Factual mileage

[az1103]

A couple of days ago i read a thread where someone said their 07RSV gave them 46 to 48 mpg on a trip averaging 70mph. Since a normal mixture of street and highway usually results in no more than around 45mph avg. to a max of around 50mph, I assume this was almost pure highway, constant speed, level ground.

Nevertheless, I have never even in the best of circumstances have come even close to that mileage:confused24:The best I have ever gotten was 40, 42mpg on a purely highway, avg 50mph flat run. Normally, on a regular street-highway mix, two up, no crazy stuff easy ride I get a very consistent 38mpg, which I thought was pretty fair. What are others getting? I mean honest mileage. No wishfull thinking, please!

[cecdoo]

That may have been me, on the way to Dons maint day, I filled up and got on the highway drove 5 miles to the turnpike ent. We headed west on turnpike set cruise at 70 and we went about 150 miles or so stopped on turnpike and filled up it worked out to exactly 50 mpg you are rite it was mostly level highway a steady 70 on my speedo, probaby an actual 63. Two up and loaded. I always get 44-46 running around town, I am a pretty conservative rider dont really crack it open alot. Someone on that thread as much as called this B.S. So you can choose to believe it or not. Craig

[DNBoll]

I average about 42 mpg here in Denver. Took a road trip to Santa Fe & Taos, NM a week ago & had one stretch (2up/with a bad head wind) that I averaged 35-37. I just got a new job that I drive 58 miles one way. All interstate driving. Set the cruise on 75 & I'm getting a little over 48 mpg. Go figure? Dan (DNBoll)

[flb_78]

A speedohealed 27 miles per gallon. Highway, in town, doesn't matter, 27-28 miles per gallon.

[wizard]

I'm riding with Indians and Harleys and we fill up at the same time. If we stay legal and ain't headed into wind we use the same amount of gas and we will average 45 to 50 mpg. I ride 2 up. Of course, our odometers are probably off the same amount, as well as the speedometers. All of the bikes have carbs. 1 honda, fuel injected rode with us and got less mileage. Go figure...Above 75 mph, all bets are off! The Harleys win.

[BigShell]

Most of my riding is 60% highway. I run mostly between 70 and 75 by the GPS (80+ on the speedometer). I'm usually 1up, but that's about the same as most of you 2up. I don't like wasting time getting up to speed from a stop. I don't race, but I don't ease up there either. Every day, I reset the gps max speed reached. I tell myself this will be the day I don't hit 80 mph real speed. Only done it once. I often hit 85 - 90 while gettin' on the highway or scootin' past someone. I've converted to the VMax rear end. Two months ago, I was getting around 30 mpg. Since switching from the tall, wide clearview I use in winter to the stock shield cut down 2" and vented, I've averaged between 31 and 32 mpg.

[lockdoc]

I rode almost 3,000 miles in four days using whatever gas was available at 70 & 75 mph (and at speed limit thru towns) and averaged 37.68 (US) mpg or 16.04 kms/ltr. Best was 18.6 and worst 13.7kms/litre.

 

Steve

[az1103]

I rode almost 3,000 miles in four days using whatever gas was available at 70 & 75 mph (and at speed limit thru towns) and averaged 37.68 (US) mpg or 16.04 kms/ltr. Best was 18.6 and worst 13.7kms/litre.

 

Steve

 

Looks to me like the 38mpg I am getting is just about what's expected. So how do we account for the unusually high figures? If it was just a couple of mpg's I would say just statistical anomalies, but for those claiming over 46, 48 and even 50mpg that's 25% to 33% difference, way above what would account for rider style, me thinks... Something's smelling fishy here.

[lockdoc]

37/US gallon = 45 mpg everywhere else. Just use British or Aussie mpg (except we use litres now)

[RoadKill]

I am exactly 1 mile from the Interstate I take to work and its 60 miles to work. Just for kicks I filled up and headed to work one morning. No wind and cruise set at GPS 68 MPH or Speedometer 75MPH. I get 38.5 consistently 1 up and 35 two up. I have got 50 1 up on two lanes at 62MPH/GPS, but that was with a tailwind. All our gas in IL is Ethanol 10% too. Really I don't care much about what I get for MPG it is just something to think about. I would ride this bike no matter what I was getting. Its alot better than the 19MPG on my '04 Olds AWD Bravada.

 

 

Jay

[ahoutzer]

Rarely touching an interstate highway, mostly on 55 and some 45mph roads, I get mileage in the forties. In winter, it gets about 42, with summer around. Most of my riding is short 10- to 15-mile trips, commuting to work/church/home, etc. Several days ago, I went to Greenville (sixty miles one way) and got 49.25mpg. When I have ridden interstate highways, mileage dipped just under 40mpg. (All measurements in U.S. units and by readings as indicated on the bike's speedometer and odometer).

[RoadKill]

(All measurements in U.S. units and by readings as indicated on the bike's speedometer and odometer).

WHICH ARE BOTH OFF BY 7%, which will inflate your MPG calculations due to the inaccurate inflation of the numerator of the MPG equation!

[ahoutzer]

I would truly like to drop a grand to buy a Garmin Zumo 550 for more accurate readings, but if I can't afford one to prevent me from getting lost, then I can't afford one to make my mpg readings more accurate. The source of my figures was mentioned to provide a point of reference. I will happily accept a donation of a Zumo for my bike so that y'all won't be further bothered with my base and common inaccuracies -- and next time I'll be able to find that Boy Scout Service Center in Greenville, too! =)

[Sleeperhawk]

I would truly like to drop a grand to buy a Garmin Zumo 550 for more accurate readings, but if I can't afford one to prevent me from getting lost, then I can't afford one to make my mpg readings more accurate. The source of my figures was mentioned to provide a point of reference. I will happily accept a donation of a Zumo for my bike so that y'all won't be further bothered with my base and common inaccuracies -- and next time I'll be able to find that Boy Scout Service Center in Greenville, too! =)

 

Saturday, I did get 45.1, 1up, doing 60mph at cruise

 

But I will not see that figure again

 

Then wife went riding with me and at 75 mph, 38.3 mpg on interstate, then back roads for awhile, got 40.2

 

Bottom line, 2up does effect mileage, great gas mileage at 60 or less, but above 60, down, down, down goes the mpg.

[cliffno350]

I only get 38 to 40 ride easy with cruise as inicated by bike speedo my real milage must be so awful I dont wanna know:bang head:

[dragerman]

Don’t forget to clean or replace the air filter, if it’s clogging your MPG will drop.

[k7mdl]

I typically get 38mpg solo mixed highway commuting using speedo which is 5 mph higher than GPS at 70.

 

I just did a 1400 mile trip from Seattle to Hells Canyon and back. 2 up, temps from low 60's on the coast to mid 90's in the high desert (3-4K feet) in eastern Oregon. Oregon spped limit is 65 max, WA is 70. Rode 2 up with new Avons and 8K service just completed.

 

Using speedometer inidicated speed and mileage I got 40mpg consistently but for 2 times 1. Weaving through Hells Canyon in high heat, lots of winding hills, avg speed was maybe 35mph for half the trip, 60 the other half.

2. Refilled at the OR WA border and then ran up hill at mostly 74mph with some good cross winds and some head wind gusting from river lowlands to over 3000 feet Snoqualmie pass. Filled up a few miles after the pass, got 34.8mpg by speedo.

 

For all the straight runs I used the cruise control, including a lot of time in 4th gear while hill climbing. I think we went over about the about mtn 9 passes.

 

So the odd statistic for me was the 40mpg coming down I-5 Seattle to Portland at over 70mph. Was not much wind and failrly flat, cool temps. 70, and hot with winds it dropped off a lot.

 

Previous mountainous multi day trips I have had up to 42mpg by speedo) but that is 2 up with average speeds about 55mph. So after speedo correction (9%) I have gotten 38.2 to 35mpg actual over all conditions of load, road, temp, and speed mixes. I fill my tank very consistently. This is on a 2007 RSV with 12 months and just turned 9200 miles.

 

- Mike

[V7Goose]

I have reported my fuel mileage many times here, so what I am about to say won't be anything new. After recently adjusting the choke linkage on my 05, my mileage seems to be better, but still in the range I expect out of an RSV.

 

In short, based on my own 50,000 miles (combined) on an 05 and an 07, and also about 10,000 miles touring with my brother on his 07 RSV, I believe that average mileage on the RSV is typically 36 MPG/US gallon, based on bike odometer. Running at an actual 80 (indicated 87) will drop that into the low 30s, and riding an average 45 - 50 in the hills and twisties will increase mileage per gallon to the mid 40s.

 

I have long looked with suspicion on those who report constant high 40s on an RSV. It is NOT that I don't believe them, just that I am convinced that something is different in the way they measure it or ride. I would LOVE to ride a few hundred miles in any conditions with one of these folks to compare just how many miles our bikes report and exactly how much gas we both buy at the same time and same station. That kind of side-by-side comparison would do a whole lot to validate what is actually being reported!

 

I don't know when or if I will ever get that opportunity, but I am heading up to Ontario soon, and I guess we will do 3,000 or 4,000 miles on that trip. I will be riding two-up and loaded. When I get home, I will report here on the exact fuel mileage for EVERY tank on this trip, along with the conditions we observe for each tank. I will also use my GPS to compare actual versus indicated speeds and miles.

Goose

[a1bummer]

Last time I filled, I got just over 39 mpg. That was super unleaded with about 1oz. Sea Foam per gallon. 1 up, 2 up, a little highway, with and w/out trailer, mostly around town grocery shopping and back-road stuff.

[lonestarmedic]

I just checked my 1986 after a new set of plugs and a carb synch. I ran 181 mikes on 3.94 gallons. The second fill was 112 miles on 2.42 gallons. I ealize this is not a perfect check. I was running 65-70 and 1 up. Luggage weight of 30-40 lbs and myself at 200 lbs. This pretty much matches the mileage I had earlier this year. Me at 200 lbs. and daughter at 145 lbs. No luggage for the day. We went to hill country and averaged 41-42 mpg. over 4 tanks of fuel. My mileage dropped a bit due to plugs and high speeds over the last couple of months. I will keep a check for a while.

 

JB

[FuzzyRSTD]

A couple of days ago i read a thread where someone said their 07RSV gave them 46 to 48 mpg on a trip averaging 70mph. Since a normal mixture of street and highway usually results in no more than around 45mph avg. to a max of around 50mph, I assume this was almost pure highway, constant speed, level ground.

Nevertheless, I have never even in the best of circumstances have come even close to that mileage:confused24:The best I have ever gotten was 40, 42mpg on a purely highway, avg 50mph flat run. Normally, on a regular street-highway mix, two up, no crazy stuff easy ride I get a very consistent 38mpg, which I thought was pretty fair. What are others getting? I mean honest mileage. No wishfull thinking, please!

Just checked my 2007 RSTD again. Same story, riding alone,not loaded(just the regular stuff),properly inflated tires(checked yesterday)36 front and 41 rear, and at normal stop and go highway and cruising speed mix,roadhouse pipes and K&N filters, 44 average mile per gallon. I also had carbs synced after the pipes and filters. I am very critical about checking mileage. Same pump, parked same way, about same time day.

I also wanted to make sure my reserve worked properly before next week end trip. So I run it out of gas and turned on reserve, everything OK. The gas indicator started blinking at 158.8 miles and then run another 15.6 until ran out and then went to reserve. I am going to have to check the owners manual to get amount in reserve. Can't remember.

[Orrin]

I have found that when I ride on the interstate in traffic I get way better fuel economy that at other times. I think this is due to the drafting effect you get from other cars and trucks. A lot less air to push.

[Midrsv]

I just calculated my mileage from my recent trip to Utah and for the total of 4051 miles I averaged 31.6 mpg with a high tank of 41.8 and a low tank of 22.9. About 75% of the mileage was interstate riding with the cruise set at about 72. The interstate legs were riding solo and the rest were 2-up. All were towing my Unigo trailer. This mileage was calculated from my speedohealer corrected odometer and confirmed with my GPS mileage.

 

Dennis

[Jerry W]

I read one post (can't remember who it was) stating their bike had been colortuned and their mileage jumped from low 30's to low 40's, same bike, same rider. I am not doubting what anyone says their mileage is, I just want to know what changes they have made.

[Gary N.]

On my last ride driving 50 - 60 mph I got 45 mpg US or 54 mpg Imperial. 15 litres (4 US gallons, 3.3 Imp. gallons) to go 303 kms. (180 miles).

Bike is stock except for Bub pipes and has 12,000 miles (20,000 kms.) Dunlop 404's @ 40 psi. 190 lb. rider, very light winds.