I get about 5-10% less mpg with ethanol gas.

[1sttenor]

Not crazy at all. I find that I get about 5-10% less mpg with ethanol gas.

 

Wrongway I totally agree. In MO all we can get is ethanol mix. When I get into a state without it, I immediately notice a 2-4 MPG bump.

 

I do have one question to all you way smart people, my pipes seem to be tan. What is that telling me?

[craigatcsi]

My dealer told me to stay away from the ethonal. He said it eats up the rubber tips on the needles or Jets - (don't remember which).

I wish they both were just metal like the old days.

craigr

[FJR Rider]

This summer I've experienced a nice change in MPG on both the RSV and the FJR.

 

On the 06 RSV running 71 MPH (65 GPS) two-up, no trailer, consistently staying in the mid 40s; get on the two-lanes and backroads running 55 MPH and it's in the upper 40s, with a 50 MPG or better every so often. But the really good news is when we're pulling the Bunkhouse camper. On the freeway running 65 MPH (GPS), the bike is getting 37 to 39 MPG; used be down at 32 to 34 MPG. Get on the two-lanes running 5 over at 60 MPH and the bike will get over 40 MPG pulling the camper. This is fully loaded, camper and bike, and two up.

 

The FJR is the interesting one...go a little faster, get a little better gas mileage . (My car does the same thing though). On a recent SS1000 when running 5 over (75 MPH GPS) it consistently got 44-45 MPG. The stretch from Fargo ND to Sioux Falls SD where the speed limit was 75 and we ran 5 over (80 MPH GPS) the bike got 48 MPG. When the speed limit came back down so did the gas mileage..not much, most of us would be happy between 44 and 48 anyway . And, the friend's RSV on the ride, he only got 32 MPG on the 80 MPH stretch...when the speed limit came down, his MPG went back up .

 

Curt

[Semi-retired]

My dealer told me to stay away from the ethonal. He said it eats up the rubber tips on the needles or Jets - (don't remember which).

 

I wish they both were just metal like the old days.

 

craigr

 

It's obviously been waaaaaaaaaaaay too long since I had my head poked inside a carburetor!

 

I don't remember anything softer than BRASS in the needle/jet area.

 

BUT, things DO change..........and I guess they have!

 

Cheers to rubber!!

 

Mikey

[craigatcsi]

The carbs I have worked on, (Mostly in the 70's and early 80s), the needle was stainless and the Jets were brass.

 

THEN they came out with PLASTIC Jets. They said that they were more accurate because they weren't drilled with a dull drill. - I always figured it was money. I figured if I ever bought something with Plastic Jets, I would replace them with Brass.

 

craigr