RSV mileage using 4th gear

[V7Goose]

OK, I suffered through a tank of gas without using 5th gear in the name of science. NO reason to ever do it again.

 

Many of us know that the overall gear ratio in 4th gear on an RSV is identical to the overall gear ratio in 5th on a 1st gen. Also, many 1st gen owners continue to insist that their bikes routinely get better gas mileage than the 2nd gen. So out of curiosity, I just burned a full tank in my 05 RSV without hardly using 5th gear at all. Saturday I did a PGR mission up in Oklahoma a bit over 100 miles from here. I filled up just before heading home and kept it in 4th the whole way, averaging 75 - 80 MPH. Then I added one 40 mile round trip to work before I filled up.

 

Result? I got a measly 32 MPG on that tank of gas, where I usually get 36 under the same conditions. Conclusion? The difference, if there really is one, has to be due to the overall weight of the bike and the wind resistance. It is also very evident that the overdrive gear on the RSV does give you better gas mileage when hitting the super-slab.

Goose

[jneed53]

Did almost the same thing. Had about the same results. Now use 5th when over 70 around town or over 60 on the freeway.