You won't believe the fuel mileage on our lunch ride on Friday 04-11-18

[American]

112.5 miles divide by 2.361 gallons of fuel comes out to 47.6 MPG hand calculated.

 

Best tank of fuel yet, I have been seeing any where from 37.9 to 43 MPG depending on the stop and go traffic and headwinds.

 

I was stunned when I fueled up and did the math on that tank of fuel, I was not expecting that high of mileage, I was thinking around 43 MPG but I will take those 47 MPG when I can.

 

My 2013 Victory Cross Country Tour nor my Harley Davidson Ultra Limited Low ever reached 47 MPG. Best I ever got out of those two bikes was the occasional 43 MPG tank of fuel on perfect days.

 

The only complaint on that lunch trip was the damn love bugs are out and heavy in Sarasota county and were getting heavier the farther north we traveled.

 

Not as many love bugs down in Charlotte county or Lee county where we live.

 

I just noticed I typed in 04 for the month in the title, it should have 05/11/2018. LOL

Edited May 12, 2018 by American

[Zelthian]

I believe it. I get similar gas mileage on mine, so long as I don't have a strong head wind.

[American]

I believe it. I get similar gas mileage on mine, so long as I don't have a strong head wind.

 

It is the strong head winds that knock me down to 37 MPG, which is still good fuel milage for such a big powerful bike.

[Chaharly]

Have you guys tried riding in a lower gear on those windy days?

[Zelthian]

Have you guys tried riding in a lower gear on those windy days?

 

My bike hits about 2700 RPM in 6th gear at 75mph (the specs say 2750rpm @ 75mph). I'm not enough of a gear-ration wiz to be able to figure out where 75mph would be in 5th gear, but it would rev the engine up more, of course. I'm ok with the bike going above 3000 for a short time when accelerating, but sustained running that high can't be all that healthy for a bike that lopes around at 2750.

 

I could be wrong, but I don't see how going the same speed at a higher RPM is going to save gas.

 

If you look at the link below, max torque comes in at 2700 rpm. Horsepower continues to climb (as HP is just a function of torque and rpm), but it seems appropriate that 75mph comes at 2750 rpm, right in the torque sweet spot.

 

http://ridermagazine.com/2017/07/21/2018-yamaha-star-venture-road-test-review/

(Dyno chart is just about half-way down, just before the comments section)

[ChiefGunner]

Have you guys tried riding in a lower gear on those windy days?

 

You can easily lope along in 5th gear at 55mph and your RPMs are still under 2500.

[Zelthian]

You can easily lope along in 5th gear at 55mph and your RPMs are still under 2500.

That's a whole different story.

 

Slow down to save gas? Dude, I gots places to be!

 

Seriously though, it's a choice, and sometimes I just have to get there on time, ya know?

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Condor]

That's amazing for that big of an engine.... Must be the FI and riding in the power curve... My old 83VR would get 50mpg on a regular basis when day riding in the Sierras... The '07RSV averaged 47 to the top of Mt Hood in Oregon. Don't want to talk about the 99RSV pulling a trailer. Sucks gas like a horse eating oats.... 26mpg :-(

[ChiefGunner]

That's a whole different story.

 

Slow down to save gas? Dude, I gots places to be!

 

Seriously though, it's a choice, and sometimes I just have to get there on time, ya know?

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

You missed my point but I didn’t clarify. That’s 55mph in 35mph mountain twisties! Highway I’m normally doing 80-85.

[Freebird]

This discussion made me think to ask a question. Has anybody checked the speedometer with a GPS? I ask because every 2nd Gen Venture that I ever saw had a speedometer discrepancy of somewhere around 8%. When I see posts that the RPMs on the 3rd gen don't agree with the specified speed at that RPM it brings to question the accuracy of the speedometer. Many of us RSV riders have added SpeedoHealers or similar devices to correct the speedometers on our RSVs. They all read fast....when you thought you were going 70 MPH, you are actually going about 65 MPH or so.

[Chaharly]

My bike hits about 2700 RPM in 6th gear at 75mph (the specs say 2750rpm @ 75mph). I'm not enough of a gear-ration wiz to be able to figure out where 75mph would be in 5th gear, but it would rev the engine up more, of course. I'm ok with the bike going above 3000 for a short time when accelerating, but sustained running that high can't be all that healthy for a bike that lopes around at 2750.

 

I could be wrong, but I don't see how going the same speed at a higher RPM is going to save gas.

 

If you look at the link below, max torque comes in at 2700 rpm. Horsepower continues to climb (as HP is just a function of torque and rpm), but it seems appropriate that 75mph comes at 2750 rpm, right in the torque sweet spot.

 

http://ridermagazine.com/2017/07/21/2018-yamaha-star-venture-road-test-review/

(Dyno chart is just about half-way down, just before the comments section)

 

Yeah see in my head I was thinking cruising at 60 in sixth. That'd probably be low enough in RPMs to benefit from shifting into fifth. I do agree with you though, cruising 80 down the interstate I would leave it in 6th as well. 40mpg at 80 is more than good enough gas mileage

[ChiefGunner]

This discussion made me think to ask a question. Has anybody checked the speedometer with a GPS? I ask because every 2nd Gen Venture that I ever saw had a speedometer discrepancy of somewhere around 8%. When I see posts that the RPMs on the 3rd gen don't agree with the specified speed at that RPM it brings to question the accuracy of the speedometer. Many of us RSV riders have added SpeedoHealers or similar devices to correct the speedometers on our RSVs. They all read fast....when you thought you were going 70 MPH, you are actually going about 65 MPH or so.

 

Well, real life situation. A HighwaY Patrol is in the pack of cars, and EVERYBODY is going his speed of 70mph (posted). If mine said 70mph (and it did) wouldn’t I be falling behind in the traffic flow if in fact I was only doing 65mph?

Just a thought.

[Flyinfool]

But for all you know the trouper was cruising along at 5 over. They do that a lot here, then anything that catches up to them or pulls away from them is going to see all his pretty lights.

[cowpuc]

Well, real life situation. A HighwaY Patrol is in the pack of cars, and EVERYBODY is going his speed of 70mph (posted). If mine said 70mph (and it did) wouldn’t I be falling behind in the traffic flow if in fact I was only doing 65mph?

Just a thought.

 

Yep,,, definitely a good point only dont rely on that logic if riding here in West Michigan cause I know for a fact that our LEO's are human beaners too and they tend to look at speed limits as more of a suggestion than an absolute like the rest of us.. Around here you would be well served to take Freebirds advice on using a gps to check for speedo accuracy.. I never have checked my 1st Gen but after a brief encounter on my 6 speed R1 at 172 tached out in 5th gear I did gps check her speedo and found out it was actually 4 mph slow = DEFINITELY GOOD TO KNOW WHEN RIDING THAT TICKET PRINTING MACHINE!!!!!

[cowpuc]

But for all you know the trouper was cruising along at 5 over. They do that a lot here, then anything that catches up to them or pulls away from them is going to see all his pretty lights.

 

I gotta get my other hand repaired,, this one handed typing puts me at wayyyy to much of a disadvantage when competing with the likes of Fool!!!!

[Condor]

Well, real life situation. A HighwaY Patrol is in the pack of cars, and EVERYBODY is going his speed of 70mph (posted). If mine said 70mph (and it did) wouldn’t I be falling behind in the traffic flow if in fact I was only doing 65mph?

Just a thought.

 

That's assuming that the HP is doing 70. He may be cruising along at 65 and everybody's afraid to pass him.... :-)

[ChiefGunner]

That's assuming that the HP is doing 70. He may be cruising along at 65 and everybody's afraid to pass him.... :-)

Don’t know about you, but if HP is going below posted I’ve passed them any times doing the actual limit and never have I been pulled over for that. Why? Cuz I didn’t exceed the posted limit.

[Condor]

Don’t know about you, but if HP is going below posted I’ve passed them any times doing the actual limit and never have I been pulled over for that. Why? Cuz I didn’t exceed the posted limit.

Yeah, I know that's because you're a tough guy.... Arrrgghh!! Tell me about the other 99 out of a hundred that'll even slow down when they're passing someone on the road side getting written up... Like the LEO is going to drop everything and chase them.... Around construction zones in California they'll park old CHP units at both ends of a construction zone with no one in them and traffic will slow down. Heck some are even cardboard cutouts and they work too.

[Chaharly]

Yeah, I know that's because you're a tough guy.... Arrrgghh!! Tell me about the other 99 out of a hundred that'll even slow down when they're passing someone on the road side getting written up... Like the LEO is going to drop everything and chase them.... Around construction zones in California they'll park old CHP units at both ends of a construction zone with no one in them and traffic will slow down. Heck some are even cardboard cutouts and they work too.

 

In Beemer Nebraska the local Policeman parks his patrol truck inn front of the grain elevator and sits in his office. ive seem so many people grab a foot full of brake so he must be onto something!

[ChiefGunner]

Yeah, I know that's because you're a tough guy.... Arrrgghh!! Tell me about the other 99 out of a hundred that'll even slow down when they're passing someone on the road side getting written up... Like the LEO is going to drop everything and chase them.... Around construction zones in California they'll park old CHP units at both ends of a construction zone with no one in them and traffic will slow down. Heck some are even cardboard cutouts and they work too.

 

I can’t stand people who slow down when someone is pulled over or an accident off to the side of the road. ”Looky loo’s“ are a pain in the butt. If you can’t see it going by at speed, you don’t NEED to see it!

I’m not a tough guy, it’s just that I did some work with military police & my riding buddy is a retired military cop. I just know what ticks them off.

 

I lives So Cal for 31 yrs and I’ve seen many of the empty cars you speak of. It’s the one you ignore thinking is empty that pulls in behind you!

 

Many of the CHP are cool though. I was going through Death Valley in summer and about 40 miles out of town a guy was broke down. Temps 115. I picked him up and turned around to take him back to the town. I’d gone about 20 miles and got pulled over doing 90mph. I explained what happened and the officer took him with him and said “Thank you! have a nice day & drive safely.” Away I went!

[snyper316]

I can’t stand people who slow down when someone is pulled over or an accident off to the side of the road. ”Looky loo’s“ are a pain in the butt. If you can’t see it going by at speed, you don’t NEED to see it!

I’m not a tough guy, it’s just that I did some work with military police & my riding buddy is a retired military cop. I just know what ticks them off.

 

I lives So Cal for 31 yrs and I’ve seen many of the empty cars you speak of. It’s the one you ignore thinking is empty that pulls in behind you!

 

Many of the CHP are cool though. I was going through Death Valley in summer and about 40 miles out of town a guy was broke down. Temps 115. I picked him up and turned around to take him back to the town. I’d gone about 20 miles and got pulled over doing 90mph. I explained what happened and the officer took him with him and said “Thank you! have a nice day & drive safely.” Away I went!

 

Don't come to Missouri and do that, the fine doubles!!! You slow down and pull off to the side!! If they have someone pulled over you better grab some brake and get over. Cali seems to do things different I guess. I almost went to jail in Illinoise because I got pulled over for only changing lanes. Was informed I must slow down too. I was also only 17 at the time and cops seem to like youngsters. So not sure if he would have really taken me to jail for not having insurance card with my name on it. I was covered on the policy but in Missouri at the time my name did not have to be on the insurance card.

[American]

Don't come to Missouri and do that, the fine doubles!!! You slow down and pull off to the side!! If they have someone pulled over you better grab some brake and get over. Cali seems to do things different I guess. I almost went to jail in Illinoise because I got pulled over for only changing lanes. Was informed I must slow down too. I was also only 17 at the time and cops seem to like youngsters. So not sure if he would have really taken me to jail for not having insurance card with my name on it. I was covered on the policy but in Missouri at the time my name did not have to be on the insurance card.

 

What you are describing are the stupid move over laws, in Florida you have to slow down to 15 MPH under the speed limit and change lanes if a multi lane highway. If you are unable to change lanes because of traffic you only have to slow down and maintain your lane however if a police officer pulls you over and writes you a citation for the move over law it is now your word against the police officers word if you could have safely changed lanes, pretty much a no win situation for the person getting the citation. If a single lane highway you have to slow down to 15 MPH under the speed limit and maintain your lane.

 

I have a huge problem with this law. First I am a retired Florida Highway Patrol trooper, but when this law went into effect one day I was traveling southbound on the Florida Turnpike south of U.S 41, the Turnpike in that area had four southbound lanes. A trooper had a car pulled over and one person slowed down suddenly and changed lanes as the law requires, well that did not go so well as traffic in the other lanes had to suddenly slow resulting in a car having swerve to avoid a crash and from that point it was mayhem, no lie there were a total of eight cars spinning out of control.

 

How none of them hit anything or each other is beyond me I was also traveling southbound behind them all and watched the entire thing unfold in front of me. That was my first bad experience with the Florida move over law.

 

The second bad experience with the Florida move over law I did not witness but it occurred on Alligator Alley in the eastbound lanes, it is a four lane highway with two lanes each direction, this time a Collier Country Sheriff deputy had a car pulled over on the right shoulder of the road, the deputy had just gotten the license, registration and insurance card from the driver and had walked back to his patrol car when a woman approaching the deputy slowed suddenly and changed from the outside lane into the inside lane, there was a car already in the inside lane that honked their horn to alert the woman that she was about to hit the car in the inside lane, the woman who slowed suddenly and started the lane change heard the horn and swerved back into the outside lane losing control of her vehicle and spun around striking the car the deputy had pulled over in the left rear door killing the passenger sitting in the left rear of that pulled over car. If the lady had been 5 to 10 seconds earlier should have also hit the deputy as well.

 

My issue with this move over law is it looks great on paper, but real life is not on a piece of paper. We had gotten along fine without this move over law for decades and it was not a huge problem.

 

The problem with this law is you have to slow down and you have to change lanes also on high speed expressways/highways this becomes a very dangerous combination as evidenced by the two examples I cited above.

 

If our law makers were smart, (yeah right) they would have only required the lane next to the emergency vehicle to slow down the same 15 MPH under the speed limit without requiring the lane change just like on a two lane roadway. It is the required lane change that introduces 99% of the danger in this law.

 

The majority of crashes on the highway of a car hitting an emergency vehicle on the side of the road are two fold, one is just inattentive drivers, i.e. playing on their cell phones facebooking, surfing the internet or texting. The second half of that are drunk drivers, a drunk driver will drive into the back of an emergency vehicle because they fixate on the lights and they just drive right into the back of the vehicle.

 

The move over law does nothing with a drunk driver, nor does the move over law do anything with the distracted driver playing on their phone. The move over law does not even do anything with an attentive driver because the attentive driver is aware of the emergency vehicle and is already being cautious.

 

The truth of the matter is the move over law is not about safety but just another excuse to pull over a driver and collect more revenue via a traffic citation. Face it our governments are money junkies, the more money they can take in the more money they can spend, they simply don't know how to budget or they just refuse to budget because it is not their personal money.

 

As for the cell phone issue that one could be dealt with overnight, every smart phone today has a built in GPS in it, all they have to do is send a mandatory update that the user cannot stop that disables the texting feature, and internet feature and that would take care of the texting and surfing/facebooking when the phone detects it is moving 5 MPH or above, they could even disable the normal phone call function leaving only 911 available incase an emergency call needs to be made while the vehicle is moving.

 

Lets face it smart phones have only been around since 2007, that is only eleven years yet people claim they can't do their job unless they are texting and using the internet while moving/driving. I call total BS on that because of the short time smart phones have been around, heck we made it just fine before smart phones, we made it just fine before cell phones for that matter. The other excuse is passengers would not be able to use the phone for texting, surfing the internet or facebooking, to that I say big deal, as again smart phones have only been out since 2007 or eleven years and we all got along just fine before them.

 

OK I am stepping sown off my soap box for now.

Edited May 13, 2018 by American
Spelling error

[ChiefGunner]

Don't come to Missouri and do that, the fine doubles!!! You slow down and pull off to the side!! If they have someone pulled over you better grab some brake and get over. Cali seems to do things different I guess. I almost went to jail in Illinoise because I got pulled over for only changing lanes. Was informed I must slow down too. I was also only 17 at the time and cops seem to like youngsters. So not sure if he would have really taken me to jail for not having insurance card with my name on it. I was covered on the policy but in Missouri at the time my name did not have to be on the insurance card.

 

Good info, thx. I DO move over a lane if there’s an accident or someone pulled over, but no need to drop speed from 70 (posted) down to 35mph. That’s just plain stupid on everyone’s part.

BTW, moving over seems to be the norm law in almost all states now.

[ChiefGunner]

What you are describing are the stupid move over laws, in Florida you have to slow down to 15 MPH under the speed limit and change lanes if a multi lane highway. If you are unable to change lanes because of traffic you only have to slow down and maintain your lane however if a police officer pulls you over and writes you a citation for the move over law it is now your word against the police officers word if you could have safely changed lanes, pretty much a no win situation for the person getting the citation. If a single lane highway you have to slow down to 15 MPH under the speed limit and maintain your lane.

 

I have a huge problem with this law. First I am a retired Florida Highway Patrol trooper, but when this law went into effect one day I was traveling southbound on the Florida Turnpike south of U.S 41, the Turnpike in that area had four southbound lanes. A trooper had a car pulled over and one person slowed down suddenly and changed lanes as the law requires, well that did not go so well as traffic in the other lanes had to suddenly slow resulting in a car having swerve to avoid a crash and from that point it was mayhem, no lie there were a total of eight cars spinning out of control.

 

How none of them hit anything or each other is beyond me I was also traveling southbound behind them all and watched the entire thing unfold in front of me. That was my first bad experience with the Florida move over law.

 

The second bad experience with the Florida move over law I did not witness but it occurred on Alligator Alley in the eastbound lanes, it is a four lane highway with two lanes each direction, this time a Collier Country Sheriff deputy had a car pulled over on the right shoulder of the road, the deputy had just gotten the license, registration and insurance card from the driver and had walked back to his patrol car when a woman approaching the deputy slowed suddenly and changed from the outside lane into the inside lane, there was a car already in the inside lane that honked their horn to alert the woman that she was about to hit the car in the inside lane, the woman who slowed suddenly and started the lane change heard the horn and swerved back into the outside lane losing control of her vehicle and spun around striking the car the deputy had pulled over in the left rear door killing the passenger sitting in the left rear of that pulled over car. If the lady had been 5 to 10 seconds earlier should have also hit the deputy as well.

 

My issue with this move over law is it looks great on paper, but real life is not on a piece of paper. We had gotten along fine without this move over law for decades and it was not a huge problem.

 

The problem with this law is you have to slow down and you have to change lanes also on high speed expressways/highways this becomes a very dangerous combination as evidenced by the two examples I cited above.

 

If our law makers were smart, (yeah right) they would have only required the lane next to the emergency vehicle to slow down the same 15 MPH under the speed limit without requiring the lane change just like on a two lane roadway. It is the required lane change that introduces 99% of the danger in this law.

 

The majority of crashes on the highway of a car hitting an emergency vehicle on the side of the road are two fold, one is just inattentive drivers, i.e. playing on their cell phones facebooking, surfing the internet or texting. The second half of that are drunk drivers, a drunk driver will drive into the back of an emergency vehicle because they fixate on the lights and they just drive right into the back of the vehicle.

 

The move over law does nothing with a drunk driver, nor does the move over law do anything with the distracted driver playing on their phone. The move over law does not even do anything with an attentive driver because the attentive driver is aware of the emergency vehicle and is already being cautious.

 

The truth of the matter is the move over law is not about safety but just another excuse to pull over a driver and collect more revenue via a traffic citation. Face it our governments are money junkies, the more money they can take in the more money they can spend, they simply don't know how to budget or they just refuse to budget because it is not their personal money.

 

As for the cell phone issue that one could be dealt with overnight, every smart phone today has a built in GPS in it, all they have to do is send a mandatory update that the user cannot stop that disables the texting feature, and internet feature and that would take care of the texting and surfing/facebooking when the phone detects it is moving 5 MPH or above, they could even disable the normal phone call function leaving only 911 available incase an emergency call needs to be made while the vehicle is moving.

 

Lets face it smart phones have only been around since 2007, that is only eleven years yet people claim they can't do their job unless they are texting and using the internet while moving/driving. I call total BS on that because of the short time smart phones have been around, heck we made it just fine before smart phones, we made it just fine before cell phones for that matter. The other excuse is passengers would not be able to use the phone for texting, surfing the internet or facebooking, to that I say big deal, as again smart phones have only been out since 2007 or eleven years and we all got along just fine before them.

 

OK I am stepping sown off my soap box for now.

 

Mine of the reasons o like the hands free function of the SVTC. Calls are no big deal. Texts however are able to go speech to text & text to speech. While that function is cool WHY use that? If you need to talk that bad, call them for Pete’s sake! Just my two cents.

[snyper316]

Good info, thx. I DO move over a lane if there’s an accident or someone pulled over, but no need to drop speed from 70 (posted) down to 35mph. That’s just plain stupid on everyone’s part.

BTW, moving over seems to be the norm law in almost all states now.

 

OK the sudden drop to 50 mph is just plain stupid, and it pisses me off to no end. I have had happen both on my bike and in the truck one lady did it right in front of me!! Two days after I got rearended, I had gotten over way ahead when I seen the lights but some morons do wait till they are on top of the cop car. Then there was another instance I did not figure out what what the H was going on there was a Sheriff car parked in the right lane with his lights on, I did not realize this till I got closer I am just glad the I-49 was not packed at this time because for sure there would have been one hell of a wreck.

 

Mine of the reasons o like the hands free function of the SVTC. Calls are no big deal. Texts however are able to go speech to text & text to speech. While that function is cool WHY use that? If you need to talk that bad, call them for Pete’s sake! Just my two cents.

 

I have a thing called AT&T Drive mode on my phone I have the option to turn it off or turn it on Manually it has a setting to turn on Automatically at 15mph. They did try 10mph but it simply would not work right I could walk thru my house to the back yard and I would be in Drive Mode!! It has done it with the 15mph just not as bad. But you can call me as long as my Blue tooth is connected. That other stuff on your bike IMHO sounds stupid. Sorry don't want to offend if what needs said is so Important Call me Sheesh, Heck with that text to speech and speech to text!! More then likely you will have to listen to the robot read back what you said and confirm and all that BS!! It is just simpler to make the damned call!! Just my